Review: Opera

A killer is running amok killing cast and crew members of an Italian opera adaptation of ‘The Scottish Play’. Cristina Marsillach is the young ingenue who steps into the lead role after the tempestuous opera diva originally set for the part has an unfortunate accident. Ian Charleson plays the opera director, and a debuting William McNamara turns up as a baby-faced production assistant.

 

Unsubtle but thoroughly enjoyable, bravura filmmaking from premier horror director Dario Argento (“Deep Red”, “Tenebrae”, “The Bird With the Crystal Plumage”), who also co-wrote this 1987 horror flick with Franco Ferrini (Argento’s “Creepers”, co-writer of Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in America”). It’s ten times better than Argento’s more official (but overall pretty crummy) adaptation of “Phantom of the Opera”, if not quite hitting the heights of his best films “Suspiria” and the underrated “Inferno”. With its operatic setting, classical music filling the soundtrack, and Argento and cameraman Ronnie Taylor (“Tommy”, “Gandhi”, Argento’s “Phantom of the Opera” and “Sleepless”) showing off their every trick, the film isn’t going to be all tastes. That’s before the violence even kicks in (Look out for a bloody marvellous bit involving a gun and a peephole). I can’t speak for everyone, but I found the story/mystery rather compelling, the characters interesting, the use of classical music excellent and appropriate, and I rather enjoyed the show-off filmmaking. It’s a beautifully mounted film, actually and you get the sense that Argento was thoroughly enjoying himself. The disparity between the Argento we get here and the second-rate hack who made “Phantom of the Opera” is frankly startling and dispiriting to witness. This is a lively, bold film from a master horror storyteller at the zenith of his creative talent and energy. Many consider it to be his last good film, it’s certainly far more indicative of its filmmaker than the likes of “Phantom of the Opera” and “Mother of Tears”.

 

Argento does a particularly good job at keeping sustained tension and creepiness throughout the film, so it’s not all just ‘hey, watch this camera fly and spin and zoom’ for 90 minutes. It’s also quite a funny film, I especially liked how the injured opera diva’s ranting and raving always takes place outside of the camera’s view. Lead actress Cristina Marsillach is charming, pretty, and sympathetic. Although a bleached blond Ian Charleson doesn’t look well in his final feature film (before he succumbed to the AIDS virus), he’s very solid and unlike some actors he also doesn’t seem embarrassed or dispirited to be acting in a horror film. A pre-“Copycat” William McNamara is a touch odd to hear dubbed with an English accent, but is perfectly fine in a fairly small role. You assume he’s going to be in more of it the way he’s introduced into the film, but nope. The only dud performance in the entire film comes from a thoroughly overwrought Coralina Cataldi Tassoni as the on-hand seamstress. Apparently American-born and with an Opera background herself, she seems multi-talented based on her IMDB bio, but I can’t say her film acting skills evidenced here are any good (She later turned up in Argento’s “Phantom of the Opera” and “Mother of Tears”, and from memory she was even worse in the latter). She comes off like a silent film actress: Ridiculous. Otherwise, I was having so much fun here that I didn’t even mind that the killer wasn’t especially difficult to pick.

 

The highlight of the film is a truly insane bit with a flock of blackbirds attacking an opera audience. Flesh-eating blackbirds. Seriously, one even eats an eyeball. It’s great stuff for those inclined. As usual with Argento, feminists need not apply to this showy horror outing. However, I found this visually dynamic film to be one of his strongest and most sustained efforts. Argento was in full-flight here, perhaps for the final time.

 

Rating: B