The Tales Of Hoffmann (1951) ****

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Tales Of Hoffmann (1951), much like their earlier The Red Shoes (1948) (review), features incredible production design, costumes, cinematography, and special effects. There's less dancing and a whole lot more singing in this adaptation of Jacques Offenbach's 1881 opera, which blends theatre with cinema. A few minutes in I had to turn the subtitles on because I couldn't make out a lot of the words being sung. I'd recommend the same for first-time viewers. 

The biggest gripe I have with this collection of tales is that the characters that surround the titular one are all much more interesting (Robert Helpmann in particular is fantastic in all three tales). I also found the final segment to be the least engaging and the most straightforward (though it did take it up a notch toward its climax). I much prefer the weirder and darker aspects of the first two stories. Mostly I found myself craving more of the lovely Moira Shearer—although I loved the saucy Ludmilla Tchérina in the middle segment as well)—but this is still an excellent film (and was George A. Romero's favorite of all time, the one that made him want to be a director).