Rigoletto (1981): cast, story & where to watch
1981 · Film
Released in 1981, Rigoletto is a notable film directed by Brian Large, running about 125 minutes. “Yes, the King arrives, eventually!” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. The opera's dramatic structure frames and enhances the characters. Scenes of magnificence regularly alternate with scenes of darkness and squalor. From sumptuous interiors, we move to a dark street, a lonely inn. The secondary figures are astutely counterpoised: the plotting courtiers against the plotting Sparafucile and Maddalena (also ambiguously tender-hearted). When Rigoletto says "Pari siamo", he could be expressing the motto of the whole work: the beautiful and the ugly can be equally good, equally evil.
Who’s in it. Rigoletto stars Louis Quilico as Rigoletto, Luciano Pavarotti as Il Duca di Mantua, Christiane Eda-Pierre as Gilda and Ara Berberian as Sparafucile, among others.
Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Rigoletto page.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Rigoletto (1981)?
- In US, Rigoletto is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Who stars in Rigoletto?
- Rigoletto stars Louis Quilico, Luciano Pavarotti, Christiane Eda-Pierre, Ara Berberian and Isola Jones.
- When was Rigoletto released?
- Rigoletto was released in 1981, with a runtime of about 125 minutes.