Wagner: The Complete Epic
by Tony Palmer
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Product details
Actor: John Gielgud, L?szl? G?lffi, Ralph Richardson, Richard Burton, Vanessa RedgraveDirector: Tony Palmer
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Box set, Classical, Color, NTSC
Release Date: 1991-10-22
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: Kultur Video
Studio: Kultur Video
VHS Movie Reviews of Wagner: The Complete Epic
Movie Review: Rare chance to see three knights in unison
Summary: 5 Stars
No matter what one thinks of Burton's performance (he died a year later), this series should be seen if only for the chance of glimpsing the Olivier-Gielgud-Richardson triumvirate once more (they appeared together in "Richard III"). A nice touch would be to buy this set at amazon.co.uk and pay less than half the price!Movie Review: A disappointing waste of talent, great music, and scenery
Summary: 2 Stars
I was extremely disappointed in this DVD set. Other reviewers have expressed some of the technical shortcomings. Given the stellar cast and the compelling story line, I expected a much more polished and engaging production. For me, this DVD shares some of the problems with Wagner's works -- flashes of brilliance surrounded by hours of repetition and tedium. Movie Review: Wagner's Life Story
Summary: 5 Stars
This ten part 1983 epic television miniseries touches on all the major hits and scandals of Wagner's life from his young years in Dresden to his death in Venice, and every scene is played for maximum drama. Don't look for any quiet character moments here. There is absolutely nothing subtle about Wagner the mini series, but then again there is absolutely nothing subtle about Wagner the man either. Burton plays Wagner as a legend in his own mind, a man who begins as an arrogant political figure convinced of his own genius and dies as an elderly artist and national icon even more convinced of his own genius. Burton's voice echoes off of every wall of every room he enters, and each gesture is grand and theatrical. Wagner was never shy about speaking his mind, a personality flaw which got him into considerable trouble and forced him to spend much of his life on the road. Threatened with execution in Germany, he fled first to Paris and then later into a lengthy exile in Switzerland only to eventually wind up in Bavaria. Wagner demanded total loyalty from his closest allies, often including a "sharing plan" with their spouses which the great artist apparently considered a right granted by his own genius. He left many scandals in his time, particularly regarding his affair with the poet Mathilde Wesendock, the wife of one of Wagner's patrons. When Wagner was working on the Ring Cycle he claimed he was making the artwork of the future, a kind of total artwork which fused many elements like poetry, music, dance and elaborate special effects. He insisted that he didn't make operas, but rather what he called "dramatic music." Today, Wagner is categorized as a classical style composer, but in reality Wagner was the great rock and roll star of his time. His music was bold and incredibly extravagant and described more as Romantic in style. The series spends as much time on Wagner's political and philosophical views as it does on his music. Wagner was a great artist, but in all honesty he was not a very nice man, and the series highlights the more troubling aspects of his life. Wagner's selfishness and arrogance is also on constant display, as well as his willingness to swindle even his best friends out of their hard earned money. I know many people have downgraded this series for years because it portrays Wagner in a negative light at times, but he was human as we all are and made bad choices and mistakes. It is nice to be able to see Wagner's life portrayed in a honest way and never sugar coated as many other documentaries can be. Despite all of Wagner's flaws he was a musical genius and this 4 DVD set is jam packed with his gorgeous music to enjoy. Anyone interested in learning about Wagner's life and music will not be disappointed with this set.
Movie Review: very intersting
Summary: 5 Stars
it' a marvelous masterpiece...
Richard Burton give us a great portrait of Richard Wagner...
Unforgettable....
Movie Review: It is not Pan & Scan
Summary: 5 Stars
The movie is long but quite excellent with brilliant performances.
Much has been said in these reviews about the transfer and that the movie is in Pan & Scan, i.e. not in its proper wide screen format.
According to IMDB, the movie was shot in a spherical process on 35mm. This means it would have been matted or artifically cropped to appear wide screen when shown in theaters.
The 1.33:1 TV presentation is actually all of the image that was exposed to the film negative.
Yes, the transfer sucks and the movie is in serious need of restoration, but you are not missing the sides of the picture.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085107/technical
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