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Directed by Written by Starring Unrated Presented by 107 minutes |
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OPERA
Review
To look at Dario Argento’s OPERA to me brings back memories. As a mere eleven year old in 1988, the image of star Christina Marsillach gagged and needles taped under her eyes with a little blood trickling down her face frightened me yet I knew I just had to watch this film. It was with OPERA that I became a fan of Dario Argento and is simply put one of the best horror films ever made. Using the theme of performing Shakespeare’s MACBETH as bad luck in reality, OPERA is in essence a masterpiece, as understudy Betty (Marsillach) gets a chance to star in the production when the production’s star has an accident. Fearful of a stalker since childhood, it appears he comes back to her as a mysterious assailant starts murdering the crew of the lavish production, while tying her up, taping her mouth shut, and taping needles under her eyes to force her to watch the brutality he unleashes. There truly are some very nasty moments here, as the first murder of stage manager Stefano (William McNamara) is amongst the bloodiest on screen. As the murders increase, the “MACBETH” curse seems to be apparent. For a career as storied as Argento, OPERA stands as my personal favorite due to its frightening yet simultaneously gorgeous imagery. The cinematography by Oscar winner Ronnie Taylor (he won for GANDHI!) is nothing short of breathtaking, its best moment being a sweeping shot of the opera house from the point of view of a raven unleashed onto the crowd. There’s another brilliantly edited and photographed moment with the death of Mira, Betty’s mother (Daria Nicolodi) via a gunshot through a door. The combination of the bullet entering the head, exiting the back of her head (with some splatter), and the bullet hits a lamp across the room as Betty covers her face in horror… all in the same shot. The film’s final scene was one of the first to incorporate the twist ending, which 17 years before SAW, made for a thrilling climax. The film’s main point are the performances, with Christina Marsillach a terrific lead. The story of how Marsillach and Argento hated each other during filming is well known, but Argento does manage to get the best out of her. As the opera director Marco, the late Ian Charleson is phenomenal, channeling Dario himself. As Inspector Alan Santini, Urbano Barberini is also very good here, providing a good amount of tension and brooding in offering his help on the mystery of the killer. In one of her first roles, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni is a lot of fun as Guilia, the outrageous costume designer whose death is another centerpiece of the film. She swallows a locket of the killer’s while being murdered and he reacts by opening her throat to retrieve it in a nasty scene. Her character was so likeable it was a shame to see her killed off. Daria Nicolodi provides great strength as Betty’s mother, who reveals a link to the murders and her own past. The special effects are amongst the best you’ll see, with the blood flowing well and mixed with the flawless cinematography make for some very unpleasant moments on screen. The work by Renato Agostini, the Corridori brothers, the Germano Natali, and Sergio Stivaletti all deserve great mention here. Simply extraordinary, never at once feeling over the top, and its realistic tones make it the more scarier. Dario Argento defined the giallo film with DEEP RED twelve years earlier. With OPERA, he brought the genre to its apex, marking his finest cinematic achievement. SUSPIRIA may be the one he’s most remembered for, but in my opinion, OPERA remains his finest work, the perfect giallo that if you don’t have in your collection, you shouldn’t call yourself a horror fan. OPERA: 10 Out Of 10 Maggots CLICK HERE FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH STAR CORALINA CATALDI-TASSONI!
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