AMBIGUOUS CHARM. OPERA IN FILM (Dwuznaczny powab. Opera w filmie)

The relationship between film and cinema has a long history, and cannot be reduced to so called opera films. Opera might be present in film in two other ways. Firstly, opera is a rich source of music which can be adopted for the needs of cinema and used as illustration. Secondly, in a surprisingly large number of films there are episodes in which watching, listening to, presenting or commenting opera, or other activities associated with opera form an element of the portrayed world. The authoress concentrates on a selection of films of this type, and what these films tell us about opera and particularities of its reception by film audiences. Opera, being an element of high culture, can be a challenge to contemporary sensibilities. Film reproduces commonly adopted means of dealing with this problem.