The Tales Of Hoffman

This overly long opera film follows the life and loves of a young university student (Rounseville, in the title role). The poor fellow never succeeds in love--one time falling for a doll created by a magician, another time falling in love with a girl who will die if she sings (and, of course, she does just that). All of the tales are done in exquisite detail and contain lavish dance numbers, including a stunning ballet sequence choreographed by Ashton and performed by him and Shearer (of THE RED SHOES). But while the dizzying array of design elements and magnificent vocal performances is impressive, 138 minutes is just too long to keep the interest of any but the p...