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Wagner & Me

Released Dec 7, 2012 1h 29m Documentary List
80% Tomatometer 15 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Actor-writer Stephen Fry explores his passion for the works of controversial composer Richard Wagner and tries to separate his love for the music from its associations with anti-Semitism and Nazi Germany.

Critics Reviews

View All (15) Critics Reviews
Moira MacDonald Seattle Times Ultimately, the music that Fry first heard as a child "on my father's gramophone" comes first for him, and much of the pleasure of "Wagner & Me" is that Fry lets us see how art transforms him. Rated: 3.5/4 Jan 24, 2013 Full Review Ty Burr Boston Globe The passion that Fry and company feel for Wagner's work keeps them from the measured appraisal this film needs. They hear him, but they don't see him. Rated: 2/4 Dec 11, 2012 Full Review Farran Smith Nehme New York Post In addition to the magnificent music, the movie takes its rumpled charm from Fry's unfeigned fanboy manner. Rated: 3/4 Dec 7, 2012 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com It's a film that warrants being added to your personal collection if you are a devotee of Wagner. Rated: 3.5/4.0 Sep 26, 2020 Full Review Maryann Koopman Kelly Paste Magazine Through the infectious enthusiasm of host Stephen Fry [the film] might even light the flame for others unfamiliar with Wagner. Rated: 7.1/10 Dec 7, 2012 Full Review Kent Turner Film-Forward.com The composer has no better advocate than Fry. Rated: 3/4 Dec 6, 2012 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (7) audience reviews
Audience Member Wagner's dark side leaves Fry, both a Jew and classical music fanatic, torn in his super-fandom of Wagner. In Wagner & Me Fry explores this conflict while visiting the sites of Wagner's greatest musical triumphs and discussing it with historians, musicians and family members. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member A wonderful introduction to Wagner's opera and his life's work. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Anything with Stephen Fry is worth watching. This is a wonderful look at Wagner, his beautiful music, his place in history, and a gay, Jewish man's conflicted feelings over his love of music that has been associated with anti-antisemitism and the Nazis. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Audience Member [?/12] Stephen Fry könnte von mir aus auch das Telefonbuch von Oer-Erkenschwick vortragen - es wäre trotzdem herzergreifend. :) Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member A pleasant little documentary about Wagner and the taint that Hitler's love of Wagner's music has stained it with for many. Could have been either more substantial or shorter, but Fry is always pleasant to "hang out with." Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Audience Member You can really feel Frey's passion for Wagner. I'm not sure I'm quite as big as he is in forgiving Wagner's anti-Semitic sentiments because the music is bigger than the man. The music came out of the man and the man was a card carrying nazi. Maybe he didn't kill anyone but hitter probably didn't physically kill anyone either. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Wagner & Me

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Cast & Crew

The U.S. vs. John Lennon 77% 81% The U.S. vs. John Lennon For No Good Reason 63% 63% For No Good Reason Blank City 82% 73% Blank City Great Directors 66% 43% Great Directors Constantine's Sword 87% 77% Constantine's Sword Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Actor-writer Stephen Fry explores his passion for the works of controversial composer Richard Wagner and tries to separate his love for the music from its associations with anti-Semitism and Nazi Germany.
Director
Patrick McGrady
Producer
Patrick McGrady
Distributor
First Run
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 7, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 17, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA)
$37.7K
Runtime
1h 29m