Bardlerx Strictly average movie

Prolabas Deeper than the descriptions

Orla Zuniga It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Air America I was delighted to learn from IMDb that this film was offered as the "Complete Series" and on DVD. However I was a bit disappointed that it was apparently produced from the video tapes rather than from the film itself. The quality is not that bad but it does not do full justice to this greatly anticipated effort. I was quite astonished with some of the scenes in both versions, apparently done at actual locations such as Bayreuth, Venice, Zell am See, and Tribschen. One of the most intriguing and original scenes was the superimposition of actual photographs of the original performance over the film scenes as viewed by King Ludwig II in his private viewing of "The Ring." All in all, this was worth the wait.

rps-2 If you weren't familiar with Wagner's music and his life, you would find this film very tough to follow. Even with that knowledge, it tends to be murky and confusing. Seldom have so many theatrical giants been in a film to so little effect. Burton, Redgrave, Olivier, Gielgud, Richardson. Thats a theatrical galaxy! It should have been a tour de force but it wasn't. The film is never shown and tapes are extremely rare. (I found mine at a flea market in Burk's Falls Ontario.) Still it's an interesting side trip for an opera fan. I wouldn't reccomend it at all for someone who is not.I'm sorry there was not more music and less talking. It was criminal to cut short and talk over Tristan Und Isolde! Mark Twain said that Wagner's music is really much better than it sounds. Unfortunately, this movie is not as good as it looks.

crawfo Beautifully visualised, acted and scripted - whoever said "boring script" must set Terminator or Rambo as his ideal. My chief criticism: the death of King Ludwig was oddly placed (too early making that part of the film disjointed). Perhaps too long but the subject merited it; I saw it in a club showing, but would have preferred to spread it over 2 days.

alicecbr Yawn!!! How can one do that when faced with the beauty of Venice and the palaces of Germany and France? Easy, when you're dozing through two tape-fulls of Richard Burton's phone-in recitation of drivel!! Is it because we can't stand Minna's resigned acceptance of Wagner's continual infidelities flaunted in her face? Maybe, except that you soon almost don't blame him, as she is characterized so dully.The music is gorgeous of course, and you get the picture real fast of what a hypocrite, lech, arrogant and generally disgusting guy this Wagner was. (Could anyone be so yukky?) If so, why were so many people willing to support him and buy into his overinflated opinion of himself? It must have been the music, which is played over the gorgeous scenery of Venice, Lake Geneva and the mountains of Bavaria. As a travelogue accompanied by splendid music, I can well recommend it.We will have to wait for a more objective, better written life of Wagner. I can't help but believe that our revulsion toward Nazism and knowledge of his music being Hitler's favorite had something to do with this film's slant. One example is Wagner's spoken words of hatred of royalty and protestations of not taking money from kings, which he then contradicts by doing exactly that--silken gowns, gorgeous dwelling, etc. from the young king Ludwig. He hates Jews, but then sells various items to the Jewish lender. He is continually running from his creditors, overbuying on others' money. There was not ONE good thing about this jerk, other than his splendiferous music. How can that be?A waste of time for Vanessa Redgrave, Lawrence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Richard Burton and the rest. They must have had bills to pay.