It is inconceivable to me that there is neither plot summary nor a single comment on this, perhaps because it is considered a Christmas special rather than a movie.
The plot summary includes the outcome, but I would not consider it a spoiler as suspense is not part of the picture. First, you need to know that this is an opera and every word is sung. Amahl is a crippled boy (the role is for a boy soprano) living in Palestine at the time of the birth of Jesus. He is given to making up stories to entertain himself, which frustrates his otherwise good-hearted mother. One night three kings arrive asking for a place to stay on their way to Bethlehem. They agree to take Amahl with them and suddenly he is cured and can walk.
So much for the bare facts. This wonderful work of Giancarlo Menotti has been treated shabbily and shamefully. My first thought is that it should be a holiday tradition on tv. It is the ideal vehicle to introduce very young people to classical music. In fact, that's how I got there, folks. But the production quality (not the singing, which is fine) is so dreadful that one thinks one is looking at some kind of home movie. It is scandalous that no more care was taken.
The black and white version from the 50s is superior musically and in every other respect (I'm about to go there and see if anyone ever commented on *that*), but of course will not be shown on tv again.
Bottom line: for years we didn't have Amahl (partly because Menotti himself was a doltish pest about it); then they made a color version, and they blew it, and now we don't have Amahl again.
The plot summary includes the outcome, but I would not consider it a spoiler as suspense is not part of the picture. First, you need to know that this is an opera and every word is sung. Amahl is a crippled boy (the role is for a boy soprano) living in Palestine at the time of the birth of Jesus. He is given to making up stories to entertain himself, which frustrates his otherwise good-hearted mother. One night three kings arrive asking for a place to stay on their way to Bethlehem. They agree to take Amahl with them and suddenly he is cured and can walk.
So much for the bare facts. This wonderful work of Giancarlo Menotti has been treated shabbily and shamefully. My first thought is that it should be a holiday tradition on tv. It is the ideal vehicle to introduce very young people to classical music. In fact, that's how I got there, folks. But the production quality (not the singing, which is fine) is so dreadful that one thinks one is looking at some kind of home movie. It is scandalous that no more care was taken.
The black and white version from the 50s is superior musically and in every other respect (I'm about to go there and see if anyone ever commented on *that*), but of course will not be shown on tv again.
Bottom line: for years we didn't have Amahl (partly because Menotti himself was a doltish pest about it); then they made a color version, and they blew it, and now we don't have Amahl again.