Magic Flute

Pros: Bergman's unique approach; magical sets; excellent sound engineering and cinematography; physically appropriate cast; Mozart's music

Cons: Second-rate libretto; less than world-class vocalists; Freemason themes

The Bottom Line: Bergman's direction of this opera performance is both skillful and distinctive and the performance values are mostly excellent.

Review: Concluding my yearlong, once-a-month series of reviews of filmed operas, I offer here one of the most distinctive cinematic renditions of opera, courtesy of the great Ingmar Bergman. It is sometimes referred to as "the finest screen version of an opera ...

Pros: A terrific, if somewhat bizarre introduction to opera, and an interesting version for old fans.

Cons: Racist and sexist elements in the plot, but what do you want for 500 years?

The Bottom Line: Even after 25 years, this film holds up as a great cinematic opera experience.

Review: My 5 year old daughter has been singing for 6 hours straight now and this movie is the reason why. Ingmar Bergman's "Trollflojten" (please umlaut the o) is often described as the best film ever made of an opera. It's style of filmmaking doesn't seem as ...