NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (May 2022): Criterion have transferred Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Tales of Hoffmann to Blu-ray. It is cited as being a "4K digital restoration by The Film Foundation and the BFI National Archive, in association with STUDIOCANAL, featuring newly rediscovered footage". Initial text screens (that may represent the slightly longer running time) state "Restoration funding provided by The Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique partnership between the Directors Guild of America (DGA); the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA); the Societe des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Editeurs de Musique (SACEM); and the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW), The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Louis B. Mayer Foundation and The Film Foundation. Restored by The Film Foundation, in association with the BFI and STUDIOCANAL Restoration Consultants: Martin Scorsese, Thelma Schoon maker Powell. Restoration Supervised by: Ned Price Digital Picture Restoration Work: Warner Bros. Moption Picture Imaging (MPI) Color By: Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging (MPI) Colorist: Ray Grabowski Digital Audio Restoration Work: Audio Mechanics." The ' rediscovered footage' is documented below.

(Anthony tells us in email regarding the Studio Canal BD and added footage on both Blu-rays): "Here are the cuts as Michael Powell named them:
Prologue: The Kleinzach Cut, 2 minutes 30 seconds, footage still missing.
Olympia Act: The Cockerel Cut, 2 minutes 54 seconds, footage still missing.
Giulietta and Antonia acts are complete. The new disc is beautiful and immaculate. Detail is exceptional and the color values are very close to the IBs I am familiar with. The audio is also fine. There are some odd choices for chapter stops, but that is a minor quibble. Too bad they did not dig a little deeper to locate the missing footage, or at least ask collectors who could have helped." (Thanks Anthony!)

Visually it compared very favorably with the Studio Canal 1080P from 2015. The Criterion may be a shade darker and colors minutely richer. It also looks absolutely magnificent.  

NOTE: We have added 50 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. It sounds very similar to the Studio Canal. Jacques Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, A Fantastic Opera (arranged by Thomas Beecham) - sounds wonderful via this lossless transfer. It is bright and lively with rich depth in some of the singing. NOTE: only Robert Rounseville and Ann Ayars sang their own roles. It perfectly supports the image quality. Criterion offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Criterion Blu-ray offers the same supplements as their own 2005 DVD. I don't see anything new. This includes the commentary, featuring filmmaker Martin Scorsese and film and music historian Bruce Eder, originally recorded for the Criterion Collection in 1992 from their LaserDisc (Catalog Number CC1300L.) In it, Scorsese provides his thoughts on specific scenes, while Eder fills in production history and information on the careers of the cast and crew. Eder also recorded an additional commentary in 2022, to accompany newly discovered footage that has been returned to the film. Filmmaker George A. Romero was a Tales of Hoffmann enthusiast from childhood. In the re-added interview, recorded for Criterion in June 2005, where Romero shares his thoughts about the film. The acclaimed theater, ballet, and film production designer and visual artist Hein Heckroth worked on six pictures with filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Included are a gallery collection of Heckroth's design sketches and paintings for The Tales of Hoffmann's elaborate sets, curated by Gerald Kihler of the Schloss Wahn museum in Cologne, Germany. Also presented are a selection of original black-and-white production and publicity stills and color posters, provided courtesy of Canal+ Image UK, Ltd.; the British Film Institute; and the personal collections of Martin Scorsese and the late Michael Powell. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (1956) is a Powell directed short musical-film version of the Johann Wolfgang von Goethe story - in Germany, at the suggestion of Hein Heckroth, who had designed the sets for this German television production. Powell's project gave him the opportunity to work again with key members of the Tales of Hoffmann creative team, including cinematographer Christopher Challis, camera operator Freddie Francis, and editor Reginald Mills. The film was ultimately cut down from thirty minutes to the thirteen-minute version presented here, from an element provided by the BFI National Archive. Also here are a trailer and the package has a liner notes booklet with an essay by film historian Ian Christie.    

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Tales of Hoffmann is cinema royalty - a brilliant marriage of image to operatic music. The adaptation of Jacques Offenbach's 1881 opera dramatizes the three great romances in the life of the poet-hero presented in a series of flashbacks. It is frequently cited as one of the most beautiful films ever made. While the Criterion Blu-ray a/v matches up extremely closely with the Studio Canal - it has the desirable extras - notably the commentary, Powell's The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, sketches, poster gallery and liner notes. Even owning the 2005 DVD this is an easy double-dip. Our highest recommendation!