Rigoletto

We purchased this movie several years ago and continue to enjoy it. Rigoletto's story line is a clever blend of Beauty and the Beast and The Phantom of the Opera, but it's the MUSIC that keeps me replaying it. The acting is just fine, but the SINGING! "April Child" will forever make me weep... The story is solid and uplifting. An absolutely wonderful family movie.

I had first seen Rigoletto many, many years ago, not to long after it first came out. I loved it then, and I still love it now. I spent the last week working at a Christian camp as a counseler for their junior camp (4th -6th graders). What a rowdy bunch of energetic kids!!! They were nearly impossible to contain for longer than a few minutes, without them getting up and wandering around!

We had a movie night, and watched Rigoletto, and I kid you not, every single little pair of eyes was glued to that screen, and they were quiet for the whole thing! One of the kids even told the counselers, who were discussing something, to be quiet! It held their attention the whole movie, it was amazing!

...or so might say G. K. Chesterton.



What's good about this film is that it understates fairyland's case. It isn't pedantic. It leaves the trip to fairyland as an exercise for the student. It doesn't draw lines between the dots.

In the jaded postmodern era, a film like that's to be highly praised, whatever its other flaws.

Great music! Jospeh Paur gives an excellent performance as Ribaldi/Rigoletto. I would like to see more movies that he has played in. This movie ranks as one of my all time favorites. "Rigoletto" is rich in underlying themes that teach the value of looking past differences in other people and showing that the real beauty in people is found by looking in their hearts.

It has been a long time since the last time I saw this movie. But yesterday, I got an odd feeling that I needed to watch it again. So, I watched it last night, and was--as usual--blown away by this beautiful movie.

Yes, it's definitely a "Beauty and the Beast" story, but there are MANY movies who have used this typical fairytale storyline. And for once, for this movie, they used it right. Mr. Ribaldi was absolutely frightening at first, but as Bonnie grew to know his true self, so did I. And all I can really say is an echo of Bonnie's sentiments after having heard Ribaldi's heart-rending, sorrowful performance of "The Curse": "No one can sing like that and not be beautiful."

The ending is VERY predictable. Heck, the whole movie is predictable... But that doesn't matter to me. I laughed, I cried. And when I have the money, I am buying the Rigoletto soundtrack so that I can sit all day and listen to the absolutely breathtaking voice of Joseph Paur--who I think is very handsome, by the way.

It's really a pity that the sequel to this movie has not yet been distributed. I am crossing my fingers that it will see the light of day someday soon... And I hope that Joseph Paur is in it. I think I have a new favorite actor. :-)