Opera
| release date | December 19 1987 |
| director | Dario Argento |
| writer | Dario Argento |
| starring | Cristina Marsillach, Ian Charleson, Urbano Barberini, Daria Nicolodi |
| tagline | Obsession. murder. madness. |
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13 Comments
i am a fan of most of argentos work but opera was slow paced and kinda boaring i had to pull myself outta sleep a couple a times. not the worst movie ever but realy not all that great either.
Like much of Dario Argento’s movies, the acting was typical and some random characters would just pop up out of nowhere as if we’re supposed to already know who they are. But it was an enjoyable movie none-the-less. Genuinely gruesome moments in this movie! And of course, there’s rock music to go along with the murders. Oh, and there’s lots and lots of opera!
Good, solid Argento flick.
another great Argento-movie, full of amazing camera work and gruesome murders
Great movie! Amazing camera work as always!
Might be my favorite Argento film… just love the bullet through the keyhole shot…
This is my favorite Argento tied with Tenebre. A brutal flick. I love the atmosphere! I love almost everything about it. The deaths are amazing. Check this out if your into Argento or just want to see a good horror movie.
A good Gallio, but not one of Argento’s best. Top notch production values, atmosphere and camerawork; and lets not forget the deaths, which are some of the best in Argento’s cannon. However the film is hampered by a incredibly out of place metal soundtrack that deflates nearly every scene it’s used in and the ending is ridiculous(and not in a good way).
Dario Argento is a man who can take any story and plunge it into sadistic, violent darkness. Imagine he took “Phantom of the Opera” and had his phantom be a sadistic, ruthless serial killer fixated and possibly in love with the star of the Opera House’s most recent show. If you can imagine that, then you will know what to expect from “Opera”.
Here’s a good movie all-around; a well-made creep-show of a movie that lunges at the audience in a fashion that can only be described as skillful. It’s as ruthless and violent as the killer that inhabits the story, and as stylish as only an Argento film can be. Compared to his earlier work, this ain’t exactly classic Dario Argento. However, it’s better than his more recent work, and that’s kind of where it tends to count.
Once again, Argento focuses more on style, atmosphere, and gore than story and characters. Yet, he has created people worth watching on-screen, as well as an experience worth sticking around for. To call the film flawless would be wrong, but to call it bad would be just as much of a vile sin. Now, the story involves a young woman who was called as a back-up in an adaptation of “Macbeth”, and gained fame from her role. Afterwards, she is stalked by a merciless killer who tortures her psychologically and physically.
He lingers in the Opera House, waiting for his object-of-obsession to walk right into his little trap. The killer does not want to murder his love interest, but rather torture her, frighten her, and perhaps get her to love him. The killer usually tortures the girl by taping needles below her eyes, taunting her not to close them, or else they’ll get stabbed by these sharp objects. There’s not a whole lot of deep back-story to the killer himself, but luckily, this film has more than enough bloody pleasures to stand, on its own, as a good horror film.
The twist at the end is pretty predictable, but never is it a complete buzz-kill. The film is flawlessly stylized and not really flawless when it comes to anything else. The film is absorbing in terms of spectacle and filmmaking, and the score from Goblin’s Claudio Simonetti is great. Sadly, most will ignore these things; and focus on the story flaws alone. Yes, it’s not the most involving tale of Opera-House-terror that’s ever been told, but I liked the film. It was entertaining, and it might just be one of the last Argento films to feel, oh you know, like an Argento film.
As always, the murder scenes are graphically violent, brutal, but oh so well-made. If you’ve stomached past Argento efforts, then “Opera” should not upset you. But the horror here can be nasty and violent; so don’t say I didn’t warn you. So to close this here review, I feel I should say who I am recommending this horror film to. Love Argento or hate him, I’d still say that “Opera” is a solid recommendation. It’s just not a classic. There are those who should, perhaps, stay away from “Opera” or any other film like it, but those who find horror to be their joint will enjoy it. That’s just about all I can say on my part. You want gore, you’ve got it. You don’t want gore, then walk away. Win-win.