The Film Movement March 6, 2018 DVD release of the 2017 documentary "The Paris Opera" joins the (reviewed) recent Movement release "Conduct! Every Move Counts" in showing the potential for reality TV. "Conduct!" documents a competition among the folks who wave a baton in front of an orchestra; "Opera" shows a season-in-the-life of Stephane Lissner, who is the executive director of the National Opera of Paris.
The only complaint regarding "Opera" is the incredibly cinematography and the grandness of the setting make a lack of a Blu-ray release irksome.
The following YouTube clip of the official U.S. trailer for "Opera" offers a good look at the theme of the film and includes several highlights.
The primary duty of Lissner is to oversee every aspect of staging massive opera and ballet productions at the two grand and historic venues that his employer operates. "Opera" director John-Stephane Bron fully grabs our attention early on in documenting the logistical challenges related to having a bull named Easy Rider being a star in the season-opening opera "Moses and Aaron."
The two-legged competition of Easy Rider for most entertaining participant is 21 year-old Russian bass baritone Mikhail Timoshenko. He shines right from the moment that we hear him react over the telephone to the news that he is selected to sing with the Opera. Subsequent entertainment comes as this adorable German-speaking guy strives to also learn French.
The seeming (sometimes realized) constant threat of a strike is a primary obstacle to the efforts of Lissner to ensure that the show goes on. This also illustrates his tough balancing act regarding supporting his artists and administrative staff and being fiscally responsible.
Finances also play a role in a meeting in which Lissner and his team discuss ticket prices; the director validly notes that a relatively high price impacts a couple to the point that they both cannot afford to attend a performance and have a negative view of the Opera because it is priced beyond their means.
This reflects a similar dilemma of theater-goers in the United States; a $200 tickets for even a touring company of a Broadway show puts a minimum price of $400 for two people to sit in cramped seats between two large people for a two-hour show that they cannot see or hear very well. Parking and dinner can easily add $100 to the cost of the evening; the same $500 can buy a weekend at a B&B, a good quality 4K TV on sale, or many other things that provide more than an evening worth of entertainment.
The bottom line regarding this is that arts are wonderful and regularly attending the theater is a great fantasy for many. The sad truth is that many performances across the world are priced out of the range of average folks and are a luxury that stretches the budgets of those of us able to afford some "wants."
A more direct threat to the show going on comes in the form of an opera singer insisting a few days before an opening that he is not up to going on. Some of the drama relates to indications that this announcement may reflect something other than a fear of damaging his voice.
This requires that Lissner decide whether to pressure his star to sing, to cancel the performance, or to call in a last-minute replacement to perform with minimal rehearsal. The funny thing is that this is almost literally is a case of it being over if the fat lady does not sing.
The drama described above and the other realistically tense moments in the film fully illustrates how documentaries such as "Opera" provide high-quality alternatives to the reality shows that pollute the airwaves. The bigger picture is that "Opera" perfectly hits the high note in terms of the genre ideal of equally entertaining and educating.
The DVD extras include an interview with Bron.
Movement further maintains its tradition of excellence regarding the bonus short film that it always includes with the featured release of the month. "Les Indes Galantes" is a six-minute look at a urban dance battle staging of the titular opera-ballet on the Bastille-Opera stage of the Opera.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Opera" is strongly encouraged either to email me or to connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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