Pavarotti Movie Review
Director Ron Howard tackles the distinguished life of opera singer Luciano Pavarotti in this documentary. To be very honest with you, I have zero knowledge about anything related to opera. I had heard of Pavarotti and I knew how important he was in the opera world, but I’ve never been to the opera and I don’t listen to operas in my spare time. To say I was a fish out of water going into this movie would be an understatement. However, I’m naturally curious and I can appreciate the talent and dedication that is necessary to reach the top of any field. So I decided to dedicate two hours of my life to learn what I could about Pavarotti and opera. I was pleasantly surprised.
Director Ron Howard introduces Luciano as a normal young man, singing with his father in a choir. His career trajectory seems inevitable, however Howard makes sure to highlight the immense amount of work that goes into becoming a tenor. Countless interviews with those from the opera world note how technically sound he was as a singer. We get to see amazing footage from some of Pavarotti’s earliest performances when he was playing at small theaters for meager audiences. As his career builds so does the pace of the movie. It is truly amazing to see how he transforms from a small boy born in the midst of WWII, into a global superstar.
I enjoyed getting to see the more personal side of Pavarotti. By all accounts he was a magnetic individual and he does indeed ooze personality even from the screen. His personal life was rife with affairs and questionable judgement. In that way I found him to be a bit of a cliché. The genius who dabbled in many relationships, despite being married, just because he could. I feel like that has become a familiar narrative. To Howard’s credit, he shows the affairs honestly and even interviews Adua, Pavarotti’s first wife to whom he was married for forty years.
Despite his unstable personal life, I found Pavarotti to be incredible likeable and compelling as a person. But for me, discovering him as an opera singer was the real win. The Three Tenors concert footage helped me to nail down exactly why I was so impressed by him. His voice is of course beautiful. But watching him sing next to Plácido Domingo and José Carreras helped me to gain a new perspective. While Domingo and Carreras have amazing voices and are undoubtedly mega talents in their own right, Pavarotti stood out to me because of his lack of effort.
When Domingo and Carreras sing, they look like they’re trying. Pavarotti on the other hand, just stands there and belts out note after note. Effortlessly. It doesn’t look like he’s trying at all. That’s what impressed me so much about him. He can hit these incredibly difficult notes and hold them for so long, all the while looking as casual as can be.
Even my untrained and frankly ignorant ears can appreciate how breathtaking his voice was. I was also able to recognize a few of the songs he sang which made me feel like I wasn’t totally useless. The movie is chock full of stars who worked with Pavarotti or knew him personally so even if you’re bored by the music (which is unlikely) you can try to spot all of the famous people who pop up here and there. Overall, this was a tiny taste of the opera world and its biggest star. Even if you don’t like opera at all, do yourself a favor and check this one out. Your ears, at least, will thank you.
Film or Movie: Movie
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like opera
2. You like Pavarotti or want to know more about him
3. You like documentaries about famous artists
