Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44304 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-10-23
• Format: NTSC

Amazon.com
This film is a journey through history, where famed photographer Edward S. Curtis explains Native American cultures in his own words, and photographs. This motion picture reconstruction of his 1911-1912 magic lantern slide show illuminates a time when Native Americans were forced from their land and cultures. Curtis's documentation of Indian cultures serve as a unique footprint in time.

The Indian Picture Opera contains hundreds of photos and re-created music composed for the original 1911 slide show. Its a throw back to a time nearly 100 years ago, and a magical tour through history. This production is brought to life with the use of computer graphics, and modern day animations. This effort required the recreation of 19 original musical compositions composed for the original Curtis slide show in 1911. The composer was Henry Gilbert, and most of this music had been shelved for nearly 100 years.

Background:

In the early 1900's, famed photographer Edward S. Curtis published the renowned 20-volume book subscription entitled "The North American Indian". He compiled about 2400 photographs with detailed ethnological and language studies of tribes of the American West.

This DVD reconstructs "The Indian Picture Opera - A Vanishing Race", which was a slide show and lecture that played in theaters from 1911 through 1912. Curtis used the show as a pitch to sell his book subscriptions to the wealthy Americans.

Stereo-Opticon projectors put Curtis's stunning images on screens in America's largest cities.... one scene dissolving into another. A small orchestra played music derived from Indian chants and rhythms, and Edward Curtis lectured on the intimate stories of tribal life.

This Magic Lantern show played to breathless audiences, stunned by the humanity, fascinated by the imagery, and shamed by the destruction of Indian cultures. The shows received standing ovations, and generous reviews.

This is a Widescreen, All-Region DVD, Dolby 2.0 amd 5.1 surround sound, and Subtitles in English, French and Spanish.

This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Customer Reviews

Save your money
This is a very poor indication of Curtis's photography. The amateurish production is wrought with lame special effects that get in the way of viewing the actual works. The narration is informative at times, but redundant and often needless. I was hoping just to see his remarkable photographs with accompany score as it was originally intended. This is not the original slide show that stunned and amazed audiences in 1911. Save your money. A much better documentary on the life and monumental works of Edward Curtis is "Coming to Light."

Part of History not to be forgotten
This is an interesting presentation that reflects on a dark part of American history. The assault on Native Americans will never be forgotten. These images of Indian portraits bring a very human dimension. The works of Edward Curtis are a resource that should be commended.

Edward Curtis - Live on Stage!
I enjoyed hearing the words of Curtis, as he was a much misunderstood man. It showed an empathy that history has ignored about the man. His empathy toward the Indian, that is.

It was pleasing to watch something that wasn't strictly a documentary, but a piece of time, unearthed.

It looked and sounded great on my HD set with surround-sound.

To offer a suggestion, more music would make it ever better.