Tales of Hoffmann

This movie directed by Richard Oswald is based on the operetta Les contes de Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach 18191880 which is a genial musical potpourri from various short stories and novels by the Prussian writer composer painter lawyer and judge ETA Hoffmann 17761822 While Hoffmanns literary work was longtime considered to be merely fantastical it was finally researched in the last years according to its metaphysical background Characteristic for Hoffmanns work is his lifelong fight against rationalism and for the revelation of nature morte culminating mostly in carnivallike scenes anticipating literary techniques only described in the works of Bachtin and Bachelard