A charming and sentimental documentary surprisingly directed by Ron Howard who takes a look at the voice, the man, the drama and the legend that was Luciano Pavarotti.
The story opens in Brazil, 1995, from Buenos Aires to a jungle where Pavarotti insists he wants to perform, because after all, Caruso performed there 100 years ago. And there he is, in the jungle, on a stage, to an audience of about two people. It’s a breathtaking way to flash forward a film opening.
Born in Modena, Italy, this apparently always happy and joyous man, felt his voice gave him purpose, with the irony of burden. When asked how he’d like to be remembered, he wanted to be known “as the man who introduced people to opera.” But he also believed he was brave despite being constantly criticized. It was his father – the local baker and town tenor – who trained him, but his mother, who recognized a warmth in her heart whenever he sang. She knew he was special. Not different. But special.
Marrying his wife, and fathering three daughters in four years, he debuted in 1961 in La Boheme and the rest was history. But his first theatre performance was London’s Convent Gardens, Royal Opera House, in 1963.
In 1967 Placido Domingo debuted having heard of Pavarotti. And so the tale of the ‘King of High C’s’ continued, his tumultuous career. We learn some ‘Opera 101’ that the voice of a tenor is not natural, but high ‘C’ is extraordinary claimed some of the world’s most famous Sopranos and Pavarotti’s wife, Nicoletta Mantovani. He made the ears of the audience ring, by hitting a note at the top when performed correctly through the diaphragm. We will forever remember his most arguably most famous performance, Nessun Dorma, which makes our spines chill and our hearts soar.
RIP Signore Pavarotti. And on a sidenote: RIP Paris Cinema of NYC. Apparently they are shutting. After years of beautiful, selective and independent films that often went onto Oscars, it’s ironic they’d end on the note of Pavarotti. I guess it’s not over until the fat lady – er, fat man – sings.