Synopsis
Obsession. Murder. Madness.
A young opperata is stalked by a deranged fan bent on killing the people associated with her to claim her for himself.
1987 Directed by Dario Argento
A young opperata is stalked by a deranged fan bent on killing the people associated with her to claim her for himself.
Cristina Marsillach Ian Charleson Urbano Barberini Daria Nicolodi Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni Antonella Vitale William McNamara Barbara Cupisti Antonino Iuorio Carola Stagnaro Francesca Cassola Maurizio Garrone Cristina Giachino György Gyõriványi Bjorn Hammer Peter Pitsch Sebastiano Somma Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz Michele Pertusi Dario Argento Michele Soavi Karl Zinny
Terror at the Opera, Im Zeichen des Raben, Η όπερα του τρόμου, オペラ座・血の喝采, Ópera, Опера, Τρόμος στην όπερα, Opéra
What sets Opera apart from other Argento films in the 1970s and 1980s was that it had a very cruel streak to it. Most of his films have intricate death scenes but there is always something overly lovable in the movie to soften some of the rawness, in Phenomena there's the monkey, Deep Red: Daria Nicolodi and her junk car, but that was missing from Opera. Some could say that, the lead, Betty was the cute factor but I don't think it offsets the cruelty. This isn't a complaint, by any means.
One thing I would complain about is the ending, I can't say I'm a fan of the final 10 minutes. I find the final scene to be completely…
Sweepingly beautiful camera work with graphically intense murderyog sequences (If you've seen the cover art for this, you know are fucked), Argento crafts a doozy of a giallo against the backdrop of an Opera production of MacBeth and the soundscape of pulsating metal. ‘Blessed Ravens, never forget’. Honestly, this is my least favorite of Argento’s popular films, but Opera really is a tense thrill fest of blood and that keyhole scene is a 10/10.
The new Scorpion Releasing/Code Red blu (I mention both because the case says Scorpion but the disc says Code Red, Lol those crazy Olsen brothers) looks and sounds fantastic! The color correction job they spent 45 million hours doing really shows, I saw colors in this that I never knew were there! Bravo!
GIALLOTHON: Film 1 of 4
"Good luck, little snake."
I've had Opera on my watchlist for a long time, but have never found the right circumstances to watch it. The Egyptian programmed it and they had an uncut print.
Cristina Marsillach was great as the lead: Betty. She looked a ton like Irène Jacob that I was fascinated throughout the film, convinced that they must somehow be related.
I could see how this highly influenced Paul Verhoeven's Elle. The cinematography from Ronnie Taylor was also gorgeous: especially the pull-away shots with Giulia the costume designer (Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni) trying to repair a dress.
Also, I love Betty's relaxation tape that she listens to. I could definitely use it.
All in all,…
Dare I say it - there are parts in Opera that almost surpass the technical and artistic brilliance of Suspiria.
Purposefully excluding the saturated hues that bled through the screen of that violent fairytale, precisely a decade later, Argento’s style still remains as opulent as ever, only this time, exercising a more vicious edge to his creation through a passion for perverse torture and death metal. Side-smirkingly set in a location where drama and tragedy collide, the magic of this mystery is only heightened by the hollow acoustics that fill each dark corner of the theatre; a place where blood-curdling screams are drowned-out by the art of performance unfolding centre stage. Casting an ensemble of jet-black crows to monitor the fog-laden wings,…
Dario Argento shows, relatively uncharacteristically, an unbridled nihilistic savagery in this ultra-visceral giallo.
Opera gives off an unshakeable feeling of anger from Argento. The heavy metal cutting through the grandiose score of opera and classical music with pure malice as the black leather gloves stab incessantly and indiscriminately. Argento's camerawork emulates the ravens, swooping and circling and tying you into place, forcing you to take in the brutality. Absolutely vicious from Argento, who usually adorns his murder in stylish appeal.
The anger is somewhat manifested through Ian Charleson's character, Marco. A horror director, often labelled a sadist and a one-trick pony and implied to be the murderer. The malicious ripping of flesh in the depraved acts of violence exposing blood,…
"I'm exactly like my mother" - Betty, going through a mood
2 Minutes Later
"I'm nothing like my mother!" Betty, going through a mood
- Dario Argento Ranked: boxd.it/30KqM
- Daily Horror Hunt #12 (June 2019): boxd.it/2XMsk
Day 19. Yay!! Watch a movie starring Daria Nicolodi (b. June 19, 1950).
Thanks Argento! Now I'm scared of peepholes.
In Opera, "A young opperata is stalked by a deranged fan bent on killing the people associated with her to claim her for himself." I just quoted the description because most of Argento's films have a basic premise and then feel like improvised horror (but good) even though I know that's not exactly how it's done.
This movie looks great. I love how…
Part of HOOPT🚨BER 7.0: “Stay Inside (the Salt Circle)!” challenge.
16/31
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"Opera" is Dario Argento's ninth horror mystery and is considered by many to be his last great movie before he started shoving his creepy daughter down his fans' throats from the 90s onwards.
Unlike Argento's other giallos, "Opera" leans a little more towards the theatrical horrors of "Suspiria" and "Inferno" but without so much surreal appeal and supernatural elements.
The investigative aspect is almost non-existent since the characters never react realistically to events. Some sequences have a dreamlike atmosphere that suggests a psychological solution to the mystery but which is gradually abandoned to give way to a typical and predictable outcome.
