The Magic Flute (2007) Synopsis:
Follows a musicologist who has to train a mysterious diva in the ways of the flute.
The Magic Flute (2007) Movie Review:
Kenneth Branagh, clearly not content with bringing Shakespeare to the masses, turns his directorial hand to Mozart's classic opera. The uninitiated may find it new and intriguing, but most everyone else will wonder why he bothered.
The story has been moved to the World War I trenches, where the peace-loving Tamino (Kaiser) is lost in no man's land and rescued by three mischievous nurses (Koço, Callinan and Woodhouse). They take him to see the Queen of the Night (Petrova), who asks him to rescue her daughter Pamina (Carson) from her kidnapper, the nefarious Sarastro (Pape). As he leaves, he's given a magical flute and is accompanied by the goofy bird-lover Papageno (Davis). But when they arrive at Sarastro's castle, they hear a different side of the story.
Not being an opera fan, I can't fault the musical performances, which sound bright and lively, even if it's impossible to hear most of the lyrics, which is a big problem in a story this twisty. It's virtually impossible to figure out what's happening and why, as the characters seem to jump through a variety of hoops to reach their various destinies. At least the essential story is clear, and the characters are played with broad strokes that make every emotion obvious.
The film's an intriguing mix of comedy and melodrama, with fantastical sets and landscapes that are either digital or very cheap (a few curtains and a fake doorway). This creates a stagy tone that matches the theatrical acting and contrived plotting. Meanwhile, Branagh gleefully indulges in bravura long takes, sweeping camera moves and vertiginous action. But there's also some extremely dodgy slapstick. And frankly, why WWI instead of, say, Iraq? At least then there might be some sense of relevance.
This is a story about love and peace triumphing over revenge and war, so there's no real tension in the story, which leaves it feeling overlong and draggy. Much of it is played in wink-nudge style, as girls with heaving bosoms giggle maniacally at the dim-witted men folk, who we're sure will surmount even the most difficult obstacle to win the women of their dreams. Complete newcomers might enjoy this, but opera fans and opera haters probably won't.
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The Magic Flute (2007) review written by: Rich Cline
7th September, 2008 
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