The Magic Flute (2006)

During World War I, in an unnamed country, a soldier named Tamino is sent by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter Pamina from the clutches of the supposedly evil Sarastro. But all is not as it seems.

Director:

Kenneth Branagh

Writers:

Emanuel Schikaneder (libretto), Kenneth Branagh (adapted for the screen by)

Stars:

Joseph Kaiser, Amy Carson, Ben Davis

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joseph Kaiser	...	Tamino
Amy Carson	...	Pamina
Ben Davis	...	Papageno (as Benjamin Jay Davis)
Silvia Moi	...	Papagena
René Pape	...	Sarastro
Lyubov Petrova	...	Queen of the Night
Tom Randle	...	Monostatos
Liz Smith	...	The Old Papagena
Teuta Koço	...	First Lady
Louise Callinan	...	Second Lady
Kim-Marie Woodhouse	...	Third Lady
William Dutton	...	First Boy
Luke Lampard	...	Second Boy
Jamie Manton	...	Third Boy
Rodney Clarke	...	First Officer

Storyline

During World War I, in an unnamed country, a soldier named Tamino is sent by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter Pamina from the clutches of the supposedly evil Sarastro. But all is not as it seems.

---

Plot Keywords:

reference to horace | evil | queen | based on opera | mozart | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Musical | Romance

---

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK France

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 December 2006 (France)

Also Known As:

The Magic Flute

Box Office

Budget:

$27,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,965,713

Company Credits

Production Co:

Idéale Audience, Peter Moores Foundation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Conlon: The conductor appears as an officer, reassuring the nervous private at the end of the long tracking shot during the chorus in the trench.

---

Quotes

First Officer: [spoken to Sarastro, about Tamino and Pamina] He's doing this for her.
Second Officer: [spoken] You are using him.
First Officer: [spoken] We are asking him to risk his life!
Second Officer: [spoken] Do you know what you're doing?
Sarastro: [spoken] I hope so. Tamino must succeed. This slaughter must end.

---

Crazy Credits

The overture to the opera is played both at the beginning and the end, but only at the end is it played over the film's credits.

---

Connections

Version of Trollfossen (1948)

---

Soundtracks

The Magic Flute
Based on the opera ("Die Zauberflöte") by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder
Musical Direction by James Conlon
English libretto and dialogue written by Stephen Fry
Performed by Joseph Kaiser, Amy Carson, Ben Davis, Silvia Moi,
René Pape, Lyubov Petrova, Tom Randle, Teuta Koço, Louise Callinan,
, Kim-Marie Woodhouse, Charne Rochford and many others, with Chamber Orchestra of Europe

User Reviews

A complete version of Mozart's opera given full movie treatment.

A man behind me commented at the end, 'What a bizarre idea', which I suppose it was, if he was expecting a filmed version of the staged opera. What we get, however, is a proper movie, with all the tricks and all the realism that can offer. The plot is - always was - nonsense, which suits this semi-fantastic treatment perfectly. Branaugh uses his CGI with drama and humour as well as the poignancy of the First World War to hold the story together. The principals were ideal - they looked right as well as sounding perfect. Papageno was a comic delight. Liz Smith - not a singing role - was enjoying herself as much as the audience where I saw the film enjoyed her. The singing would be enough to hold an audience on its own.