Opera (1987)

A young opperata is stalked by a deranged fan bent on killing the people associated with her to claim her for himself.

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Dario Argento (story), Franco Ferrini (story)

Stars:

Cristina Marsillach, Ian Charleson, Urbano Barberini

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cristina Marsillach	...	Betty
Ian Charleson	...	Marco
Urbano Barberini	...	Inspector Alan Santini
Daria Nicolodi	...	Mira
Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni	...	Giulia
Antonella Vitale	...	Marion
William McNamara	...	Stefano
Barbara Cupisti	...	Signora Albertini
Antonino Iuorio	...	Baddini (as Antonio Juorio)
Carola Stagnaro	...	Alma's mother
Francesca Cassola	...	Alma
Maurizio Garrone	...	Maurizio, the raven trainer
Cristina Giachino	...	Maria, the assistant director
György Gyõriványi	...	Miro
Bjorn Hammer	...	Cop #1

Storyline

A young opera singer (Betty) gets her big chance when the previous star of a production of Verdi's Macbeth is run over by a car. Convinced the opera is bad luck she accepts, and becomes the target (in Argento's unmistakable style) of a psychopath - a man she has been dreaming of since childhood.

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Plot Keywords:

giallo | psycho killer | peep hole | slasher | voyeur | 

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Taglines:

The last note is a real killer.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong terror and violence, and for a scene of sensuality

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

19 December 1987 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Opera

Filming Locations:

Incir De Paolis Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

ADC Films, Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica, RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min 88 min (edited)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally, Columbia Pictures intended to release the film theatrically in Germany in 1988 but after the FSK (Official German Censorship) demanded to cut out almost 25 minutes, mostly violence (among others the two scenes with Betty wearing the needles), it was released straight to VHS, even though a theatrical release has already been announced.

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Goofs

During the shootout in Betty's apartment as the masked killer dives out of the way of a shot, and the camera quickly pans after him, a crew member is visible on the right side of the frame, trying to get out of the way.

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Quotes

Marco: I think it's unwise to use movies as a guide for reality. Don't you, Inspector?
Inspector Alan Santini: Depends what you mean by reality.

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Alternate Versions

The version prepared by Orion Pictures for an American release in 1988 was edited to 96 minutes, removing the scene of Mara Cecova hurling her glass at the TV, much material involving the little girl next door to Betty, and Betty's final crawl through the grass in the final scene. The U.S. plans were scrapped, and this version was released by RCA/Columbia on Japanese laserdisc and as a bonus on Arrow's two-disc DVD reissue in England.

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Connections

Version of The Phantom of the Opera (1998)

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Soundtracks

Knights of the Night
by The Group Steel Grave
By Arrangement with Franton Music/Walkman SRL

User Reviews

OPERA (1987)

Yesterday, I watched a recording of Dario Argento's OPERA (1987) taken from Anchor Bay's R1 DVD, and I must say I agree with many of you here that the film was pretty good (if a bit heavy on flamboyant camera moves) for the first 90 minutes - but then went completely bonkers towards the end. The ending is mystifying, to say the least (the bug-loving scene most of all), and horribly executed to boot! The heavy-metal soundbites were a pain too; actually, I felt that the entire music score was relatively subpar for an Argento film. As usual, the hideous dubbing was another major drawback.

There seems to be some disagreement about Cristina Marsillach's contribution: for me, she's very nearly Argento's best leading lady, quite in the same class as Jessica Harper in SUSPIRIA (1976) and Jennifer Connelly in PHENOMENA (1984).

The hectic backstage activity and the masked killer reminded me a lot of Mario Bava's BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (1964), though comparisons with that landmark film only helps to bring out more OPERA's shortcomings. The elaborately staged murders were rather hit-or-miss as well: the butchering of the stage manager and Daria Nicolodi's legendary death scene, at least, were classic Argento. The big scene with the ravens, ingenious in itself, was too protracted for maximum impact.

All in all, it's not one of Argento's best but then, apart from DEEP RED (1975) and SUSPIRIA, all his films leave a lot to be desired – though I'm sure everyone here has his or her own personal favorite.