Opera (film)

Opera
Directed by	Dario Argento
Written by	Dario Argento Franco Ferrini
Starring	Cristina Marsillach Ian Charleson Urbano Barberini Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni
Music by	Brian Eno, Claudio Simonetti
Cinematography	Ronnie Taylor
Editing by	Franco Fraticelli
Release date(s)	Italy: December 19, 1987
Running time	107 min
Country	Italy
Language	Italian
Budget	$8,000,000

Opera is a 1987 Italian giallo film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film stars Cristina Marsillach, Urbano Barberini, and Ian Charleson. Cinematography is done by Ronnie Taylor while Brian Eno and Claudio Simonetti composed the film's score. The film was released in the United States under the title Terror at the Opera. The film was one of Argento's most commercially successful films having 1,363,912 cinema goers in his native country Italy.

Plot synopsis

Argento's 1987 follow-up to Phenomena centers around a young, insecure opera singer named Betty (Cristina Marsillach). After the lead in Verdis's Macbeth is injured in an auto accident, Betty is reluctently thrust into the role in the opera. During her first performance, a murder takes place in one of the opera boxes. Mysterious murders continue throughout the film as Betty is stalked and those around her meet their unfortunate end. The killer binds and places tape under Betty's eyelids with needles attached so she is unable to blink, and therefore forced to watch as the murders take place. Meanwhile, Betty continues to have frightening dreams involving a masked person and her mother. During the final performance of the opera the killer is revealed, and Betty must confront her past in a terrifying climax.

Cast

• Cristina Marsillach as Betty
• Ian Charleson as Marco
• Urbano Barberini as Inspector Alan Santini
• Daria Nicolodi as Mira
• Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni as Giulia
• Antonella Vitale as Marion
• William McNamara as Stefano
• Barbara Cupisti as Signora Albertini

Soundtrack

• "White Dakeness",
  "Balance",
  "From the Beginning"

by Brian Eno and Roger Eno By Arrangement with Opal Ltd, London

• "Opera",
  "Craws",
  "Confusion"

by Claudio Simonetti By Arrangement with BMG Ariola-Walkman SRL

• "Opera Theme",
  "Black Notes"

by Bill Wyman and Terry Taylor By Arrangement with Ripple Music Ltd.

• "Knights of the Night",
  "Steel Grave"

by The Group Steel Grave By Arrangement with Franton Music/Walkman SRL

• "No Escape"

by The Group Norden Light By Arrangement with Sonet

• "Lady Macbeth ("Vieni t'afretti")

from opera "Macbeth" Composed by Giuseppe Verdi Performed by Maria Callas By Arrangement with Fonit Cetra

• "Casta Diva"

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

• "Amami Alfredo",
  "Sempre libera"

from "La Traviata" Composed by Giuseppe Verdi Performed by Maria Callas By Arrangement with Fonit Cetra

• "Un bel dì vedremo"

from "Madama Butterfly" Composed by Giacomo Puccini Performed by Mirella Freni By Arrangement with PolyGram (as Poligram)

• "Macbeth"

(excerpt) Composed by Giuseppe Verdi Performed by Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz (as Elisabetta Norberg Schulz) soprano, Paola Leolini Soprano, Andrea Piccinni (as Andrea Piccini) Tenor, Michele Pertusi Baritone, with "Arturo Toscanini" Symphonic Orchestra of Emilia and Romagna Recorded at the Elite Studio of Sermide (MN)

External links

• Opera at the Internet Movie Database