The Magic Flute (1975) [The Criterion Collection]

Director: Ingmar Bergman (uncredited)
Writers: Emanuel Schikaneder (libretto), Ingmar Bergman (screenplay)
Stars: Ulrik Cold, Josef Köstlinger, Irma Urrila

This scintillating screen version of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s beloved opera showcases Ingmar Bergman’s deep knowledge of music and gift for expressing it cinematically. Casting some of Europe’s finest soloists – Josef Köstlinger, Ulrik Cold, Håkan Hagegård, and Birgit Nordin among them – the director lovingly recreated the baroque theater of Sweden’s Drottningholm Palace to stage the story of the prince Tamino and his zestful sidekick Papageno, who are sent on a mission to save a beautiful princess from the clutches of evil. A celebration of love and forgiveness that exhibits a profound appreciation for the artifice and spectacle of the theater, The Magic Flute is among the most exquisite opera films ever made.

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