Released 19887
Stars Theresa Russell, Marion Peterson, Valérie Allain, Buck Henry, Beverly D'Angelo, Anita Morris, Elizabeth Hurley, Bridget Fonda, John Hurt
Directed by Nicolas Roeg, Charles Sturridge, Jean-Luc Godard, Julien Temple, Bruce Beresford, Robert Altman, Franc Roddam, Ken Russell, Derek Jarman, Bill Bryden

"Aria" could be described, somewhat disrespectfully perhaps, as an operatic hit parade. The film is a labor of love by a British producer named Don Boyd, who convinced 10 different directors to interpret 10 famous arias in any style they chose. The result is uneven, of course, but stimulating and sometimes outrageous, as such diverse talents as Robert Altman, Ken Russell and Jean-Luc Godard go to work.

None of the directors chose to just go ahead and film their aria in a straightforward traditional way. Bill Bryden comes closest, with a wraparound segment starring John Hurt as a has-been virtuoso remembering his happier days. His story continues between each of the other arias, and finally he stands alone on stage and sings the famous aria from "Il Pagliacci," an opera about a man who found he could smile through his sadness. (Hurt did not learn to sing for the movie; he mimes Caruso, and indeed all of the segments feature prerecorded performances.)

At the end of "Aria" one must decide, I suppose, what it all means. I am not sure that any indispensable statement about opera has been made here, and purists will no doubt recoil by the irreverence of some of the images. But the film is fun almost as a satire of itself, as a project in which the tension between the directors and their material allows them to poke a little fun at their own styles and obsessions. You could almost call "Aria" the first MTV version of opera.

By Roger Ebert

You almost have to love opera (you certainly need to understand it) to enjoy this film. If you're not familiar with the 10 arias that are interpreted here, none of it will make sense. Frankly, the only thing I was able to appreciate was the nudity. For me, "Aria" was notable for one thing--Bridget Fonda's acting debut (in which she is completely nude). Bill Alward