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:

obsession. murder. madness.

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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

In the book "Profondo Argento", Dario Argento cited star Cristina Marsillach as the most difficult actress he has ever worked with.

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Goofs

During the chase in Betty's apartment, as the killer runs POV through the house the camera tilts back and forth showing for a brief second the top of the set in Betty's room and the space above it. Also, while exiting the bedroom, lighting equipment is visible on the left side of the frame.

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Quotes

Betty: I am nothing like my mother. Nothing like her!

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Alternate Versions

In the UK, 47 seconds were cut for the original UK cinema and video releases with edits to the stabbing of Santini and a shot of a girl being stabbed in the mouth with a pair of scissors. The cuts were fully restored for the 2002 DVD release.

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Connections

Referenced in Entrei em Pânico ao Saber o que Vocês Fizeram na Sexta-feira 13 do Verão Passado (2001)

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Soundtracks

Casta Diva
from "Norma"
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
Performed by Maria Callas
By Arrangement with Fonit Cetra

User Reviews

Originality makes it worth a watch

This is not Argento's best film by far, but if you are a fan of the director, or just a fan of the horror genre in general, this movie is worth a watch. Argento is always original, and Opera is no exception. His death scenes are top notch. Nothing of his that you watch is the same as anything else out there. On top of this, Opera is visually stunning, with beautiful backdrops drenched in lots of color; this is an Argento staple. Subjective shots are constant, which is also an Argento staple, but in Opera it is a little different. With Argento, subjective shots usually show the world through the eyes of the killer and make the audience relate to him or her. In Opera the audience also sees through the eyes of the victim, who is forced to watch everything unfold around her. The problems with this film are the acting and the script. Starting with the former, Argento's young leading lady gave him problems throughout the shoot. She did not take direction well due to her inexperience; Argento claims this is the first time it ever happened to him. With the script, there are holes throughout the story, and everything gets wrapped up a little too neatly as the killer explains why it all happened. The ending is also dreadful. The company releasing the film in America asked Argento to cut the final scene, but the director refused.