Opera (1987) ***1/2
Dario Argento's Opera (1987) is one bizarre giallo. Every time I watch it, its flawed nature becomes more and more apparent. The film is mind-bogglingly scattershot—both tonally and editorially (even more so than 1985's Phenomena (review)), to the point of being comical—and features very poor dubbing (even for an Italian genre film), unfortunate dialogue, and some particularly atrocious acting. Some also complain about the seemingly random placement of heavy metal cues, but that's one aspect that's never bothered me (in fact I kind of love those moments).
It's frustrating because, while Opera doesn't make a lot of sense and comes off as unintentionally campy a good deal of the time, it also contains some of Argento's most riveting and audacious cinematography and most inventive set pieces (one kill in particular is a highlight of Argento's entire career). It's a bit like a fever dream or what you might term a "glorious mess" and for that I can't help but appreciate it.
You can find my Dario Argento Films Ranked list here.
You can find my Giallo Feature Films Ranked list here.
It's frustrating because, while Opera doesn't make a lot of sense and comes off as unintentionally campy a good deal of the time, it also contains some of Argento's most riveting and audacious cinematography and most inventive set pieces (one kill in particular is a highlight of Argento's entire career). It's a bit like a fever dream or what you might term a "glorious mess" and for that I can't help but appreciate it.
You can find my Dario Argento Films Ranked list here.
You can find my Giallo Feature Films Ranked list here.
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