The Tales of Hoffmann

"You Will Never See Anything Finer On The Screen!"

Jun 13 1952 Approved 2h 13m
Fantasy, Music, Musical

A young poet named Hoffman broods over his failed romances. First, his affair with the beautiful Olympia is shattered when he realizes that she is really a mechanical woman designed by a scientist. Next, he believes that a striking prostitute loves him, only to find out she was hired to fake her affections by the dastardly Dapertutto. Lastly, a magic spell claims the life of his final lover.

Plot

This a film version of the opera "The Tales of Hoffmann", however it is NOT just a film of a staged performance. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (and the rest of "The Archers") work their usual magic here. The opera dramatises the three great romances in the life of the poet-hero presented in a series of flashbacks. Hoffmann's tales depict the struggle between human love and the artist's dedication to his work. Hoffmann loses each of the women he loves but gains instead poetic inspiration -- the ability to transform painful experiences into art.

Written by

Dennis Arundell, Jules Barbier, Michael Powell

Directed by

Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Cast

Moira Shearer, Robert Rounseville, Ludmilla Tchérina

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United Kingdom

Production Companies

Vega Film Productions, The Archers

Languages

English

Awards

Nominated for 2 Oscars. 2 wins & 3 nominations total

Trailers
The Tales of Hoffmann official HD trailer
The Tales of Hoffmann - Trailer
Scores
# of Votes
4,500
Average Rating
7.1 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
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