Terror en la ópera

Understudy, Betty (Cristina Marsillach) gets her big break, getting to star in a modern stage production of Verdi's Macbeth, after the volatile, original singer gets hit by a car. Betty is nervous, but nails the part. Of course, OPERA is a Dario Argento film, so Betty has more than performance jitters to worry about! Soon, a black-gloved killer begins haunting her and the opera house, causing bodies to pile up. Is the opera suffering from the alleged "Macbeth curse"?

In this wild, gory, inventive riff on PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, Argento takes us along with the psychopath, stalking, creeping, and running through hallways. Down staircases and corridors, we see what the madman sees. Once again, the director captures nightmare on film, turning a giallo into a fascinating viewing experience. It's all about eyes and witnessing in this one! That, and never pissing off any ravens!...

Dario Argento's movie about a young opera star that gets stalked by an obsessive fan, who might have a link to her past and more specifically to her mother.

What's great about Opera is its visual effects, its passion for the craft of making movies. The camera angles are inventive, as is the way the camera moves. The gory special effects are ahead of their time and the whole film has this feel of oppression to it. Like no one can be trusted and that there are ghosts hiding within the walls.

Not to say the story is terrible. It's just that it's rather blatantly ripping off Phantom of the Opera. One might argue it's paying an homage to a giant of the genre, but it still leaves the film lacking in originality.

But still, this is supposed to be an exploitative horror film and in that regard it delivers beautifully. The acting is on the right side of corny, the special effects and the gore are beautifully realized and the film's mood is just about perfectly morbid. I especially like the theater as a setting, with ravens and all.

Is it the best Dario Argento film there is? Nah, probably not, but it is a great find for all fans of old-time horror films.

An opera diva has an accident, which leaves the door open for her understudy to take over the role. Betty (Marsillach) is now the star of Mac Beth, but someone hiding in the trenches has an opera of his own planned out. He gets his kicks out of tying Betty up, putting needles under her eyes (so she cant close them) and murdering members of the opera company before her very eyes.

"Opera" is certainly one of Argento's more ambitious films, like mixing it up with Shakesphere's Macbeth there is of course the fact that the opera performed in the film is Giuseppe Verdi's version of Macbeth but also Argento, just like Shakespeare uses ravens as an omen of death and misfortune. And like the ravens circling the castle Dunsinane, foreboding the demise of the scheming Macbeth, the ravens in OPERA play a key part in the downfall of the killer. Furthermore just like in the old play the murderer acts on the exhortation of his lover. But I don't want to go as far as saying OPERA is intended to be a remake of the either The Phantom of the Opera or Macbeth, the similarities are far too subtle. It's just a typical Argento masterstroke, and with it he gives this otherwise quite basic thriller a vivid hue of Gothic mystique.

Although this movie does have it downsides like the heavl metal soundtrack just doesn't fit in with this movie and the final scenes in this movie are a bit strange.

All in all "Opera" is something of a flawed masterpiece but still good.

Good Gialli with imaginatively staged murders by the master of horror . The setting is a production of Macbeth at La Scala Opera House .A bizarre staging of Verdi's Macbeth is plagued by a deranged and depraved fan bent on killing the people , but the show must go on . When the former star of a production is run over by a car , a young singer called Betty (Cristina Marsillach) is hired by the entrepreneur and she gets her big chance . Then , the young opera singer becomes the target of a psycho . Betty chooses not to go to the police and instead confides in Marco (Ian Charleson) , the director of Macbeth, about the incidents . Shortly after , the weird psycopath committing ominous killings in Argento's unmistakable style . Later on , Inspector Alan Santini (Urbano Barberini) arrives at the opera house to investigate the strange happenings .A star is born tonight... will she live to see tomorrow? The last note is a real killer.

Eerie and ghastly Dario Argento full of obsession , scary murders , bloodcurling madness and shocking death scenes . It is a nice Giallo plenty of grisly killings , suspense and bizarre intrigue . Dario Argento's great success is compelling directed with startling visual content . This frightening movie is plenty of thrills, chills, body-count and strange color with phenomenal results . This is a classic slasher where the intrigue,tension, suspense appear threatening and lurking in every room, corridors , Opera house , and luxurious interior and exterior. Italian horror-meister Argento's always fluid camera achieves spectacular frames , but the ludricous , lurid screenplay make this one for Argento buffs and connoisseuurs only . As always , though , the most terrifying things are the astonishing murders , being very well staged . Argento goes straight for the eyes and throat in this stylishly sick terror movie . All the trademarks are here : minimal summary , stunning set pieces , baroque camera movements , striking cinematography and mysoginist violence . The movie belongs to Italian Giallo genre that was invented by Mario Bava (Black Sabbath) along with Riccardo Freda (Secret of Dr. Hitchcock) , they are the fundamental creators . These Giallo movies are characterized by overblown use of color with shining red blood, usual zooms, and utilization of images-shock . Later appears the maestro Dario Argento with his typically stylish Giallos, he is another essential creator of classic Latin terror films . Argento's acceptable direction is well crafted, and as always more inclined toward violence and lots of killings . This genuinely mysterious story is well made and is one of the best ¨Giallo¨ with oneiric, effective aesthetic . And the operatic scenes employ the voice of Maria Callas . Being available in an edited R rated version and the film had an alternate ending at some points . Breathtaking scenes starred by crows , about 140 crows were used, but only 60 sum were ever retrieved ; it would take hours for everyone to re-capture the crows after they were released in the opera house for filming . The others apparently escaped from the opera house during filming . And surprising ending , in fact , the final of the movie is inspired by the ending of Thomas Harris's book "Red Dragon". So-so acting by Cristina Marsillach as a young opperata of Verdi's Macbeth is stalked by an associated with her to claim her for himself . He is accompanied by a fine support cast such as Ian Charleson in his last theatrical film , as he died of AIDS , Urbano Barberini , Barbara Cupisti , William McNamara , Antonella Vitale and Daria Nicolidi , director's wife , though she had ended her long-time relationship with Dario Argento two years earlier. And Vanessa Redgrave was attached to appear as Mara Czekova, but dropped out shortly before production began , then this character was then reduced to a minor one. And Dario Argento as Narrator and filmmaker Michele Soavi as Inspector Daniele Soave .

It displays a luxurious and evocative photography by Ronnie Taylor . As well as an eerie and chilling musical score from Brian Eno , Roger Eno , Claudio Simonetti and Bill Wyman . The picture was originally directed by the Visconti of violence : Dario Argento ,one of those film-makers who set off simple for frightening us to death . His terror pieces are competently staged with eye-opening flair-play and surprising images .His period of biggest hits were the 70s when he directed the animals trilogy: ¨Four flies over gray velvet¨, ¨The cat of nine tails¨, ¨Bird with the crystal plumage¨, after he directed other great successes movies as ¨Suspiria¨, ¨Inferno¨, ¨Tenebre¨ and of course ¨Deep red¨. Rating : 6/10 decent terror movie . See it , if you must , in the big screen because its swirling camerawork and imaginative nastiness will be partially loss in video or TV. This bloody fun plenty of graphic gore and weirdness may not be for all tastes but to be liked for Argento aficionados especially.º

Mostly I would recommend Opera because of the fine visuals, style and atmosphere, and because it is one of the better movies of Mr. Argento outside of the Three Mother trilogy box (Susperia, Inferno, The Mother of Tears). If you are interested in the works of Dario Argento, Opera belongs rightfully on your list.