Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful Staging of A Wonderful Opera! Watch it Again!
Review: Director Bergman has given us a charming film production of Mozart's Magic Flute that is set to be a modern-day staging of the opera in an small, old opera house. The staging is low-tech (no lasers) and represents what one may have seen when this fairy-tale opera was produced in the early 1800s. Shots of the stage action are interspersed with backstage scenes of characters reading, adjusting their costumes, etc. This is a Magic Flute that draws you into its world. The staging in enjoyable but is no way distracting from the music. This is a nicely balanced "Flute" with the comedy of Papageno/Papagena very well played along the more serious scenes with Sarastro and the priests. It is a film version that both children and adults will like -- I saw it as a teen many years ago and have loved opera ever since. This is definitely a DVD to own, though there really are no special features on DVD, other than the ability to switch the subtitles off (the opera is sung in Swedish). The sound on the DVD is very good, though the picture is not partcularly sharp. The DVD is well indexed, though, so it is easy to find favorite scenes. A definite buy!
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Rendition, A Must Have!
Review: Even if you do not care for opera, Bergman (known for his great movies "The Seventh Seal " full of many levels of meaning, artsy type movies, does a wonderful retelling of the classic. The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflote in its original German) is wonderfully captured in this film. It was made in the seventies and it is very apparent. Shot in a theatre and with a camera view of the audience and backstage, we see into the magic world of opera. For those of you getting initiated into the beauty of opera, this is a must have. Mozart's music is divine and tender, from the three sacred chords of the Overture and its following brilliant music, to the accompaniment of every duet, trio, aria and chorus. The Magic Flute, by Mozart libretto by Schnikeder, tells the story of the young price Tamino, deceived into believing he must rescue the beautiful Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night from the hands of the priest Sarastro, leader of a holy brotherhoold. In the end, we discover that things are not what they appear. Papageno, whose performance is delightful, is sure to capture your heart. Armed with bells and a magic flute, Tamino passes the tests of the priests and foils the wicked plans of the Queen of the Night. You will love the opera- from the Trio of the Three Dark Ladies in Act 1, the Queen's 1st aria "O Zittre Nicht Meine Lieber Sohn" Tamino's "Dies Bildnis" to the Act 2 chorus "O Isis and Osiris " Pamina's haunting "Ach Ich Fuhls" and the Queen's Vengeance Aria. Look for the comic bits during the Intermission.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Rendition, A Must Have!
Review: Even if you do not care for opera, Bergman (known for his great movies "The Seventh Seal " full of many levels of meaning, artsy type movies, does a wonderful retelling of the classic. The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflote in its original German) is wonderfully captured in this film. It was made in the seventies and it is very apparent. Shot in a theatre and with a camera view of the audience and backstage, we see into the magic world of opera. For those of you getting initiated into the beauty of opera, this is a must have. Mozart's music is divine and tender, from the three sacred chords of the Overture and its following brilliant music, to the accompaniment of every duet, trio, aria and chorus. The Magic Flute, by Mozart libretto by Schnikeder, tells the story of the young price Tamino, deceived into believing he must rescue the beautiful Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night from the hands of the priest Sarastro, leader of a holy brotherhoold. In the end, we discover that things are not what they appear. Papageno, whose performance is delightful, is sure to capture your heart. Armed with bells and a magic flute, Tamino passes the tests of the priests and foils the wicked plans of the Queen of the Night. You will love the opera- from the Trio of the Three Dark Ladies in Act 1, the Queen's 1st aria "O Zittre Nicht Meine Lieber Sohn" Tamino's "Dies Bildnis" to the Act 2 chorus "O Isis and Osiris " Pamina's haunting "Ach Ich Fuhls" and the Queen's Vengeance Aria. Look for the comic bits during the Intermission.
Rating:
Summary: The vision of two genius weaves a spell of enchantment.
