Opera (1987)

An Aria of Terror from the Maestro of Horror - DARIO ARGENTO

When a young opera singer takes over the leading role in an avant-garde presentation of Verdi's Macbeth, she triggers the madness of a crazed fan who repeatedly forces the diva to watch the brutal murders of her friends. Will the woman's recurring nightmare hold the key to the identity of this psychopath or does an even more horrific evil lay waiting in the wings?

The legendary Dario Argento (DEEP RED, SUSPIRIA) co-wrote and directed this savagely stunning thriller featuring some of the most shocking sequences of the maestro's entire career. Previously available in the U.S. only in heavily edited form, this horror classic has now been restored from original Italian vault materials and is presented uncut, uncensored and loaded with Extras.

HEADSHOT!!!

Since I'm an Argento review virgin reviewing Argento (at the coercion of some fellow Amazon denizens) during our annual Horrorween month celebration, I'll start from the beginning. I happened across Suspiria one night on cable. "Love at first sight" is the only pertinent phrase to describe the feeling. That is how I discovered Italy's macabre national treasure, Dario Argento. Since then we've crossed paths often, be it his collaborations with personal hero George Romero, the B-movies he's produced like Demons, or the occasional giallo -a genre he owns like no other, but is hot and cold for me- but I've never been able to recapture that "this is the greatest thing ever" feeling I got from "Suspiria". The closest were his entries into Showtime's outstanding Masters of Horror series, Jenifer and Pelts. And now here we are, with the first feature-length Argento-directed film since that fateful night that I have enjoyed front to back.

"Opera" is the story of a singer, Betty, who is forced to stand in for the injured star of a production of Shakespeare's Macbeth, a play that has long been believed to be cursed. She owns the role and becomes an overnight sensation. Then the killing starts. A masked assailant begins a horrific ritual of tying up our protagonist and taping a row of needles under her top eyelids so that she is unable to even blink without drawing blood. He then lies in wait and proceeds to brutally kill whatever friend or lover attempts to come to Betty's rescue before cutting her free and going on his merry way. Why? Well that's complicated; best to let you figure that one for yourself. You've got your brutal Argento-rific deaths, your pack of birds not to be f#@ked with (quoth the raven, "mmmmm, eyeballs yummy!"), some really cool opera scenes, your creepy little girl spying on people in her apartment building through an air-conditioning shaft, and yes, your utterly inappropriate blasts of 80's heavy metal music. I haven't decided if it's obnoxiousness is charming or annoying, but I'm glad Argento represents.

Cristina Marsillach is beautiful. The girl is as captivating as they come whether she's in full-on opera garb belting it out, conversing with her co-workers, enjoying the beauty of nature maybe a little too much, or running braless down the street from her mysterious stalker. She is just a joy to watch in this film. The opera itself is very cool too. Argento added another layer of cred by making the director of the production a horror filmmaker crossing over into theater. The giant skulls and live croaking ravens on the stage set look absolutely killer and the costumes are pretty sweet as well. The tension in the film is well-played and the release is always a blast. Argento's trademark technicolor lighting gets a little bit of a workout in a scene or two. I don't know why it is so creepy and cool when it should just be a distraction, but I love the visuals that are created by this out-of-order color scheme that Argento likes to play with at times. Often imitated, never duplicated. Thought I was going to talk about horrible deaths first didn't ya? I'm not that shallow. Or am I just saving it for later to make you think I'm not?

Wait's over. "Opera" features some amazing deaths. Gotta love the ol' knife through the lower jaw and into the mouth gag. Get's 'em every time! Then you've got your close-ups of knife entering flesh which never stops being unnerving, and of course the fight with a clothes iron over a little gold trinket. Seriously. But the show stopper here is a work of true and utter genius. It's a death that has inspired countless others in it's artfulness, inventiveness, and (almost) unexpectedness, and is even more impressive when you consider that modern filmmakers need a million dollars worth of CG to attain anything close to the same effect today. Italian horror filmmakers really are a breed apart. That scene will likely put me off of peepholes for some time.

I wish "Opera" was perfect, but it just isn't so. First off, giallos (and slashers in general) aren't really my thing, though I do appreciate them. On the other hand, I must say that I also loved What Have You Done to Solange? so perhaps the genre is growing on me. There are a few parts in "Opera" where the scenes played out in such a fashion that I was literally annoyed by what I was watching. The battle for the trinket is one such scene. I don't demand realism, but don't be stupid either. No one is fighting a masked assailant over a crummy bracelet knowing that people have been murdered while their friend is mysteriously tied up in front of them. And nobody is going down for the count because a clothes iron hits them in the back either. Awful sequence. It also kind of robs the killing scenes of their emotional impact when we are hearing cheesy metal the whole time and we're supposed to be feeling for poor Betty being forced to watch. The needles under the eyelids didn't actually look very convincing, the ending was kind of odd, and I guessed who the killer was the first scene he was in. I can't even point to a specific reason why, I guess I just knew by some ingrained understanding of film conventions. Maybe Queen B's horrible sixth spoiler sense has rubbed off on me somehow. Dread the thought.

This is my second favorite Argento film that I've seen so far but there are, of course, more to see. This is an entertaining film of any genre and fans of Argento, murder, mystery, and murder-mysteries need to give this a shot. It stops short of being a masterpiece, but it's not that far off, either. Woopak (he's got you all in check!), and Mackshere: this one's for you guys.







October 19, 2008

Like Russian Roulette, 2 shots that killed me....

