Aída

Opera is a different stage art from spoken theatre, let alone theatrical films or television. Opera succeeds on its own terms or it doesn't signify at all. The "problem" with opera is not that opera singers are not as bodacious as film stars; the principal requirement in opera is that the musical drama be conveyed in musical as well as visual terms in a manner all its own, a stage mystery that is easier to experience than to analyse.

Non-musicians seldom understand this. They seek to graft on whatever expressive values they trade in within the medium they are familiar with, without understanding why and how opera works on its own, without their alien help.

Thus the woman who sings Amneris in the soundtrack of this film, Ebe Stignani (1903-1974) may have been, at 50, wider than she was tall and not Hollywood's idea of an appropriate screen figure, yet she was, even in 1953, an amazing Amneris, successful throughout the world in this, her greatest role, consistently making dramatic contact with her audiences through the musico-dramatic medium of Verdi's music. And she had been doing so since her debut (as Amneris), in 1925.

Lois Maxwell, who lip-syncs to Stignani's singing here, simply makes no impact, dramatic, filmic, musical or even sex-appealing. We KNOW that Stignani was a hugely successful Amneris without Maxwell. What does Maxwell add to Signani's Amneris through the medium of this film? Nothing at all.

A film that brought us, even at once removed, the greatness of a Stignani or a Renata Tebaldi, might have had some filmic justification. But this film, which adds nothing at all to what the singers had to contribute and rather detracts from it, is of no value.

What the film does underline is the limitations, cultural, visual, technological, of a merely mechanical medium. Everything about this film is ludicrously dated, except the singing of the great singers whom it pretended to "improve" all those long years ago.

Sophia Loren plays Aida, in one of the worst films of all time. She can't lipsync. In terms of production values, the film is so bad, that at one point, while Loren is mouthing "O Patria Mia," she leans onto what looks to be a stone wall for support, and the canvas set billows and shakes.

This was a film I really wanted to love, I adore Verdi's opera and Renata Tebaldi, Ebe Stignani and Gino Becchi a great deal. This Aida was interesting in a sense for historical value, but it didn't work for me.

Granted, despite the score being cut/shortened, the music is brilliant. Renata Tebaldi sings Aida absolutely wonderfully, Ebe Stignani is a compelling Amneris and Gino Becchi a powerful Amonasro. Rhadames is sung very nicely too, Guilio Neri is one of the better Ramfis's I've heard and Sophia Loren looks beautiful and gives her all to what she's got.

However, the film does look dated. The costumes are alright, but the sets in alternative to grand are rather cheesy and the editing and picture quality look tacky. Despite such amazing music and singing, the film feels rather dull, some of the best dramatic elements are either cut or badly underplayed especially the Bass-Tenor chorus ensemble, the choreography looks unimaginative, the lip-synching is pretty much a disaster with the lip movements rarely being in sync to the singing, and there are some unnecessary added scenes too which add nothing to the story. The on-screen acting apart from Loren and perhaps Afro Poli is lacking too, Rhadames is bland and seemingly unheroic, but Lois Maxwell fares worse, her acting throughout is very awkward.

All in all, rather disappointing. 4/10 Bethany Cox

It doesn't follow the libretto exactly, but which movie does? Overall, this is a wonderful initial exposure to one of Verdi's fine operas, not to mention opera in general. Loren's study of the sung lines, and her delivery of lip-synching is masterful. Many folk have loved this movie, and it deserves that.

The whole point of making this film, one of the earliest and best international color releases of cinematic opera, was to make it more accessible to the masses. And it succeeded admirably in doing so. The general public would not sit still for a love story about two young exotic lovers in ancient Egypt if played by the typical 300 pound over 40 tenor and soprano with the vocal equipment to sing the glorious music properly. Hence the visual substitution of the beautiful principals (a young Loren, handsome Della Marra, and a slinky Ms. Maxwell)who make the story much more believable, giving those not familiar with the plot or the music a better chance at being wooed into the lovely arias who otherwise might not be. Altogether, an enchanting introduction to one of Verdi's great works. I remember seeing this when I was in junior high school and it certainly awakened my interest in opera, a form with which I was then not well acquainted. I still regard this film fondly and would recommend it highly to those who might appreciate the great music accompanied by better than average visuals. Luciano Della Marra was a standout as Radames, and unfortunately for audiences did not appear in any other films.