Review: From the first captivating moment with Bergman painting portraits of transfixed viewers anticipating the marvel that was Mozart, this video delivers with dynamic drama, heart-warming humor and simple but profound wisdom. Bergman and Mozart share a deep sensibility to the power of the monomyth (George Lucas' resource for the Star Wars movies). The two masters also share a reverence for perfect beauty; of this there is an abundant feast. My ten year old boy and eight year old girl are as mesmerized as I am, and the gorgeous music resounds in all of our heads between viewings. The delightful translation reads like an exquisite picture book.
Rating: 
Summary: Misinterpretation
Review: Having heard this film extolled, I was really disappointed. I will grant that Bergman gets some of the individual scenes exactly right, such as the "Pa-pa-pa" scene where Papageno discovers that Papagena is really an attractive young woman and not an old hag. But there are deadly flaws in his conception of this work, where his staging contradicts the music and text. For example, when Papageno first comes upon Monostatos and Pamina: as Mozart wrote this scene, both Monostatos and Papageno are frightened at the sight of one another. As Bergman stages it, only Papageno is frightened; Monostatos is very aggressive. How, then, is the audience to understand why BOTH Monostatos and Papageno run away, and why it is Papageno who recovers from his fright and returns? The characterization of Sarastro is another serious problem: Mozart's music portrays a serene and confident man, but throughout the film, Bergman's visual portrayal is of a tormented and frightened one. This is a fatal misinterpretation. Also, I can't understand how Bergman dared to change the order of scenes and to cut so much of the dialog. Does he imagine that he knows better than Mozart how the music and drama should progress? Perhaps he would like to change the order of the movements in Mozart's symphonies! In any event, the musical performance is mediocre. The conducting and playing display nothing more than routine competence. Only two of the singers (Sarastro and, especially, Papageno) are above the ordinary; the rest range from so-so to really bad. I suspect that Bergman's reputation as a genius film director may have colored some viewers' perceptions of this performance. The director of an opera needs to understand the music, and I don't think Bergman did.
Rating:
Summary: A serious adaptation-keeps you smiling. You can't help it!
Review: Having seen Magic Flute on stage, both in opera theaters and in open air venues, I knew how it had been treated in the past. Most productions come across as comic opera or Singspiel (song play) as they say Mozart intended when he composed Magic Flute. This production is spellbinding from the very beginning. Its treated as a serious search for truth, honor and fidelity with that perfect touch of humor. I have never been so charmed watching an opera in my life. I had a smile on my face from beginning to end. Especially well done are the subtitles. They are easy to see and follow with accurate translation and communication of the context of the words, which are sung and spoken in Swedish. The whispered lines and body language are some of the highlights of this production I have not heard or seen before. Highly recommended for young and old alike. A wonderful introduction to opera for anyone from 10 year old and upward. It is at the top of my list of recommended opera videos.
Rating:
Summary: An abomination
Review: How can they sing The Magic Flute IN SWEEDISH? That would be like doing the Mairrage of Figaro in Swahili or Don Giovanni in Arabic. Come on, some things just should not be changed!
Rating:
Summary: Magic Indeed, however
Review: However, i wish the dvd had some extras, then i'd buy it. The movie itself is sublime. It introduced me to the opera. I have the Klemperer recording which is gorgeous, but this will always retain a special place.
Rating:
Summary: Really nice
Review: I didn't use to like opera at all, but this DVD changed that. It is a very gentle introduction to this genre, because the story is engaging, the characters likeable, the stage impressing and the costumes are beautiful. Many people complain that the singing is not very good; but if you are a beginner in opera like me, it shouldn't matter, you wouldn't know the difference. The singing, on the other hand, has great feeling, and this is what I am interested in.
Bergman did a very good job and I thank him for having me made love opera.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful!
Review: I found this film quite uplifting the first time I saw it, at the old Surf Theater in San Francicso, on New Year's Eve, many years ago. Since then, watching the film has become a New Year's tradition at my house. I understand the objections to Bergman's adaptation raised by the passionate and knowledgable opera lovers here. I respect their opinion, but for me and I suspect many other people, the film as a film, Mozart's music, the theatrical performers, the humorous interweaving of backstage and on-stage events, the leisurely pace -- all are delightful.
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