TOKYO Kenneth Branagh has a message for anyone who has never seen opera: please go and see his new operatic film, The Magic Flute. If, like me, you were put off by the thought of opera, take a risk. This opera has been around since 1792 and it has kept going because it is so popular, said the 46-year-old star of British stage and screen, during a recent visit to Japan, his first since 1998.
The Magic Flute was composed by Mozart and premiered in Vienna in 1791. It deals with a prince and his companion who battle evil forces to rescue a princess. The latest version, adapted and directed by Branagh, is updated and takes place during World War I, but he maintains it is relevant today.
The world continues to go to war. This story reflects an insight into the fundamental human concerns about the resolution of conflicts, triumph of love and light over darkness. People often ask me if some of my films reflect modern times.
When I did Henry V, some said it reflected the Falklands conflict. So it is not hard to see how The Magic Flute is a mirror to what is happening in our world today. Not having been an opera aficionado, Branagh admitted he was somewhat surprised when British philanthropist and patron of the arts Sir Peter Moores approached him about doing a film version of The Magic Flute.
I always thought opera was an expensive, exclusive art form. I usually didn t understand the story and thought the acting very grandiose. Sir Peter wanted someone from outside the opera world to open doors, to make The Magic Flute accessible.
It is the world s most performed opera it has passion, romance, adventure and conflict. Those are al ingredients for a powerful film and the idea was to let modern audiences see Mozart s story in a medium they were more familiar with. Branagh then made the bold decision to set it during World War I.
I saw one production that was set on the moon. With this story, you create your own world. His next step was even bolder: rather than use actors, he decided to cast opera stars.
I had a hunch that it would work. We were bonded together by a certain kind of mutual terror because it was my first time to deal with opera and it was their first time to make a film. They had to change the way they perform, for example, learning to react and listening to other characters.
Arias became less for the audience and more of a conversation. And on my side, I had to learn about the difficulty of singing. Mozart never lived to see The Magic Flute debut.
One wonders what he would think of Branagh s version. I don t pretend we are in his class, but I think we captured the spirit of Mozart. I m proud of what we did with the overture.
Through cinema, we have been able to do things with music that would not be possible on stage, he said. Branagh, who has been nominated four times for Oscars in his film career, has taken the last 3 years off from acting to make The Magic Flute. I listened to Mozart almost every day during that time, he said.
It s been a very enjoyable time, but I would like to get back to acting again both in film and theater. He has just finished directing a remake of Sleuth, starring Michael Caine and Jude Law. Having been actor has been an enormous help in directing, he said.
The insight you gain as an actor makes a good combination when you direct. And actors appreciate being directed by actors. Branagh will next be seen with Tom Cruise in Valkyrie, the story of a plot by high-ranking German officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944.
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