The Magic Flute

In my musical heart of hearts, when it comes to opera, I would rather listen to The Who's Tommy than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Magic Flute. Still, a spoonful of cinematic sugar (in the form of director Ingmar Bergman's expressive staging) sure helps the frilly, trilly, frothy medicine go down. Wolfie's beloved classic follows the (mis)fortunes of two guys and their gals: 1) a handsome hero who is enlisted by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter-princess from the hands of some evil sorcerer goon, and 2) a working class goof who plays a real mean ball--no, wait, that's Tommy--a real mean flute and chases some buxom giggling country farm girl-type. Sumptuously photographed by longtime Bergman cinematographer Sven Nykvist, Criterion's characteristically sharp transfer, which is also richly saturated, does the generally somber Bergman's wonderful color palette proud. Too, for those true devotees of Mozart's 1791 hit, the full-bodied stereo soundtrack accurately reproduces the full range of sound in a clear and vibrant manner. Sure to be popular with classical buffs, this is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman) [Blu-ray/DVD Review—Mar. 26, 2019—Criterion, 138 min., in Swedish w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: 2 discs, $29.95; Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1975’s The Magic Flute features a fine transfer with an uncompressed stereo soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include the 1975 'making-of' documentary 'Tystnad! Tagning! Trollflöjten!' (66 min.), a 1974 interview with director Ingmar Bergman (30 min.), an interview with film scholar Peter Cowie (18 min.), and a booklet featuring an essay by author Alexander Chee. Bottom line: an excellent restored edition of this Bergman classic.]