The Magic Flute (2006 film) The Magic Flute (2006 film) The Magic Flute is Kenneth Branagh's English-language film version of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's singspiel "Die Zauberflöte". The film is a co-production between France & the UK, produced by Idéale Audience and in association with UK's Peter Moores Foundation. In November 2005, it was announced that, as part of the 250th anniversary celebration of Mozart's birthday, a new film version of "The Magic Flute", set during World War I, was to be made, directed by Kenneth Branagh, with a translation by Stephen Fry. The film was presented at the Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September
Libretto of The Magic Flute libretto attracted the admiration of Franz Liszt, who after attending a performance copied down several of them in a personal letter. Ingmar Bergman in his 1975 film of the opera gave special treatment to the didactic poetry by having his characters hoist "a series of placards on which these moral sentiments are carefully lettered." The passage quoted above beginning "Zwei Herzen" has attracted particular admiration: Heartz called it "the loveliest of all the opera's beautiful moments"; Abert wrote of "a paradisal radiance unique in this work". Liszt quoted Schikaneder's verse in his letter and appended, "Amen!". A matter that perturbs