“The Phantom of the Opera” was first a novel by Gaston LeRoux, and then a string of movies from the ridiculously campy to the widest divergence from original plot ever devised by screen writers. Andrew Lloyd Webber got his hands on it and turned it into one of the most beloved plays ever performed, and then Hollywood decided to try again to create a film out of the story, this time getting smart and sticking with the story and using the Webber model and music.
Christine Daae (Emmy Rossum) is a chorus girl at the Paris Opera House. She dances in the background, but what she really wants is to be a diva. It has been her dream her entire life, but the main leading lady, Carlotta (played to the hilt by Minnie Driver) won’t stand to have anyone else on her stage. When a backdrop falls and lands on Carlotta, she’s frightened and refuses to go back on stage, especially when rumors begin to circulate that the accident was the work of the Opera Ghost, a famed specter said to haunt the building. With Carlotta refusing to sing, this is Christine’s chance, and she steps into the role to take it over beautifully.
In the audience that night is Viscount Raoul deChagny (Patrick Wilson). They played together as children but haven’t seen each other in years. He’s enchanted with Christine’s voice and beauty, and can’t wait to get reacquainted. When he goes backstage to see her and tell her how wonderful she was, she confesses that she’s been tutored by a man she’s never seen, but who speaks to her through the mirror in the dressing room.
The man is the Opera Ghost, and is determined to place Christine on the stage at any costs. When Carlotta decides to come back to the stage, he causes even more “accidents” to happen to ensure that Christine’s place is secure. Jealous of the new love between Raoul and Christine, he takes her to his underground cavern, where she discovers his secret—he’s horribly disfigured.
This movie is hauntingly well-done. There is some violence as Raoul and the Phantom battle it out for Christine, a brief glimpse of a nude male rear end, and there is a lot of sexual tension, which explains the PG-13 rating. That said, I liked the movie a lot more than the stage play. You can see people’s facial expressions and you have more of an idea what they’re feeling. The movie also goes into some back story and explains why the Phantom (Gerard Butler) is the way he is. Emmy’s voice is sweet and pure, and we get the sense of the innocent young woman she portrays.
If you’re a romantic at heart, and—confess now, you know you are—you’ll enjoy this movie rendition of “The Phantom of the Opera.”
Related Blogs:
Andrew Lloyd Webber: Composer Extrordinare
The Phantom of the Opera–Gaston LeRoux