Movie spotlight
The Merry Widow
Lotfi Mansouri's spectacular last production as General Director of The San Francisco Opera with Yvonne Kenny making her debut in the title role, new dialogue specially commissioned from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Wendy Wasserstein and an original ballet to set the scene ‘Chez Maxime’ bringing fresh insight into Lehár's classic operetta. This production also features another world premiere, Njegus's song, ‘Quite Parisian’.
Insights
Plot Summary
In the fictional Balkan country of Marsovia, the wealthy and beautiful widow Hanna Glawari is set to inherit a vast fortune. The King, fearing that she will marry a foreigner and take her riches out of the country, tasks his ambassador, Count Danilo Danilovich, with wooing her. Danilo, however, finds himself genuinely falling for Hanna, creating a potential conflict between duty and desire.
Critical Reception
The 2001 adaptation of 'The Merry Widow' received mixed reviews, with many critics praising its visual opulence and the performances of its leads, particularly Greta Scacchi. However, some found the film to be overly extravagant without sufficient substance, and the adaptation of the classic operetta for a modern film audience was not universally embraced. Audience reception was similarly divided, appreciating the lavish spectacle but sometimes finding the plot and musical numbers less engaging than expected.
What Reviewers Say
Praised for its stunning costumes and set designs.
Greta Scacchi's performance as Hanna Glawari was a highlight for many.
Some critics felt the film lacked the charm and wit of earlier adaptations.
Google audience: Information on specific Google user reviews for this film is not readily available.
Fun Fact
The film is a lavish film adaptation of Franz Lehár's 1905 operetta of the same name, but it diverges significantly from the original plot and musical score, featuring a largely new score by Michael Nyman and a more contemporary sensibility.
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