The Magic Flute is Kenneth Branagh's English-language film version of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's singspielDie Zauberflöte. The film is a co-production between France & the UK, produced by Idéale Audience and in association with UK's Peter Moores Foundation.
Interpretation
In November 2005, it was announced that, as part of the 250th anniversary celebration of Mozart's birthday, a new film version of The Magic Flute, set during World War I, was to be made, directed by Kenneth Branagh, with a translation by Stephen Fry. The film was presented at the Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2006, at the Venice Film Festival on 8 September of that year, and released in Switzerland on 5 April 2007. The film, with a soundtrack performed by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by James Conlon, is the first motion picture version of the opera specifically intended for cinemas. Ingmar Bergman's 1975 film version was made for Swedish television and only later released to theatres. Branagh's version was shot in Super 35 and released in anamorphic widescreen, while Bergman's was filmed in Academy ratio for television sets of the 1970s. The story, which has been updated to a World War I setting, follows the structure of the original opera libretto. Tamino is sent by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter Pamina after Sarastro has apparently kidnapped her. His sidekick is Papageno, a man who uses underground pigeons to check for poison gas. Sarastro, in charge of a field hospital, is Pamina's father. A DVD of the film was released in France in August 2007 with a bonus soundtrack CD and a "Making of" featurette. The film has also been released on DVD in the Netherlands, Finland, Argentina, and Japan. Revolver Entertainment gave the film a theatrical release in the United States in June 2013, seven years after its premiere in Europe.
Casting
Branagh consulted with conductor James Conlon over casting choices. René Pape, who has sung and acted the role of Sarastro in several productions of the opera onstage, is the best-known singer in the entire film.
Teuta Koco, Louise Callinan, Kim-Marie Woodhouse as The Three Ladies
William Dutton, Luke Lampard and Jamie Manton as The Three Boys
Release
The film was made on an estimated budget of $27 million. On 11 June 2013, seven years after its premiere, the film was finally released on a Region 1 DVD in the United States.
Critical reception
Varietys Derek Elley gave the film a mixed review. Total Film mistakenly blamed Mozart for the "silliness of the story". In 2009, three years after the release of the film, Roger Lanser received a Cinematographer of the Year Award from the Australian Cinematographers Society for his work on The Magic Flute.
