In the eyes of many, the golden era for Dario Argento’s filmmaking spanned a little over a decade, between 1971 and 1982. A period that produced 1975’s Deep Red, 1977’s Suspiria, 1980’s Inferno, and 1982’s Tenebre, each was a stunning piece of art that proved Horror cinema could be as artistic as any other genre. Factors that make Dario Argento one of Horror’s most beloved creators, many would argue that his last true masterpiece arrived in 1987 with the release of Opera.
A film which employs Argento’s signature camerawork, extreme close-ups, and exceptional use of music, the story leading up to Opera is one worth telling. Apparently, in early 1985, Dario Argento was to make his debut as an Opera director with a production of Giuseppe Verdi’s three-act treatment, 1851’s Rigoletto. What would have been a great addition to Argento’s resume, unfortunately, the theater rejected his ideas, and thus it never came to be.
Perhaps something that could have been a sore spot for Argento, he harnessed his concepts into his own original script over the next two years, which would become Opera. Putting a lot into it all, Opera would also become Argento’s biggest film ever in terms of budget, leaving him with plenty of resources in attempting to achieve his vision. Taking this into consideration, despite various unexpected setbacks (including production and cast shifts), Opera historically is one of Argento’s most compelling films.
Featuring a cast of Cristina Marsillach (an accomplished Spanish actress), Ian Charleson (known for roles such as in 1982’s Gandhi), Urbano Barberini (who has appeared in other Argento films like 1985’s Demons), and Daria Nicolodi (Argento’s talented wife who co-wrote Suspiria and starred in many of his movies), you also had music from Goblin’s Claudio Simonetti, as well as Roxy Music’s Brian Eno.
A fantastic mix for Argento loyal fans, Opera’s story follows a mysterious murderer who takes a special interest in theater understudy Betty (Marsillach), forcing her to bear witness to the gruesome murders of other castmates for the production of Verdi’s Opera Macbeth. Relentlessly, this masked manic will stop at nothing, but it is learned that something far more nefarious is at play as a motive.
Flawlessly written by Dario Argento with Franco Ferrini (who he teamed with for films like 1985’s Phenomena and 1990’s Two Evil Eyes), there is something poetic about each scene in Opera and how they play out with complementary music and striking editing. Very much in the vein of other Argento Giallo-styled features, Opera excels with the usage of very dynamic camera angles that lead you to wonder how they were even accomplished.
Considering all of this, Opera became a commercial success in Italy; however, it also received considerable exposure elsewhere. In fact, it was to be released in the North American market by Orion Pictures, but this never came to fruition after the production company backed out. Then, in the years to follow, Opera finally received minor releases in other territories before arriving on home video in the USA in 1998 via Anchor Bay. It is difficult to believe that such a lapse in time occurred for broader release; nonetheless, Anchor Bay also released a limited-edition and standard-edition DVD in 2001, before Scorpion Releasing put it on Blu-ray in 2018. Just some of the options available to those who want to own the film, perhaps the most exciting news came in 2024 when Severin Films released Opera as a limited five-disc set featuring both 4K UHD Blu-ray and standard Blu-ray editions, including the original score on compact disc. Worth looking into it, if you missed that, in 2025, Severin Films opted to offer yet another stellar product in the form of a three-disc 4K UHD edition.
Released on January 28, 2025, through Severin Films, this latest release offers you Opera both in the US and director’s cut format on a 4K UHD disc, as well as a Blu-ray disk in 4K UHD. The third disc in the collection is also a Blu-ray, but this time with the Director’s Cut edition in 4K UHD in an alternative ratio of 1.85:1, as opposed to 2.35:1. What is the difference? Well, 2.35:1 is a significantly more expansive display, while 1.85:1 is more of a traditional widescreen format. Fundamentally, a matter of preference; each has its own qualities worth checking out.
Beyond these aspects, the 4K UHD transfer from the original camera negatives is simply stunning, with superb clarity that even the least trained eye can appreciate. If this were not enough, there is also a massive amount of special features, adding up to eight plus hours of interviews, commentaries, and much more.
All packed in a solidly built case with original theatrical art, next to the five-disc set from Severin Films from 2024, it does not get more complete than the 2025 three-disc set. That is why Cryptic Rock highly recommends this three-disc 4K UHD Edition of Opera, giving it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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