Having loved opera for goodness knows how long, I was recommended this opera film of Rimsky Korsakov's Tsar's Bride and I was instantly compelled. The lip-sync is rather obvious at times but everything else is so good. The opera itself is compelling stuff, whether it is going to be one of my favourite operas or my definition of a Russian masterwork(like Boris Godunov or Eugene Onegin) I am not sure, but one thing's for sure is that it is not an opera I am going to forget about. What is so brilliant about this film is many things. Visually it is just gorgeous, the black and white is really lavish, some of the best I've seen for any opera actually, and the costumes and locations are truly spectacular. The cinematography is beautiful as well, even if some of the close-ups add to the obviousness of the lip-sync problem. Musically and dramatically the film is just as enthralling. You can really tell by their sound how committed the orchestral playing and chorus singing are, a lot of it is beautiful or hair-raising. Yevgeni Svetlanov's conducting is spot-on as well. The drama is just what the story promises, all very passionate and treacherous, while the singing is brilliant without a single weak link and the acting every bit as convincing with the Grigori of Otar Koberidze standing out. Overall, highly recommended. 9/10 Bethany Cox
