This isn't a film in the proper sense, nor is it a production of Shakespeare's play. Rather it's a filmed performance of the opera by Giuseppe Verdi as directed on stage by Argento. Nonetheless I imagine it would be of interest to fans of Argento's films (in particular of his film Opera), so I'll share my thoughts here.
First a little back-story is necessary. During the 1980s Argento was given the chance to direct an opera, and he suggested a horror-themed production of Verdi's Rigoletto, with the Duke of Mantua depicted as a vampire. Given that Italian opera is one of that country's greatest sources of national pride, the opera community balked at a mere horror director tainting Verdi's masterpiece, and the idea was brutally shot down. Thus Argento was inspired to write and direct Opera (1987), which concerns a horror director's controversial staging of Verdi's Macbeth being plagued with murderous bad luck. Apparently the opera is considered to be as unlucky as the play, because Argento was warned against it. Sure enough, the filming of Opera turned out to be among the worst periods of the director's personal and professional life: the leading actress was an insufferable diva, he went through a particularly nasty break-up with former muse Daria Nicolodi, and then his father passed away. For years Argento could only see the resulting film as the culmination of these trying experiences, and it took a long time for him to acknowledge it as one of his best works.
It must have been bittersweet that when he finally got his chance to direct an opera, it would be the one so intimately related with his most painful memories. Thankfully time seems to have healed those wounds, because he approaches the material with great enthusiasm. The staging is as bloody and baroque as you'd expect of the maestro. Unfortunately, after a very strong first act, the production seems to lose its visual impact. I suspect that Argento wasn't given an ideal budget, and perhaps decided to focus it on the act with the most grotesque possibilities.
Some of the highlights: the naked witches dancing and writhing about, wearing weird make-up reminiscent of their counterparts in La Terza Madre (it's maybe too goofy for its own good, but at least he tried something new); the first act duet between Macbeth and Banquo, and their contrasting reactions to the witches' prophecies; an inspired staging of the murder of King Duncan, which recreates a famous scene from Deep Red; and the almost expressionistic battlefield set of the first act. Giuseppe Altomare is no Tito Gobbi, but he makes for a solid leading man. Dimitra Theodossiou steals the show as Lady Macbeth, confidently sneering as she hatches her schemes, putting on a phony smile as she plays hostess, and using her sexuality to manipulate Macbeth. Dario Di Vietri, who plays Macduff, is unfortunately so wooden that they could have used him to build the sets. Other than him, the cast is pretty solid.
While some might be disappointed that Argento's conception of the opera isn't nearly as outlandish as its equivalent in the film Opera, I respect the fact that Argento, as director, didn't put his ego before the opera itself. It's just unfortunate that the staging becomes less ambitious with each act. Nonetheless I'm intrigued by the possibilities that the stage affords Argento, and I think at the present time it might be a better fit for him than the cinema; anyone who has seen Dracula 3D will likely agree with me. The stage forces him to be more creative and resourceful, and doesn't allow him to lazily fall back on mediocre CGI. Thankfully he's already at work on a production of Lucia di Lammermoor, so the experience directing Macbeth must have been a positive one. Here's hoping he'll finally get to take a crack at Rigoletto one of these days. His concept for it admittedly sounds really misguided, but damned if I'm not interested to see how it would turn out.
Anyway, worth watching for hardcore Argento fans, provided you're willing to fork out $40 for the Blu-ray.
First a little back-story is necessary. During the 1980s Argento was given the chance to direct an opera, and he suggested a horror-themed production of Verdi's Rigoletto, with the Duke of Mantua depicted as a vampire. Given that Italian opera is one of that country's greatest sources of national pride, the opera community balked at a mere horror director tainting Verdi's masterpiece, and the idea was brutally shot down. Thus Argento was inspired to write and direct Opera (1987), which concerns a horror director's controversial staging of Verdi's Macbeth being plagued with murderous bad luck. Apparently the opera is considered to be as unlucky as the play, because Argento was warned against it. Sure enough, the filming of Opera turned out to be among the worst periods of the director's personal and professional life: the leading actress was an insufferable diva, he went through a particularly nasty break-up with former muse Daria Nicolodi, and then his father passed away. For years Argento could only see the resulting film as the culmination of these trying experiences, and it took a long time for him to acknowledge it as one of his best works.
It must have been bittersweet that when he finally got his chance to direct an opera, it would be the one so intimately related with his most painful memories. Thankfully time seems to have healed those wounds, because he approaches the material with great enthusiasm. The staging is as bloody and baroque as you'd expect of the maestro. Unfortunately, after a very strong first act, the production seems to lose its visual impact. I suspect that Argento wasn't given an ideal budget, and perhaps decided to focus it on the act with the most grotesque possibilities.
Some of the highlights: the naked witches dancing and writhing about, wearing weird make-up reminiscent of their counterparts in La Terza Madre (it's maybe too goofy for its own good, but at least he tried something new); the first act duet between Macbeth and Banquo, and their contrasting reactions to the witches' prophecies; an inspired staging of the murder of King Duncan, which recreates a famous scene from Deep Red; and the almost expressionistic battlefield set of the first act. Giuseppe Altomare is no Tito Gobbi, but he makes for a solid leading man. Dimitra Theodossiou steals the show as Lady Macbeth, confidently sneering as she hatches her schemes, putting on a phony smile as she plays hostess, and using her sexuality to manipulate Macbeth. Dario Di Vietri, who plays Macduff, is unfortunately so wooden that they could have used him to build the sets. Other than him, the cast is pretty solid.
While some might be disappointed that Argento's conception of the opera isn't nearly as outlandish as its equivalent in the film Opera, I respect the fact that Argento, as director, didn't put his ego before the opera itself. It's just unfortunate that the staging becomes less ambitious with each act. Nonetheless I'm intrigued by the possibilities that the stage affords Argento, and I think at the present time it might be a better fit for him than the cinema; anyone who has seen Dracula 3D will likely agree with me. The stage forces him to be more creative and resourceful, and doesn't allow him to lazily fall back on mediocre CGI. Thankfully he's already at work on a production of Lucia di Lammermoor, so the experience directing Macbeth must have been a positive one. Here's hoping he'll finally get to take a crack at Rigoletto one of these days. His concept for it admittedly sounds really misguided, but damned if I'm not interested to see how it would turn out.
Anyway, worth watching for hardcore Argento fans, provided you're willing to fork out $40 for the Blu-ray.
