Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Movie Review by Maggie
“In sleep he sang to me. In dreams he came,
That voice which calls to me and speaks my name,
And do I dream again for now I find
The Phantom of the Opera is there inside my mind”
So sings Christine, the young heroine of “The Phantom of the Opera.” Going into this review, I must admit I had some reservations and a decided bias before the first trailer of this movie was ever released. I had seen two touring Broadway productions of the show already. I also had listened to the original London Cast recording enough times to know every nuance of Christine and the Phantom’s lines, every inflection they used to convey their emotions. In my mind, Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford WERE Christine and Phantom, the roles they originated on the London stage. Needless to say that while I adore the musical, anyone else in each pivotal role was going to be a tough sell.
That said one of my closest friends and I rushed down to the theatre, opening day to see how our favorite musical played out on the big screen. Needless to say, we loved it, much as anyone would love to see a beloved family member getting some time in the spotlight, no matter the quality. That said, I was delightfully surprised at how good and truly faithful to the stage production they managed to be while adding some distinctive elements for the movie production. I should also mention that my other closest friend went to see it again with me a week later. She is not an Andrew Lloyd Webber fan, yet was impressed enough with the movie to want the soundtrack afterwards. So perhaps this is not purely my bias giving credence to the efforts to bring Webber’s grandest musical to the big screen.
Webber’s musical is a fairly faithful adaptation of the book, “Phantom of the Opera” by Gaston Leroux. For those not familiar with the story from its many incarnations, some more faithful to the book than others, here are the basics. The Paris Opera house is haunted by a mysterious figure, the Phantom. He is a horribly disfigured genius and lives in the hidden depths of the theatre. He blackmails and terrorizes the theatre managers as well as the cast, both to maintain his life, and in pursuit of his dream. He is infatuated with a young orphan who dances in ballet troupe, a chorus girl, Christine Dias. She has been his protégé for years, learning to sing beautifully from the mysterious figure she never sees, her ‘Angel of Music’ to her mind. The Phantom will do anything to see Christine shine as the star of the Opera house. He loves her in his own way, some would say he is obsessed with her and there are definite hints of that given along the way. Unfortunately for the Phantom, the opera house has a new patron, a young wealthy viscount named Raoul. He’s a childhood friend of Christine’s who remembers her quite fondly and the attraction is returned. So, you have a genius, who may or may not have crossed the line to insanity, obsessed with a young girl who is falling in love with a wealthy Viscount who adores her. What could go wrong? Did I mention this is a rather dark romance?
The planning for this movie started several years ago but the logistics of getting all the pieces into place never came together until now. The film was directed by Joel Schumacher. Webber says he decided he wanted Schumacher to direct Phantom after seeing his use of music in another film he directed, The Lost Boys (1987). Schumacher manages to stay faithful to Webber’s vision while giving the story a wider canvas to play on. One of the major changes to film was the addition of scenes from the early 1900s (many years after the main part of the story) when the survivors come back to the theatre to bid on bits of memorabilia being auctioned off. He nicely sets these scenes apart from the main story by putting them in black and white. Thus you have the older survivors in the beginning, looking faded in the two toned print contrasted against the vivid spectacle of colors when we go back to see the original events. Never fear, stage fans; Schumacher has kept the auctioneer’s dramatic opening, “Lot 666 Ladies and Gentleman a crystal chandelier. Some of you may recall the strange affairs of the Phantom of the Opera, a mystery never fully explained…” He manages to make it new and exciting all over again.
I honestly didn’t think anyone but Sarah Brightman could do justice to Christine. I’m thrilled to say Emmy Rossum more than proved me wrong. It’s hard to believe she was barely seventeen when they began shooting this film. She has the fresh innocence of Christine, partly due to her age, but still manages to carry off the grace of a very demanding role. Her voice is incredible. I read in a few interviews that she trained as a child at the Met. I could definitely believe it with the range and control she shows in her presentation of the music. She doesn’t have the annoying vibrato of some sopranos and manages to put real feeling into what she’s singing. I think this young lady will go far.
Gerard Butler is less stellar as the Phantom. I realize that Crawford was too old by the time they finally filmed this but I missed the passion he put into this music. Butler is visually appealing. He seems to be a genuinely good actor and carries the dangerous sex appeal aspect of the Phantom very well. However, his voice, perhaps because of lack of training, is not strong enough for this role. A good friend pointed out that they may have chosen a weaker singer to make the songs sound grittier and show the difference in Christine being the “purer” voice. My major complaint was that he could not act and sing at the same time. It appeared he was so focused on getting the notes right; that he didn’t give a thought to the meaning of what he was singing. As my trainer at Curves said, “He ruined the best line. ‘Go. Go now and leave me!’” He was decent as Phantom, just not as wonderful as I thought Phantom deserved to be.
Minnie Driver was inspired as Carlotta. They had another woman sing the part, but Minnie has the characterization of a Prima Donna nailed to a Tee. Driver does not have a soprano voice so they had to dub her, but she does have a beautiful voice in her own right. She sings the only original tune written specifically by Webber for the movie in the closing credits, “Learn to Be Lonely.” She adds some of the best comic moments to the film and steals every scene she’s in.
Patrick Wilson does a fine job as Raoul. This role has never been my favorite in the production, as Raoul has always seemed rather one dimensional in comparison to the Phantom. He is a bit stronger here. It is definitely clear that Wilson has the background in musical theatre that Butler lacks. I don’t think he would have been strong enough to carry the role of the Phantom though so Raoul was a good casting choice for him.
The rest of the ensemble provides fine support for this film, rounding out the cast of players. Miranda Richardson in particular is effective as Madame Giry, giving us hints of what lies beneath.
The costumes are spectacular for the most part though I was a bit disappointed they removed the vivid colorful costumes from the Masquerade number. The editing is superb, leaving you sitting on the edge of your seat. In the film they were able to show a bit of what is difficult to visual onstage, the layout of the Opera House. It is said that Leroux was inspired to write the story after a visit to the Paris Opera house. Apparently, the theatre is built over an underground lake and there is an elaborate maze of catacombs below the theatre as well as stage floors than can be raised or lowered depending on the production and the water level of the lake below. I could only image the grand scale of such an imposing place, but Schumacher brings it to life, making the theatre a character itself in the story. It is quite effective.
Overall I found Phantom to be visually and musically entertaining. It cannot compare to the grandeur of seeing the actual stage production, but as a film is well worth the price of admission. Schumacher did his homework to remain true to the story, while adding enough surprises to keep even the most seasoned Phantom fan interested in the plotline. I would give this production 3 ½ out of 4 stars. Phantom is rated PG-13 for some adult situations and violence. It runs about two hours and twenty-three minutes.
Unfortunately, Phantom has left the theatre…the movie theatre that is, but I understand it will be released on DVD May Third. In the mean time, I think I will have to be content to listen to the soundtrack. Perhaps it’s time to dust off “Lost Boys.” Happy viewing!