Verdi: Rigoletto (1982): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1982, Verdi: Rigoletto is a drama and music film directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, running about 128 minutes.

What it’s about. Rigoletto is a jester in the court of the Duke of Mantua. He has a hunch-back and he's rather unattractive, but he's good at his job of humiliating the courtiers for the amusement of the Duke. The courtiers, of course, are not amused. The Duke is a ladies man who feels his life would be meaningless if he couldn't chase every skirt he sees. In fact, we learn as the opera begins that he's recently been noticing a young lady every Sunday on her way to church, and he's vowed to have his way with her. What nobody realizes is that the girl is the jester's beloved daughter, Gilda, and that Gilda has seen the Duke every Sunday and is smitten with him. Suddenly Count Monterone appears at court, furious that the Duke has seduced his daughter. Rigoletto ridicules Monterone, the Duke laughs, and Monterone casts an awful curse on both of them. Later, the courtiers discover that Rigoletto is secretly living with Gilda...

Who’s in it. Verdi: Rigoletto stars Ingvar Wixell as Rigoletto, Luciano Pavarotti as Il Duca di Mantova, Edita Gruberova as Gilda and Ferruccio Furlanetto as Sparafucile, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.9/10, Verdi: Rigoletto has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Verdi: Rigoletto page.

If you liked it. Fans of Verdi: Rigoletto tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.