The Tales of Hoffmann

A poet dreams of three women – doomed mechanical doll Olympia, a Venetian courtesan, and the materialistic daughter of a famous composer – each of whom is breaking his heart in a different way. Earthly love proves impossible for this tormented artist.

Powell and Pressburger’s bold, fever-pitched adaptation of Offenbach’s opera makes use of the talents of several of the biggest names in film, music and dance of the era as they returned to the cast they had put together three years before for The Red Shoes: dancer-choreographer Robert Helpmann, who plays and dances the roles of all four villains; Leonide Massine, a living legend of 20th-century ballet; Ludmilla Tchérina, the celebrated prima ballerina of the ballets at Monte Carlo and Paris in the role of sensual, predatory courtesan Giulietta; and Moira Shearer, star of The Red Shoes, as Olympia.

Jacques Offenbach’s 1881 opera The Tales of Hoffmann, with its unconventional narrative structure and fantastic storyline, turned out to be the perfect vehicle for the realisation of Powell’s long-cherished wish to ‘compose’ a film to music. This stunning mix of colour, music and dance marks the swansong of Powell and Pressburger’s long collaboration, as well as the end of an era in British cinema. The film’s reputation has only grown over the years, influencing filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese and George Romero.