I have never been much of an opera fan, but it is hard to resist the appeal of this film. The cast is top rate and the production values are of equal quality. The sets and costumes are done with obvious care and add much to the overall effect. And who could not be in thrall to such beautiful women with such beautiful voices?
If the somewhat inane story of accidental eaves-droppings, deceptions, jealousies, characters hiding under beds and in closets, mistaken identities, and so forth gets to be a bit much, you can always close your eyes and just listen to the music--you never have to wait long for an outstanding aria or duet. And, given that this is advertised as a comic opera, I suppose you can't complain too much about its situation comedy tendencies. There *is* some serious commentary about the relationships between classes, e.g. one theme is whether Count Almaviva has the right to sleep with his servant Susanna on her wedding day to Figaro.
As has been mentioned, the lip-syncing is sometimes off putting, particularly when the characters remain mute while the vocal soundtrack continues, representing their thinking. And I found the extreme close-ups a bit distracting.
At three hours and twenty minutes this requires some stamina to watch in one sitting. It makes you appreciate the stamina required of performers who do this live.
The "Countess, forgive me" scene at the end has to be one of the most elegantly staged scenes of pure beauty ever recorded on film.
