Wagner - The Complete Epic | 
| Director: Tony Palmer
Actors: Richard Burton, Vanessa Redgrave, Laszlo Galffi, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson
Studio: Kultur Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $69.99
Buy New: $38.09
You Save: $31.90 (46%)
New (21) Used (7) from $34.99
Rating:  36 reviews
Sales Rank: 37990
Format: Box Set, Color, Dvd, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 4
Running Time: 300 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.5 x 1.3
MPN: 1247
ISBN: 0769778119
UPC: 032031124790
EAN: 9780769778112
ASIN: B0007TFHJS
Theatrical Release Date: December 1983
Release Date: April 26, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Description
Over a hundred years after his death, Richard Wagner remains an enigma. His was a rags-to-riches saga with a fairy tale ending. He was loved, yet hated; admired, yet despised. He was a heroic villian who was worshipped and whose fame and exploits were the gossip of Europe. Above all, he was an incurable romantic whose affair with Liszt's illegitimate daughter rivals that of Romeo and Juliet. But he was also a dangerous political revolutionary whose influence penetrated the fabric of German society in the nineteenth century. He was a legend in his own lifetime, and he was one of the greatest composers to ever live. Only an actor of the stature of Richard Burton could measure up to the titanic character of Wagner, and this proved to be his final film role. Academy Award winner Vanessa Redgrave co-stars as Cosima, Wagner's second wife, a woman who had a dramatic impact on German history until her death in 1930. The incredible supporting cast also includes screen legends Sir Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud. Filmed in wide screen 35mm Dolby Stereo, this major drama production is one of the largest East West co-productions ever undertaken.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 31 more reviews...
 Rare chance to see three knights in unison October 2, 2008
A. J. Stavsky
No matter what one thinks of Burton's performance (he died a year later), this series should be seen if only for the chance of glimpsing the Olivier-Gielgud-Richardson triumvirate once more (they appeared together in "Richard III"). A nice touch would be to buy this set at amazon.co.uk and pay less than half the price!
 A disappointing waste of talent, great music, and scenery February 2, 2008
S. Seymour (Alexandria, VA United States)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I was extremely disappointed in this DVD set. Other reviewers have expressed some of the technical shortcomings. Given the stellar cast and the compelling story line, I expected a much more polished and engaging production. For me, this DVD shares some of the problems with Wagner's works -- flashes of brilliance surrounded by hours of repetition and tedium.
Wagner's Life Story November 18, 2007
Amy
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This ten part 1983 epic television miniseries touches on all the major hits and scandals of Wagner's life from his young years in Dresden to his death in Venice, and every scene is played for maximum drama. Don't look for any quiet character moments here. There is absolutely nothing subtle about Wagner the mini series, but then again there is absolutely nothing subtle about Wagner the man either. Burton plays Wagner as a legend in his own mind, a man who begins as an arrogant political figure convinced of his own genius and dies as an elderly artist and national icon even more convinced of his own genius. Burton's voice echoes off of every wall of every room he enters, and each gesture is grand and theatrical. Wagner was never shy about speaking his mind, a personality flaw which got him into considerable trouble and forced him to spend much of his life on the road. Threatened with execution in Germany, he fled first to Paris and then later into a lengthy exile in Switzerland only to eventually wind up in Bavaria. Wagner demanded total loyalty from his closest allies, often including a "sharing plan" with their spouses which the great artist apparently considered a right granted by his own genius. He left many scandals in his time, particularly regarding his affair with the poet Mathilde Wesendock, the wife of one of Wagner's patrons. When Wagner was working on the Ring Cycle he claimed he was making the artwork of the future, a kind of total artwork which fused many elements like poetry, music, dance and elaborate special effects. He insisted that he didn't make operas, but rather what he called "dramatic music." Today, Wagner is categorized as a classical style composer, but in reality Wagner was the great rock and roll star of his time. His music was bold and incredibly extravagant and described more as Romantic in style. The series spends as much time on Wagner's political and philosophical views as it does on his music. Wagner was a great artist, but in all honesty he was not a very nice man, and the series highlights the more troubling aspects of his life. Wagner's selfishness and arrogance is also on constant display, as well as his willingness to swindle even his best friends out of their hard earned money. I know many people have downgraded this series for years because it portrays Wagner in a negative light at times, but he was human as we all are and made bad choices and mistakes. It is nice to be able to see Wagner's life portrayed in a honest way and never sugar coated as many other documentaries can be. Despite all of Wagner's flaws he was a musical genius and this 4 DVD set is jam packed with his gorgeous music to enjoy. Anyone interested in learning about Wagner's life and music will not be disappointed with this set.
very intersting July 25, 2007
Meucci Alberto (Tuscany, Italy)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
it' a marvelous masterpiece...
Richard Burton give us a great portrait of Richard Wagner...
Unforgettable....
It is not Pan & Scan July 13, 2007
Jason Blosser (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
The movie is long but quite excellent with brilliant performances.
Much has been said in these reviews about the transfer and that the movie is in Pan & Scan, i.e. not in its proper wide screen format.
According to IMDB, the movie was shot in a spherical process on 35mm. This means it would have been matted or artifically cropped to appear wide screen when shown in theaters.
The 1.33:1 TV presentation is actually all of the image that was exposed to the film negative.
Yes, the transfer sucks and the movie is in serious need of restoration, but you are not missing the sides of the picture.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085107/technical
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