TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER [1971 / 2011] [40th Anniversary] [Blu-ray + DVD] [UK Release] Sir Frederick Ashton’s Animal Magic Still Casts Its Spell! Sweet Summer and New Hay in Tales of Beatrix Potter!
Peter Rabbit, Mr. Jeremy Fisher, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, Jemima Puddle-Duck, Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland – indeed all the delightful and famous Beatrix Potter characters – come to life in this colourful and imaginative musical interpretation of her tales, choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton, composed and scored by John Lanchbery, and danced by members of the Royal Ballet. Five of the famed Victorian author’s most well-known stories – with guest appearances of characters from other themes – have been linked to present an enchanting story-line that will thrill adults and children alike.
FILM FACT No1: Awards and Nominations: 1972 BAFTA Awards: Nominated: BAFTA Film Award: Best Art Direction for Christine Edzard. Nominated: BAFTA Film Award: Best Costume Design for Christine Edzard. 1972 National Board of Review, USA: Win: NBR Award for Top Ten Films.
FILM FACT No2: It is reported that Sir Frederick Ashton, O.M., C.H., C.B.E. did not want his original 1971 film to be transferred to the stage. However, in 1992 Anthony Dowell, C.B.E. did create an adaptation of the film. Anthony Dowell, C.B.E. worked with the original film designer Christine Edzard and mask-maker Rostislav Doboujinsky. “The Tales of Beatrix Potter” premièred on stage at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London on the 4th December, 1992 in a double bill with Ashton's ballet “The Dream.” The composer was John Lanchbery O.B.E., and he put together a music score from tunes by Ludwig Minkus, Michael William Balfe, Jacques Offenbach, Arthur Sullivan n and others. John Lanchbery, O.B.E. not only composed the music score but also conducted the orchestra for the 1992 stage production. Sir Frederick Ashton, O.M., C.H., C.B.E. original film music score had been stored on transparencies which had suffered very badly from damp and rodent damage, so they had to be painstakingly pieced together for the stage adaptation. One of the challenges faced by the dancers in the stage production is that the costumes mean that many of the dancers have severely restricted view. The masks were created for the original 1971 film from moulds that are made from polystyrene with holes drilled for breathing and vision are covered in gauze and flocking or hand sewn hair. Rostislav Doboujinsky built some of the costumes on everyday items such as cycle helmets.
Cast: Sir Frederick Ashton (Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle), Alexander Grant (Pigling Bland / Peter Rabbit), Julie Wood (Mrs. Tittlemouse), Keith Martin (Johnny Townmouse), Ann Howard (Jemima Puddleduck), Robert Mead (Fox), Garry Grant (Alexander), Sally Ashby (Mrs. Pettitoes / Tabitha), Brenda Last (Black Berkshire Pig), Michael Coleman (Jeremy Fisher), Wayne Sleep (Squirrel Nutkin / Tom Thumb), Lesley Collier (Hunca Munca), Leslie Edwards (Owl), Carol Ainsworth (Squirrel / Country Mouse), Avril Bergen (Pig / Town Mouse), Jill Cooke (Squirrel / Country Mouse), Graham Fletcher (Pig / Town Mouse), Bridget Goodricke (Squirrel / Country Mouse), Suzanna Raymond (Pig / Town Mouse), Rosemary Taylor (Squirrel / Country Mouse), Anita Young (Pig), Erin Geraghty (Beatrix Potter), Joan Benham (Nurse) and Wilfred Babbage (Butler)
Director: Reginald Mills
Producers: John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin
Screenplay: Beatrix Potter (stories), Christine Edzard (adapted for the screen) and Richard Goodwin (adapted for the screen)
Composer: John Lanchbery
Cinematography: Austin Dempster (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Audio: 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio
Running Time: Blu-ray: 90 minutes + DVD: 86 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 2
Studio: Optimum Home Entertainment / STUDIOCANAL
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER’ [1971] is one of British cinema’s truly exceptional one-offs, a film quite unlike any other. Ostensibly aimed at children, this adaptation of Beatrix Potter’s various animal-centric stories was mounted by the Royal Ballet and choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton. The tales are rendered as a series of dances, loosely interconnected by the author Beatrix Potter [Erin Geraghty] as a young girl and her active imagination. There are no words, only music and movement as the performers of the Royal Ballet – in their full amazingly designed animal costumes and interpret Beatrix Potter’s stories’ with totally simple narratives.
Not only are we transported to a mythical, pristine Edwardian England, but we’re also taken back to the early days of children’s television programmes and especially b Back in the early Seventies, a simple, utterly innocent, ballet with animals frolicking in the woodland went down a treat. It’s this innocence and impish playfulness that makes the film such a joy to view.
On top of all that, the dancing seems superb, especially considering the costumes involve sporting large animal heads. The characters and their dances conjure up humour, fear, mischief, sweetness, and sheer exuberance with ease. From the delightful sets to the charming performances, and not forgetting the much loved characters, and especially watching the Beatrix Potter characters come to life in a very magical experience.
Beatrix Potter’s tales are of course unmistakable, especially with the characters Peter Rabbit, his sisters Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, Jeremy Fisher, Jemima Puddleduck, Mrs. Tiggywinkle, to name but a few, and will bring a smile to your face, as they are brought to life in the very enchanting ballet themed film. All the other dancers were members of the Royal Ballet, including Wayne Sleep as Squirrel Nutkin and Tom Thumb. The ballet proved so popular that it has been repeated as a Christmas special at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden every year since.
