Aria [1987]

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1987
Running Times: 90 mins
Format: colour     35mm
Ratio:
Sound: Dolby

10 part anthology

SHARED CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Lightyear Entertainment L.P. / R.V.P. Productions / RCA Video / Virgin Vision
Producer: Don Boyd
Co-Producer: Al Clark
Associate Producer: Kevan Pegley
Production Coordinator: Callie Khouri

PHOTOGRAPHY
Directors of Photography: Gabriel Beristain, Christopher Hughes
Gaffer: Paul Borg
Stills: Angus McBean, Annie Liebovitz, Bob Carlos Clarke, David Bailey, Greg Gorman, John Swannell, Jonathan Lennard, Koo Stark, Snowdon, Terry O'Neill

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Closing Montage Editor: Laurence Starkman

MUSIC
Music: Gustave Charpentier; Ruggero Leoncavallo; Giuseppe Verdi; Richard Wagner; Giacomo Puccini [from Turandot]

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Penny Shawyer
Costume Designers: Alison Chitty, Jane Hamilton, Sandy Powell, Elisabetta Rogiani

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designers: Scott Bushnell, Paul Dufficey, John Hay, Christopher Hobbs, Diana Johnstone, Andrew McAlpine, Piers Plowden

MISCELLANEOUS
Choreographer: Grover Dale
Chargehand: Stewart Hadley

CASTING
Casting: Ellen Chenoweth, Susie Figgis

UN BALLO IN MASCHERA

SCRIPT
Script: Nicolas Roeg

DIRECTION
Director: Nicolas Roeg

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Harvey Harrison

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Tony Lawson

CAST
Theresa Russell [King Zog]
Stephanie Lane [Baroness]
Roy Hyatt [chauffeur]
Sevilla Delofski [maid]
Ruth Halliday [companion]
Arthur Cox [Major]
Dennis Holmes [Colonel]
Paul Brightwell, Frank Baker, Chris Hunter [assassins]
Paul Collard [valet]
George Ellis Jones [chauffeur]
Danny Fitzgerald [Mercedes man]
Johnny Doyle [blind balloon man]
David Ross [doorman]
Lucy Olivier [woman in background]
Gordon Winter [man in background]
Derek Farmer [motorbike man]
Michelle Read [nanny]
Maximillian Roeg [child]

LA VIRGINE DEGLI ANGELI

SCRIPT
Script: Charles Sturridge

DIRECTION
Director: Charles Sturridge

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Gale Tattersall

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Matthew Longfellow

CAST
Nicola Swain [Marie]
Jackson Kyle [Travis]
Marianne McLoughlin [Kate]

ARMIDE

DIRECTION
Director: Jean-Luc Godard

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Caroline Champetier

MUSIC
Music: Jean-Baptiste Lully

CAST
Marion Peterson, Valérie Allain [les jeunes filles]
Jacques Neuville, Luke Corre, Christiam Cauchon, Philippe Pellant, Patrice Linguet, Lionel Sorin, Jean Coffinet, Alexandre Des Granges, Gérard Vives, Frederick Brosse, Pascal Bermont, Jean Luc Corre, Bernard Gaudray, Dominique Mano, Patrice Tridian [bodybuilders]

RIGOLETTO

SCRIPT
Script: Julien Temple

DIRECTION
Director: Julien Temple

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Oliver Stapleton

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Neil Abrahamson

CAST
Buck Henry [Preston]
Beverly D'Angelo [Gilda]
Garry Kasper [Jake]
Anita Morris [Phoebe]
John Hostetter [Elvis impersonator]
Albie Selznick [bell boy]
Stan Mazin, Dominic Salinero, Jeff Calhoun [dancers]

DIE TOTE STADT

SCRIPT
Script: Bruce Beresford

DIRECTION
Director: Bruce Beresford

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Dante Spinotti

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Marie-Thérèse Boiché

MUSIC
Music: Erich Wolfgang Korngold [from Die tote Stadt: Glück das mir verblieb]

CAST
Elizabeth Hurley [Marietta]
Peter Birch [Paul]

LIEBESTOD

SCRIPT
Script: Franc Roddam

DIRECTION
Director: Franc Roddam

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Frederick Elmes

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Rick Elgood

CAST
Bridget Fonda, James Mathers [lovers]
Angie Tetamontie, Esther Buchanan, Lorraine Cote, Renee Korn [Las Vegas ladies]
Bertha Weiss [lady with glove]
Diane Thorne [bride]
Howie Maurer [groom]
Derick Coleman, Quentin Brown [Indian boys]

NESSUN DORMA

SCRIPT
Script: Ken Russell

DIRECTION
Director: Ken Russell

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Michael Bradsell

CAST
Linzi Drew [girl]
Andreas Wisniewski
Kwabena Manso
Bella Enahoro
Bunty Mathias
Angela Walker

DEPUIS LE JOUR

SCRIPT
Script: Derek Jarman

DIRECTION
Director: Derek Jarman

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Mike Southon
Lighting Equipment: Arri Lighting Rental

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editors: Peter Cartwright, Angus Cook

CAST
Amy Johnson [old lady]
Tilda Swinton [young girl]
Spencer Leigh [young man]

I PAGLIACCI

SCRIPT
Script: Don Boyd, Bill Bryden

DIRECTION
Director: Bill Bryden

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Gabriel Beristain

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Marie-Thérèse Boiché

CAST
John Hurt [the actor]
Sophie Ward [the young girl]

LES BORÉADES

SCRIPT
Script: Robert Altman

DIRECTION
Director: Robert Altman

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Pierre Mignot

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Jennifer Augé

MUSIC
Music: Jean-Philippe Rameau

CAST
Bernie Bonvoisin [uncredited]
Cris Campion [uncredited]
Anne Canovas [uncredited]
Sandrine Dumas [uncredited]
Jody Guelb [uncredited]
Julie Hagerty [uncredited]
Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu [uncredited]
Geneviève Page [uncredited]
Delphine Rich [uncredited]
Louis-Marie Taillefer [uncredited]

Ten different operatic arias are brought to life by ten different directors.

On paper, this probably looked like a fabulous idea - get an eclectic bunch of ten of the most idiosyncratic directors you can find, ask them to choose their favourite aria, then commission them to set that aria to film. Sadly, like so many ideas that look good on paper, the execution leaves a little to be desired. At times, Aria approaches sheer magical brilliance, though all too often it plumbs the depths of abject mediocrity. It's certainly very strange and a laudable attempt to do something a little different, and some sequences work better than others - but overall, it never really quite gels like it should.

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Miramax Films
Video Distributor: Academy
DVD Distributor: Image Entertainment [ID 4701 LYDVD]

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: R

1987
Cannes Film Festival, France
Golden Palm [Robert Altman, Bruce Beresford, Bill Bryden, Jean-Luc Godard, Derek Jarman, Franc Roddam, Nicolas Roeg, Ken Russell, Charles Sturridge, Julien Temple] - nominated

1988
July
Day Unknown: USA - theatrical release

1999
July
6: USA - DVD release [Image Entertainment [ID 4701 LYDVD]]

Un sketch - French title

MAGAZINES

Première June 1987 p.17 [France]
review [by Jean-Philippe Guerand]

NEWSPAPERS

Today 10 November 1986 p.13 [UK]
review

BOOKS

X-Rated Videotape Guide Volume VI p.72
credits, review

anthologies, arias, opera

Last Updated: 6 March, 2007