Although many may dislike this film and its direction, I found that I was really moved and excited by it. I can see how certain aspects of this film may not be to everybody's taste(for example the dodgy outside scenes and the black and white orchestra footage)but to be honest, what does it matter when you have a singer with as beautiful a voice as Angela Gheorghiu! Roberto Alagna's Cavaradossi was a bit wet and pathetic but that could just have been the part. However, Ruggero Raimondi was a truly frightening Scarpia and even when filmed in the recording studio you can see the fire and anger which, in my opinion, is a such a key part of Scarpia's personality. I thought the direction was simple but quite effective at times. I really disliked the outside footage because i felt it wasn't really necessary although it could be a device used to show the seedy side of the situation the characters are in. I found that the close-ups gave you the opportunity to see deep into the personalities of the characters in a way that you can't in an opera house due to the distance between stage and audience. To compare it with another, I have seen parts of Franco Zeffirelli's Tosca staged at ROH in the 60s starring Maria Callas and Tito Gobbi and i can say without doubt that although Callas may have been an exceptional performer, her voice is nothing compared with Angela Gheorghiu-so please, please watch it to have the opportunity to hear the most beautiful voice in the world!
Review of Tosca
