Aria (1987)

This has been a break where I can catch up with some old dvds sitting on the shelf. I watched Aria today after returning from a trip to the Gold Coast. A stunning collection of short films by to directors, the 1987 film has a mixed viewing result with some pieces working well and holding up and others where you are left wondering what the hell were they thinking? I've never been a huge fan of opera due to the elitist nature of the artform and the fact that no opera company in the world is profitable - all of it heavily subsidised. Nevertheless, I do want to see the artform survive due to the majesty and splendour of the works. 



The film boasts a number of firsts with  the first Elizabeth Hurley nude scene where she's virtually unrecognizable and the debut of a young Bridget Fonda (also nude) in the Las Vegas sequence. It also has the formidable acting talents of John Hurt, Tilda Swinton and Buck Henry on display. Some lovely musical masterpieces throughout, from the well known to lesser known pieces - Verdi, Wagner, Vivaldi. 


There's a legendary story that Orson Welles agreed to direct one segment and asked for a contract to be sent to him in Los Angeles. Welles died before signing the contract, sending the details to an address which turned out to be that of the funeral parlor in which he was laid out.  This could well have been Orson Welles' final joke. Although uneven and extreme in its representations (Ken Russell where are you now?), Aria is worth seeing and can currently be picked up at a reduced price in some stores. If you're not an opera lover and a student of film, its still well worth a look to see the 10 minute constructs of some of the great directors:

• Robert Altman (segment "Les Boréades")
• Bruce Beresford (segment "Die tote Stadt")
• Bill Bryden (segment "I pagliacci")
• Jean-Luc Godard (segment "Armide")
• Derek Jarman (segment "Depuis le jour")
• Franc Roddam (segment "Liebestod")
• Nicolas Roeg (segment "Un ballo in maschera")
• Ken Russell (segment "Nessun dorma")
• Charles Sturridge (segment "La virgine degli angeli")
• Julien Temple (segment "Rigoletto")