Product Details

• Actors: Maurice Godin, Brittany Madgett, Catherine Barroll, Yseult Lendvai, Vlastimil Harapes
• Directors: David Devine
• Writers: David Devine, Heather Conkie
• Producers: David Devine, Leif Bristow
• Format: Classical, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony
• VHS Release Date: August 21, 1995
• Run Time: 53 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303541674
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #280,075 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a musical fantasy, July 23, 2003

By 

Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bizet's Dream [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The series of films titled "The Composer's Specials", are in large part fiction, but are intended to introduce young people to classical music. In "Bizet's Dream", despite an inane script, and a few scenes that are so slow they seem to come to a standstill, there are some standout features: Marvelous cinematography by Barry Stone, on location in the Czech Republic, the magnificent music, played by the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, and Yseult Lendvai. Ms. Lendvai is the Prima Ballerina of the Stuttgart Ballet, and her all too fleeting appearances are a joy. Had all 53 minutes of this film been of her dancing to Bizet's gorgeous Carmen score, this would have been a 5 star masterpiece, as it is, it narrowly fits into a 4 star category.

The cast is attractive, with Maurice Godin as Bizet, and Brittany Madgett as his 12 year old student, and as the artist Delaborde, R.H. Thomson is amusing and engaging.Though this is supposed to be a "film for the whole family", parents should be aware that it is depicting 19th century bohemian Parisians, with much wine drinking, and permissive behavior, though that is balanced perhaps by being able to introduce children to the fabulous music, the Czech National Ballet, and even a little opera...and of course, Ms. Lendvai, who is pure grace and style.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Slow and strange, March 24, 2007

By 

Levi "eminenz2" (Germantown, MD United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Bizet's Dream (DVD)

As a public school music teacher, I have a number of these films in my collection. This film is bizarre.

The story moves a long slowly, the plot contrivances are a little thin, and just like in Beethoven Lives Upstairs (where Christopher, the boy character, and Beethoven spend an afternoon walking and talking with each other), there's a section where the little girl languishes alongside Bizet and his mopey son on a warm afternoon. Completely innocent, but as you may well guess, I don't buy a 10 year old girl and a grown man behaving like soul mates and sharing their personal anguish with each other.

There is also an extended "main child character running an incredibly long distance through the city streets" montage, again, like in BLU.

Finally, the strained relationship between Bizet and his wife is hinted at, but never explained, so the peculiar ending makes little sense. Although my 4th graders, having studied "Carmen" in class, found the story intriguing, they were confused by the ending as well.

Meh. Three stars.

5.0 out of 5 stars Bizet's Dream, May 18, 2010

By 

Dr. Walker (Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bizet's Dream (DVD)

I show this to my 5th grade music students at school and they totally sit quiet and watch it. They love it. I love all of the composer videos that this company has done.