The film starts with a scene of deep green fields bordered by dry stone walls and a small wood. A white speck appears at the corner of this idyllic scene and glides to the foreground, gradually becomes identifiable as Mrs Tiggywinkle. Her spines sticking through the cloth of her pinny and bonnet, she looks very like the Beatrix Potter’s pictures of her and of course, eventually all the Beatrix Potter characters start to appear.
Mrs Tiggywinkle takes in the laundry from the washing line and, watched by Peter Rabbit, begins to dance. The landscape is unmistakably very English, as is the whole production. The music somehow seems quite familiar too and not surprisingly as it was arranged from the quintessentially English operatic music of Sir Arthur Sullivan of Gilbert and Sullivan fame, and the Victorian composer, Michael Balfe among others.
With outstanding portrayals of such colourful figures as Jemima Puddle-Duck, Jeremy Fisher, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and the irrepressible Peter Rabbit, Ashton's warm and witty, yet demanding, choreography creates a charming piece of charm and grace for all ages. With John Lanchbery's composed music, and incorporating mostly forgotten Victorian melodies and is played by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia and conducted by Paul Murphy. But most importantly, Sir Frederick Ashton’s genius choreography shines through… creating vivid stories through the smallest of gesture and the entire cast delivers outstanding portrayals of Beatrix Potter’s colourful characters.
‘TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER’ was Reginald Mills only feature as director, especially later on would make a 53-minute documentary on another of his collaborators, director Franco Zeffirelli, thereby making it all the more tantalising to see this film in connection with his work with Powell and Pressburger and the film ‘The Red Shoes’ which helped ‘TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER’ achieve a handsomely mounted production with an added emphasis on the wonderful visuals.
Cinematographer Austin Dempster served as director of photography and provides a very classy sheen to proceedings, neither too muted nor too extravagant, instead finding a satisfying middle ground which works well with both the exterior sequences filmed in the Lake District and those captured within the studio and is helped with thanks to Christine Edzard’s set designs. The sequence in which a sextet of mice performs in a vestibule before a massive open door is perfectly realised. But what really impressed me was the brilliant costume designs by the wonderful Christine Edzard and the dance interpretations were of course brought to life by the wonderful choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton.
Of course the crux of the film ‘TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER’ is how today’s audiences approach the film, and the lack of narration, which I feel would spoil this magical film, people should just sit back and enjoy the whole experience, which is a stunning visual experience and some people feel it is much like an arthouse film. And, of course, the Royal Ballet continues to this day to put on new stage productions based around Sir Frederick Ashton’s original choreography.
Blu-ray Image Quality – Optimum Home Entertainment and STUDIOCANAL presents ‘TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER’ with a wonderful 1080p upgraded image and enhanced with a 1.66:1 aspect ratio and has been restored for this release and gives a nice crisp and clear viewing experience with only a few signs of dirt or damage. The Lake District setting is lush and beautiful, so giving viewers a sense of where the author Beatrix Potter inspiration came from. Also outstanding are the colourful costumes designed by the wonderful Christine Edzard that look so natural in portraying animals dressed up. On top of all that, Austin Dempster’s Cinematography comes off well with particularly strong reds and greens, but always gives a nice palette of colours. Grain is fairly minimal, which combined with a slight softness to the image, suggests that some tweaking has taken place. It’s by no means detrimental. There is also some clarity remains such that the wires in the scene in which Jemima Puddleduck flies are highly prominent. But despite this, it is still an enjoyable visual experience, especially highlighting our green and pleasant British countryside. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Optimum Home Entertainment and STUDIOCANAL brings you just one standard 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio experience. The brilliant composed music by John Lanchbery really enhances The Royal Ballet dancers, who were of course choreographed by the brilliant and legendary Sir Frederick Ashton. The actual composed music is very lyrical and with more dramatic scenes with the Fox, is highlighted really well and you can hear all the musical instruments, which enhances the film really well, especially as there is no dialogue, which helps and would of spoilt the enjoyment and of course the film can be watched in any country around the world, especially a country that does not speak the English language. So all in all it was a very enjoyable musical experience.
Finally, ‘TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER’ is set is in a large country home in England's picturesque Lake District, a young girl named Beatrix Potter dreams up animals that come to life and dance through the countryside telling their stories. Viewers will meet characters Mrs. Tiggiewinkle, Jemima Puddleduck, Squirrel Nutkin, Peter Rabbit, and many others. One story dances into another until all the beloved characters scurry together in a triumphant finale. The Royal Ballet dancers combine grace with the whimsy of animal characters quite well and manage not to trip over their very long or very bushy tails. A huge effort was made with the costumes -- especially the animal masks and it must be incredibly difficult to dance in them. The Lake District setting is really beautiful, too, giving viewers a sense of where the author's inspiration came from. Unless young children who are a big fan of Beatrix Potter’s books will love this type of film with no dialogue, whereas instead I feel modern children have a terrible boredom threshold will soon lose interest by the end of the film, whereas the film may be especially of interest to adults due to is excellent performances and staging. For mem I thoroughly enjoyed the whole magical visual and musical experience. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
