Opera Reviews

In "Opera", all gimmicky and even gruesome of Giallo topics are more than present. In absurd script saves a bit that Dario Argento has a way of making very effective and imaginative in their own way. With its narrative ups and downs, its loose interpretation (aaahhh! my dear Cristina Marsillach...) and its amazing development and resolution, the film can be seen with more pain than glory.

Dario Argento's Opera could be considered one of the last truly great films in the maestro's canon. It sets itself apart from the rest by showcasing some of the most innovative, breathtaking cinematography I've ever seen in a film. Period. Argento and first-time collaborator Ronnie Taylor really let loose and run wild with the visuals. POV shots abound, including crow-vision and sink drain-vision to name a few. The camera glides and swoops through the air like an apparition, adding to the creepy feel of the proceedings. The "needles under the eyelids" concept is used to great effect, not since A Clockwork Orange has this form of torture been so terrifying. Opera is not as bloody nor as scary as previous Argento films, it drags in certain parts and none of the characters are very likeable or compelling. But it does hold up nicely as a spooky thriller and the "head-shot through the peep hole" stands as one of Argento's best sequences.

Argento score card:
Blood - 7
Scares - 6
Music - 4
Lusty women - 6
Camera work - 10
Color palette - 4
Crazed animals - 5 (a murder of crows!)

Total score: 42/70