Product Details

• Actors: Anna Russell, Mildred Dunnock, Frank Rogier, Constance Brigham, Helen Boatwright
• Directors: Michael Myerberg, John Paul
• Format: Classical, Color, Dolby, DVD, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Studio: V.I.E.W. Video
• DVD Release Date: October 30, 2001
• Run Time: 72 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005O6ON
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,881 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "HANSEL AND GRETEL: An Opera Fantasy" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Brilliant imagination and unprecedented technical wizardry,A masterpiece that will delight children and the whole family. --Video Store

Product Description

This DVD, Hansel & Gretel: An Opera Fantasy, may be the definitive production of one of the greatest fairy tales ever told. With brilliant imagination and technical wizardry, comparable only to Walt Disney's Fantasia, this DVD uses stop-action animation, over 35 hand-sculpted Kinemen dolls (a precursor to claymation), and lavish sets to create a fantasyland of unearthly beauty. Set to Englebert Humperdinck's classic 1893 opera, sung by some of the most acclaimed performers of the time (Anna Russell, Constance Brigham, Mildred Dunnockand Frank Rogier), the film's score, conducted by Franz Aller, won a Grammy Award and is filled with characters of unparalleled charm.

The Kinemen characters featured in the film took over 15 years to develop. Compounded of intricate armatures, a secret chemical mixture for flesh, human hair, magnetized feet and truly human personalities; they are exemplary ''actors,'' able to simulate natural movements of the human body, with a variety of facial expressions that equal the range of humans.

Directed by Michael Meyerberg, this DVD, Hansel & Gretel: An Opera Fantasy, is a masterpiece, combining melodic beauty, a whimsical story, a magical settings, and delightful characters, that will delight both your children and the rest of the family alike with this inventive and original recreation of the classic fairytale.

DVD BONUS FEATURES:
Composer Englebert Humperdinck Biography
''Making Of...'' Featurette
Story Synopsis
Over 30 Scene Selections with Instant Access to Songs
Digital Dolby Stereo Audio
Digitally Mastered Audio & Video
Multi-dimensional Interactive Menus

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Intro. to Opera, Good Music!, December 12, 1999

By 

A. Gregory "Andrew Gregory" (Chesterfield,, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hansel & Gretel: Opera Fantasy [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This version of the opera of Hansel and Gretel is accessible to children of all ages because it is visually intriguing. Animated puppets, called the Kinemins by the producer back in 1954, are believable even though they lack the sophistication of the movement seen in Toy Story. The settings, colorful, sometime frightening, and always imaginative, are perfectly matched to the symphonic score of the opera and to the fanciful nature of the story. Of course, the witch is the centerpiece of the story, and Anna Russell's incomparable interpretation of the witch both unnerves and entertains at the same time. She is obviously having fun--as is the witch herself until her untimely demise in the oven. I saw this film in a theatre when I was only five years old, fell in love with the score as a result, and have loved classical music ever since--thanks to Hansel and Gretel. I still cherise this film and recommend it to anyone with children. Actually, this film is delightful entertainment for people of all ages.

42 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrible Print - Washed out, faded and soft focus!, February 15, 2002

By 

T. Mozer (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: HANSEL AND GRETEL: An Opera Fantasy (DVD)

Don't buy it. I have wonderful memories of seeing this film at the movies when I was a child. I loved it so much that I even had the record album. I couldn't wait to get it on DVD to share with my children. What a disapointment! It looks like the same print they showed in the theaters back in the early 1970s. The colors are washed out and faded. Even worse, the image looks soft. I knew this was an old film and I wasn't expecting a "Snow White" quality restoration, but this was so bad that my family and I couldn't even finish watching it.
The dismal quality becomes even more apparent when you watch the "Making Of" promo included on the disc. Filmed in Black & White back in 1953, it looks crisper and sharper than the film itself.
I knew I was in trouble, though, when I opened the DVD case and there wasn't a chapter list inside. I sensed that if View Video (the distributor) didn't care enough about their product to include a chapter list, they wouldn't care about getting the best possible print (let alone striking a new one). And I was right.
Again, despite whatever fond memories you might have of this film, save your money. Don't buy it.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to Opera for children of all ages, September 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hansel & Gretel: Opera Fantasy [VHS] (VHS Tape)

My children grew up watching the 1954 version of this opera on video and though they are all grown they still remember it and the music. There is no other portrayal of the witch except Anna Russell's she is the very best. My children also remember their first introduction to opera through this video which has stayed with them through the years and has taught them music appreciation.