AllMovie

A rare form, the film-opera is a film version of a theatrical opera story. In much the same way the popular plays of Shakespeare, Ibsen, and Chekhov were adapted for the screen, so too were the classics of the world of opera, complete with singing tenors, sopranos, and falsettos telling the story through song. Many of the famous singers of the opera, such as Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, have re-created their performances before the camera to preserve such works as Otello and Georges Bizet's Carmen. The English director Michael Powell also adapted Tales Of Hoffman for the screen, a blend of opera, ballet, and cinematic effects.