THE NEEDLE EYELID SCENE =======>

Arguably the most unfathomable tragedy that could be inflicted upon a person would be the heinous murder of a loved one, right before your eyes. Imagine being forced to watch this, totally helpless, as your companion suffers an agonizing death. Completely traumatizing.
Argento feeds on this fear with precise tension and oppresive cruelty. A homicidal maniac ties up the main character and tapes packets of needles underneath her eyelids. A simple blink becomes excruciatingly painful. This detained woman is forced to gaze at the vicious murder. And the way this killing is fashioned is just bloody brutal. You will be left in a horrified stupor. Argento orchestrates this fatal crime with a penetrating audacity.


BULLET THROUGH THE PEEPHOLE =======>

Keep in mind that this film was made over two decades ago. The aesthetic maneuvering of this moment has been rehashed countless times in Hollywood. It is nothing short of brilliant.
Two women are trapped in an apartment. The killer is just outside the door, claiming to be a policeman. We are only given glimpses of the intruder as she looks through the peephole. This forces us to connect with the desperation and uncertainty that the woman feels. Of course we sense the danger, but have a shred of comfort since the perpetrator is outside the locked door.
And then, it happens...right before our eyes.
We see an extreme closeup of the bullet. Our vision is concentrated on it as it slides through the chamber of the peephole. Entering and exiting through the woman's head. Just a quick, instant death, and we're left dazed. And with a stroke of horrible luck, the phone is taken out simultaneously with this single shot. Black comic genius, I love it!

______________________________________________

You would be hard pressed to find two better scenes in any horror movie. Heck, any movie period. Superb filmmaking.
Opera might get some criticism due to the acting, voice dubbing, or elaborate plot details that might be hard to follow. But I feel sorry for those who can't feel the impact of this magnificent horror film. I implore you to give it another try.

Death by Dario is heavenly


October 14, 2008

Wish I saw the same greatness everyone else did.

Betty is a young actor who is given the lead role in a Macbeth opera. She is now playing Lady Macbeth after the previous female lead is hurt. There's rumors circulating that the play is in fact cursed. Betty, soon finds herself stalked by what appears to be a crazed fan. Or a maniac with his own twisted agenda.

I said it before and I'll say it again. Argento is a master when it comes down to style in his horror. Fans of horror who understand that mindless gore alone isn't horror. Can only sit back and marvel the visuals of an Argento film. Opera to me definitely joins the ranks of both Suspiria and Inferno concerning style(to a certain degree).

The opening scene paints a very eerie picture. An opera is taking place with ravens squawking in the background. I really can't think of a more evil setting. Pairing those enigmatic birds with opera. I was prepared to give this five stars for that alone. The setups do get better plus the amazing camera work adds even more to the atmosphere.

The pacing to this film was very good to me. The main character was pretty well developed. Her situations with the killer adds a unique feel to the film. It is at first hard not to feel her pain. The kills can be very brutal at times. And one death scene(although predictable) had me rewinding it a few times.

Opera also has something important in common with both Tenebre and Phenomana. Like those two films. Opera is coherent and understandable. It doesn't require many watches to fully get. For the most part it is spoonfed and as a result it's easier on the brain.

Now my problems with this film are huge. Which explains my three star rating. As great as the atmosphere and death scenes are. They're almost instantly killed by the absurd soundtrack. This was also a weakness in Phenomana. The movie is called "Opera". So what the hell is a rock soundtrack doing in this film? And it's in mostly all of the death scenes. To me the impact of the murder scenes lose alot of steam and therefore aren't very effective. They come off more as a joke. I also feel the characterization is off. I won't spoil and give details. But I found the main characters reactions very unbelievable. I mean, I don't care what side of the earth you come from. But people just don't behave like that. I will also point out that the acting is off at times.

Opera is a good horror mystery but incredibly far from great. I need my characters to be somewhat realistic. And the music score must support the atmosphere. I just can't see how anyone can watch this and not cringe at the out of place music score. Opera, unlike some of Argento's films, isn't an acquired taste. But I don't recommend this to someone who isn't completely "Argentoized". Those who go against the grain alot. Would be better off renting this one if you're curious.




October 10, 2008

Opera

This film reminds me of The Phantom of The Opera, then the killings begun. Ive got a quick question for anyone who knows this film- in the original version is there really heavy metal during the killing scenes? Its funny because you hear opera music and then metal as soon as the killings start. I enjoyed the first killing and the movie was enjoyable overall. I recommend this to fans who like the opera and horror films-if there is such a demigraphic. September 11, 2008

Swing'n'a Miss

If there's one thing I look forward to in the mail, it's an Argento movie. I loved some of his other films and couldn't wait to grab this movie. In the end, the overall plot is wonderful, though poorly executed. All the characters' personalities seem a bit off, one way or another. Too stiff, too strange, etc. And then there are MANY loose ends that keep the viewer hoping they will be answered at the end, but they aren't (for example, the anniversary necklace/bracelet, what is its meaning?).

The actual plot itself, though, is superb. The twists and especially the final revelation of the killer himself are excellent, especially the manner in which they reveal him. The murders, or even the attacks (there are some where the people don't actually die), are just amazing and intense. I honestly wonder if I've seen such brutal murders anywhere else before.

I still like this movie and recommend it if you are a horror or Argento fan for at least the plot and murders, but the acting and characters may get you a tiny bit.

Also recommended: Suspiria, Deep Red, any other good slasher movie

***- 3 and a half stars -*** June 19, 2008

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