Aïda

On paper this looks like a dream of an opera. The voices of Tebaldi and Campora being mimed by Loren and Della Mara on a big screen production, its just got to be sublime, hasn't it? Unfortunately it fails miserably. Loren is simply lost in her role;Tebaldi would have been far better but I suspect she had read the final draft of the screen play, and Della Mara looked more toy-boy than rugged hero. Wait! there is still Verdi's music allied to those wonderful voices,yes they are there if you like your opera in snatches and excerpts, but if not you will quickly lose patience. For example I just happen to believe that one of the most glorious pieces of music is the Nume custode in the first act of Aida. Radames is in the temple and receives the sword and insignia which he dedicates to Ra for the forthcoming battle. The scene is a magnificent Bass-Tenor-Chorus ensemble; opera at its finest. Do not look for it in this film, it is cut, no tenor no chorus just a perfunctory handing over of the sword. Here you are son- Cheers guvnor. No this will not do, it is pretty dire stuff for any poor soul who thinks this might be a half decent stab at bringing opera to the screen

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.

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.

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

I'm amazed we see even one nay-sayer criticizing this old film. We don't ordinarily get good opera films, and here is a true grand opera rendition. Understandably, the visuals are not great. It's dated. But as opera it can't be faulted; and I'm an opera buff. I can't even detect one lip-sync; if we didn't know that was Tebaldi in the audio nothing would convince me it isn't Sophia Loren. She does EVERYTHING with flair! Her dark makeup is fine; and she brought the role to gorgeous life! The rest of the cast is wonderful, as is that stunning ballet troupe. Most of the actors are excellent; Loren truly marvelous. Her rival Amneris is also terrific. Whoever didn't care for this 1953 job is shamefully remiss. Verdi would have enjoyed it! Naturally, Renata Tebaldi as Aida is the engine behind the scenes. I love this old movie!