Idomeneo

This film is not an opera-film in the usual sense of the word. Michael Kreishl made a film based on Mozart 's famous opera, but instead of creating a filmversion, with actors who don't sing themselves, dubbed by professional singers and with filmsets instead of opera-sets, he made a poetic and highly evocative visual composition inspired by the opera. Following the mainlines of the plot of ldomeneo, Kreishl chose a number of crucial scenes from the original and had his actors evoke the spirit of the piece rtaher than the actual events. Sometimes, this treatment demands a lot from the spectators, who should more or less know the opera before seeing this film, but on the other hand, it is an original and creative way to deal with film and opera. Kreishl allows the spectators to be. enchanted by Mozart 's beautiful music and contrasts this beauty to the actual reality of the events, by making his actors look like very normal, everyday characters. It takes some time before you enter Kreishl's treatment, but once you've got the idea, ldomeneo will surely be an interesting experience.