The epilogue is completely unnecessary and makes…
This film is Argento's last great masterpiece. An all out assault on the senses akin to earlier works such as Suspiria but also completely different. Opera is Argento doubling down on style; fluid visuals mixing it up with story ideas borrowed from Gaston Leroux and superb sound from Claudio Simonetti. The central theme of the victim having pins put under her eyes to force her to watch was apparently born from Argento's dislike of viewers looking away during his films violent moments. It is a striking image. I'm always a bit on the fence about the heavy metal during some of the deaths scenes but I do think it works in context and helps to establish the film's robust attitude…
Holy shit Dario man, this film! A whirling black raven-winged POV bullet through the back of the brain exploding onto the retina in a paroxysm of colour! I'm not gonna say it's more of a beautifully deranged nightmare than Phenomena, but it's in the same Speedballpark. There's a giddiness to the neon-lit visuals, the highly strung music (a heady mix of opera and heavy metal), badly dubbed, frequently bizarre dialogue, and the restless camera, roving and gliding and looping through complete 360s like a stoned bird, that actually makes you feel high. It had me shaking my head in disbelief and grinning for most of its run time!
It's a giallo at heart, but in the same way a seasoned…
“I think it's unwise to use movies as a guide for reality.”
Take a drink every time the movie uses a tracking shot.
The technical aspect of the movie is stunning. The camera is alive, constantly zooming, tracking, twisting, and observing. There are so many captivating shots throughout, it warrants a viewing on it alone. Things like the camera “thumping” as we hear her heartbeat show why Dario Argento is so influential. The camera was more of a main character than the actual lead.
Speaking of her, she really dragged this down for me. She is the epitome of the “stupid horror victim” stereotype. She constantly makes questionable choices, like not reporting a murder because she just wanted to forget…
That bedroom scene is etched into my memory for an eternity
Dario Argento Drinking Game:
Take a shot whenever glass is shattered
Take a shot when you see a black glove
Take a shot whenever there is animal cruelty
Take a shot when there's a crash zoom
Take a shot whenever a young girl is running away from the camera
Take a shot whenever the music just kicks in
Take a shot when there are tornado level winds inside a building
This bitch really can’t get a break every where she go her stalker serial killer is there. Maybe they over did it with the twists and turns all the time but idk I like it. I like the 80s Italian decor and soundtrack. I also like how he tortures her to watch with the eyes pinned up.
Argento is usually fire js
I really loved the use of color in this movie like all of the director’s previous movies he has an ability to make the movie feel like a 90 minute psychedelic music video.
Not blinking during murder scenes is this movie's equivalent to holding your breathe when a character is underwater in others
Absolument mitigée par ce tout premier Giallo que je regarde.
Certes les plans sont fabuleux et emplis de créativité et mettent bien en avant les couleurs mais alors c'est vraiment tout ce qui est intéressant. ET OUI CERTES IL N'Y A AUCUN BUDGET mais c'est pas une raison pour combler le vide avec des dialogues aussi vaporeux et une fin aussi perchée qu'inutile.
(j'ai caché mes yeux pendant les scènes de sang, je suis faible).
Clairement pas le meilleur film de Argento. Il y a un rapport intéressant sur la vision de manière générale dans l’œuvre, entre les caméras subjectives, les gros plans sur les yeux ou même cette récurrence sur le sadisme avec l’œil. Argento s’amuse également avec sa caméra, comme à son habitude, mais il propose également des plans très ingénieux et nouveaux comme cette superbe idée de balle qui traverse une porte
Cependant, l’histoire n’est pas forcément à la hauteur de la mise en scène. On a un vrai ventre mou au milieu et on délaisse des éléments qui semblaient importants au début de l’histoire.
Bref, un film soigné dans sa forme mais pas dans le fond. En plus la fin j’ai rien compris zebi
Olyan húsz éve a Macbeth volt a kedvenc operám, jó volt sok-sok év után újra hallani. Kicsi Betty persze egyáltalán nem Lady Macbeth, nem csak lelkileg nem az, ilyen hangok ebből a nőből egyszerűen nem jöhetnek. Az is igaz, hogy mondjuk a Szöktetés a szerájból kevésbé hozta volna a kellő hangulatot, meg aztán nem is olasz a szerző, de nem is ez a lényeg. Vagyis hogy pont ez a lényeg: szemfényvesztés, kulissza-világ, teatralitás, végletekig fokozott érzékiség és teljes őrület. A zene, a képek, a fények fantasztikusak. Gaston Leroux fantomja piha.
Nem a sztori ér három és fél csillagot.
Some very metal set pieces and kills, and cinematography about ten years ahead of it's time, but wayyy too disjointed for my taste, and plenty of pacing issues. Maybe I'll like it on rewatch but not a beloved Giallo for me.
And what the fuck was that Sound of Music-ass ending?
This movie for sure has its lows and highs but the highs are so brilliantly high I can't help but give this five stars. Argento has got to be the most creative and sexy on-screen murderer to have ever written a movie.
One of Argento's slickest and most modern looking productions. Every character and moment here pulses with its own form of personality, and the THX certified audio really packs a punch, though the opera house setting is unfortunately underused.
Despite Opera's popularity with Argento-philes, I've always found it to be a pretty goofy movie, with all sorts of tonal oddities and plot contrivances (along with some pretty bad dubbing), but it's got style to burn, and some iconic imagery (the needles affixed to the heroine's eyes by the murderer so she cannot close them = fiendishly clever). It's pretty scary and suspenseful the first time you see it too. I like it, but I don't tend to rewatch it as much as his other genuinely well-regarded output. Oh, the crows are amazing, of course. B to B+
This film goes from 0 to METAL every 5 minutes and I am 100% fine with that.
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