Title: The cut spoils this
Product review: As one other review notes, the performance of patriotism in the Hymn of the Nations is reminiscent of the Marseillaise scene in the film Casablanca (also made in 1943, at the height of World War II)--except in Verdi's piece the national anthems of England, Italy, and France are put together contrapuntally, while in Casablanca the French national anthem is combined somewhat harmonically with a German militaristic song (also the tune of the Yale alma mater, by the way).Other reviews mention the omission of the Internationale. The cut is so amateurish that you'll notice it even if you've never heard the Hymn of the Nations. I wanted this recording for its historical interest and its artistic quality (granting that the Hymn is a potboiler and the recording quality is archaic). Since the cut ruins the film in both respects, I can't recommend this DVD. Whoever censored the film would make a good functionary in one of the countries where the Internationale found favor.
Would you say this review depicts the product in a flattering or unflattering light?
