The debut feature film of leading opera director Kasper Holten (Director of Opera at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden), DON GIOVANNI (JUAN) retells Mozart's classical masterpiece as a story of the modern man's escape from himself and his demons.
Juan (Christopher Maltman) is a famous artist and notorious playboy, thanks to his ability to become just what any woman dreams of. He turns his own life into a megalomanic work of art, playing the game of seduction like no other, driven by a manic restlessness that pushes him forward through an endless stream of conquests, betrayals, sex and eventually murder, with death lurking as the only possible outcome.
Every scene and detail has been adapted to make full use of the visual vocabulary of modern cinema, following such unorthodox inspirational sources as The Bourne Trilogy and Traffic, while at the same time maintaining the exceptional live experience of opera, since the actors really sing on set.
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Reviews
"The well-chosen cast, led by Maltman's assured, sexy Juan, truly look and sound great."
GRAMOPHONE
"Kasper Holten takes Mozart’s opera to the edge… Maltman has an animal charm that mesmerises the camera, and he sings wonderfully…Elizabeth Futral’s Elvira is a poignant figure with real vocal class; Katija Dragojevic makes a seductive minx of Zerlina…Maria Bengtsson is a sassy Anna, playing her men off with cool, calculating sexuality…Holten’s film is darkly enjoyable romp – a thriller that explores some of the enduring themes of Mozart’s masterpiece through a boldly contemporary cinematic lens."
OPERA NOW
"Racy, glamorous, colloquial, gripping, full of risk…certain to entice anyone with a taste for bold adventure. Given his (Kasper Holten) deep knowledge and love of opera, you know that whatever he does you're in safe hands."
