• click here to return to the homepage •
| YOU ARE HERE : Home > Categories > Movies > Documentaries > Pavarotti | |
| ProdID: 8295 - PavarottiTopic:Opera | Product Score: 9.5 |
|
The award-winning film-making team behind the hit documentary The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years turns to another musical phenomenon with PAVAROTTI, an in-depth, no holds barred look at the life, career and lasting legacy of the musical icon. Dubbed "The People's Tenor," Pavarotti was the rare combination of personality, genius and celebrity and he used his prodigious gifts to spread the gospel of opera as entertainment - and something to be enjoyed by all music lovers. Through the sheer force of his talent, Pavarotti commanded the great stages of the world, and captured the hearts of audiences everywhere. Featuring rare interviews with his family and colleagues, never-before-seen footage, and state of the art Dolby Atmos sound, this look at a remarkable man and musical giant is directed by Academy Award winner Ron Howard. |
|||||||
|
I can go ahead and say that I totally understand how promoter Harvey Goldsmith initially felt about Pavarotti. As someone brought up on Rock and Roll, with a bit of Pop thrown in here and there, it's safe to say that Opera has never been on my list of genres to keep up with. But I have heard of Pavarotti, and I know he is a famous Opera Singer; that is the extent of my background knowledge before seeing this Ron Howard-directed documentary. I'll tell you now that Howard has done an exceptional job at capturing the jovial and charismatic nature of Luciano Pavarotti. Using an immense wealth of footage from a variety of sources, with different aspect ratios, resolution, and general formats, Pavarotti is absolutely oozing with positive energy and puts forward an astounding collection of his infectious smiles. Despite the various levels of visual quality, the audio performances are top notch. Even without video footage, Howard allows the audience to experience the various milestones in Pavarotti's career with a series of simple photo slideshows with the audio overlayed. Even with a solid preference for Rock music, as a member of the audience, you can hear and feel how Pavarotti's style as a tenor develops over time. The strength of his voice is breathtaking, and the heights and lengths that he can reach are more than impressive. His performances create a shiver down the spine, and even though the words he sings are not in English, having subtitles still adds to the impact of his vocal display, without cheapening it. From early theatrical operas to recitals, from small rural towns to large arena shows, from bringing awareness of the Opera genre to raising money for charities, Pavarotti tries to include all of the significant points of his 71-year life, backed up by interviews with the surviving family, friends, and family. It isn't all smiles and happiness though. While you aren't going to find a lifestyle of excessive drug and alcohol consumption (because that is not the man that Pavarotti was), the documentary touches on his battles with loneliness, his obsessive nature, and conflict in the family. Pavarotti is pieced together with a really strong cohesive narrative and shows all sides of his personality, as we follow his rise to celebrity-dom and his search for purpose. The accuracy of the documentary does mean the pacing can feel a bit slow in the final act, after successfully building up to the debut Three Tenors performance for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Pavarotti's own lack of direction is felt by the audience and it begins to plateau before the eventual decline in its conclusion. It is so easy to get swept up in the aura of this man. Luciano Pavarotti had the smile and curious, playful eyes that made every person feel warm and welcome. An aspect of his personality that Ron Howard has managed to bring through the screen, creating a strong emotional connection between the audience and the late Pavarotti. Pavarotti is a fascinating piece that transcends genre. Wholesome and humble, this is a light-hearted documentary of a man with a voice of gold, that believed in and trusted everyone. |
| User Comments |
| Printed at 01:49:09am on Wednesday 16th July 2025 |
