The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute
| The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Directed by |
|
| Written by | Vasily Rovensky |
| Based on | The Nutcracker |
| Produced by | Sergei Selyanov |
| Starring |
|
| Edited by |
|
| Music by |
|
Production company | CTB Film Company |
| Distributed by | Atmosfera Kino |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Countries | Russia, Hungary |
| Language | Russian |
| Budget | RUR 350 million |
| Box office | $3 million |
The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute is a 2022 Russian-Hungarian fantasy musical animated film.[1] Loosely based on Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker, the film also contains elements from other fairytales and musical works.
Plot
[edit]Marie lives with her widowed mother in the house their father had left them. She is a talented dancer but her mother is unable to pay the debts left by her deceased husband. A former creditor of the latter, Mr Ratter, offers to marry Marie and erase the debts. She refuses but Ratter leaves her a wooden nutcracker in the shape of a soldier, before departing. At night, Marie is magically transformed into a miniature version of herself, while all her toys and the nutcracker come to life. They are attacked by a rat and despite all the others' advice, the soldier, who remembers his name is George, leaves after the rat, in a tunnel that leads to a subterranean realm. He is followed by Marie and two of her animal toys. They want to help him reconquer the kingdom, which was being taken over by rats who can take human forms; among those is George's stepmother, while his father the king, one of the few remaining real human beings in the castle, is being kept prisoner in a constant state of somnolence. George and Marie manage to defeat the rats and liberate the kingdom. After that Mary vanishes and returns to her house, and thinking all this was a dream, decides to marry the creditor. But then the prince arrives and informs the creditor that he bought all of the creditor's debt and proposes to Mary. Then they live happily ever after.
Music
[edit]The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute contains various pieces from The Nutcracker but also from other works by Tchaikovsky, including excerpts of Swan Lake. Despite its title and the presence of music by Mozart in the soundtrack, the film has little to do with The Magic Flute.[2] It also contains music by Gluck as well as Brahms' Hungarian Dances.
Reception
[edit]The Guardian was very critical of the film.[3] The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute was also noted for what was deemed "outdated gender roles"[4][5] while Common Sense Media gave it 3 stars out of 5.[6] "Blending Alice in Wonderland and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe fantastical thrills with the classic story, this animated tale just feels awkward and stilted.", commented Starbust.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute (2022) | MUBI (in Portuguese), retrieved 2024-02-18
- ^ Ide, Wendy (2022-12-18). "The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute review – a turkey with all the trimmings". The Observer. London. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
- ^ Clarke, Cath (2022-12-13). "The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute review – fairytale mashup is a right turkey". The Guardian. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
- ^ Media, Australian Council on Children and the. "Nutcracker and the Magic Flute, The". Raising Children Network. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
- ^ "Movie review of Nutcracker and the Magic Flute, The". Children and Media Australia. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
- ^ "The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute Movie Review". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
- ^ "The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute". Starbust.
