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Licensor Information
Studio Canal
Featuring: Moira Shearer
Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger create a phantasmagoric marriage of cinema and opera in this one-of-a-kind take on a classic story. In Jacques Offenbach’s fantasy opera The Tales of Hoffmann, a poet dreams of three women—a mechanical performing doll, a bejeweled siren, and the consumptive daughter of a famous composer—all of whom break his heart in different ways. Powell and Pressburger’s feverishly romantic adaptation is a feast of music, dance, and visual effects, and one of the most exhilarating opera films ever produced.
Streaming Options
Release Information:
Technical Specifications
Format:
DVD
Disc:
DVD-9 (1 Disc)
Total: 1 Disc
Regions:
1 (DVD)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33:1
Audio Options:
English Dolby Digital Mono 1.0
Resolution:
480p/29.97
Subtitles:
English
Supplements
Types of Supplements Included: Audio Commentary, Interview, Short Film, Gallery, Theatrical Trailer, Insert
- Audio commentary by director Martin Scorsese and film music historian Bruce Eder
- New video interview with director George A. Romero
- The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1956), a short musical film directed by Michael Powell, based on the Goethe story
- Rare collection of production designer Hein Heckroth’s design sketches and paintings
- Gallery of archival production and publicity photographs
- Original theatrical trailer
- Insert featuring a new essay by film historian Ian Christie
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Film
Picture
Audio
Supplements
Artwork
Release Credits
Artwork: Lucien S. Y. Yang
Producer: Karen Stetler
Release Notes on Restoration
The Tales of Hoffmann
The Tales of Hoffmann is presented here in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. On widescreen televisions, black bars will appear on the left and right of the image to maintain the proper screen format. This new high-definition digital transfer was created on a C-Reality with Oliver Electronic Wetgate processing from the British Film Institute’s 35mm restoration internegative, under supervision of the film’s camera operator, Freddie Francis. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System. To maintain optimal image quality through the compression process, the picture on this dual-layer DVD-9 has been encoded at the highest-possible bit rate for the quantity of materials included.
The soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the 35mm restoration optical tracks, and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss, and crackle. The Dolby Digital 1.0 signal will be directed to the center channel on 5.1-channel sound systems, but some viewers may prefer to switch to two-channel playback for a wider dispersal of the mono sound.
The soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from the 35mm restoration optical tracks, and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss, and crackle. The Dolby Digital 1.0 signal will be directed to the center channel on 5.1-channel sound systems, but some viewers may prefer to switch to two-channel playback for a wider dispersal of the mono sound.