"For years I've been annoyed by people covering their eyes during the gorier moments in my films. I film these images because I want people to see them and not avoid the positive confrontation of their fears by looking away. So, I thought to myself 'How would it be possible to achieve this and force someone to watch most gruesome murder and make sure they can't avert their eyes? 'The answer I came up with is the core of what "Opera" is about."
-DARIO ARGENTO
Once upon a time in the 1980s, Dario Argento attempted to direct an ultimately failed production of Giuseppe Verdi's Macbeth. And that production failed so badly that while he was inspired to make (what just might be) a wonderfully violent slasher film based on his nightmarish experience.
Opera (also known and released as Terror at the Opera) is a 1987 Italian giallo slasher film directed and co-written by Dario Argento and starring Cristina Marsillach, Urbano Barberini, Daria Nicolodi, and Ian Charleson. When the diva of a daring production of Verdi's 'Macbeth' directed by Marco has an accident, young opera singer Betty successfully replaces her. Soon a psychopath obsessed with Betty kills her boyfriend, the production assistant Stefano; her costumer designer Giulia; and her agent Mira. Inspector Alan Santini, who is her fan, gives her protection, but the murderer always gets close to her.
If you're OK with the outlandishly violent work of Argento and accept his crazy story lines and flamboyant style, then you should have a great time with Opera. The fact this movie largely takes place in an Opera house (shocking, I know) gives this movie several incredible filming locations from the Opera house itself, to the full stage production of Macbeth and all of the various sets that come with it. Argento makes terrific use of inventive camera techniques, reoccurring symbols, Gothic atmosphere, and truly gruesome murder sequences. the camera does a good job of making you feel like you r constantly being watched, and silently helps build this movie increasingly paranoid tone. Normally in a movie like this, whenever you get a character alone there's a solid chance they are about to die. in this movie, you know the killer needs at least 2 people in the room so it's a bit less obvious when shit is about to hit the fan. he could be anywhere, anyone, and strike at any time.
Perhaps my favorite thing about this movie? the fact that this movie is so easy to understand compared to some of his more abstract work.
Italian horror is renowned for not making much sense, and while there are some very suspect character actions in this film; Opera benefits from a coherent script and a straight story that doesn't get confused or muddled. This isn't some Fulci movie that seems to be throwing ideas at the wall to see what sticks, this is Argento near the end of his career using all of his experience to make my favorite of his films so far.
Perhaps the most important thing about any Argento movie is the violence - and this one certainly doesn't disappoint in that respect. Not only is the violence gory and messy, it's also more shocking than any Argento movie before or after. The violence here is given an extra dimension by way of the fact that our lead actress is being forced to watch the maniac's kills, and the image of Cristina with needles taped under her eyes is one of the most striking in all of horror.
oh, fuck and before I forget, this movies soundtrack easily beats out SUSPIRIA as my favorite giallo soundtrack. Its opera, its rock and roll, its synthy 80s BLADE RUNNER bliss, it's as wonderfully diverse and awesome as the movie itself.
at the end of the day, this movie still feels a bit distracted at times, but it earns its occasionally meandering pace by being constantly compelling and visually fascinating. I'm a firm believer that a camera can make anything and everything beautiful, and this movie further solidifies that idea for me.
this movie is one big over the top paranoid nightmare, and I love it.
8/10
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