All this week, I'll review my top five favorite films and explain how each came to be on the list. I may, at some future point, move to the top ten, but for now these will suffice. To recap;
#4
Phantom of the Opera (2004)
One of the stories that has been around for many ages, and
told countless times, is the one of the mysterious teacher who lives in the
shadows of the Paris Opera house, and helping a young woman discover her
natural talents, while at the same time taking out anyone who would dare to
stand in her way. Based on the “novel” by Gaston Leroux, the Phantom of the
Opera is multiple stories in one. It is a forbidden love story, an action
flick, a horror movie, and, as in the case of the Andrew Lloyd Webber film, a musical.
There have been many incarnations of Phantom over the
years. Lon Chaney, the master of the movie monster, famously portrayed the
villain in an iconic performance in the 1925 silent film that seems to more or
less, have defined his career. Another great performance was in the 1943
version where the Phantom was played by the legendary Claude Rains (who also
played the conflicted, and corrupt, Senator Joseph Paine in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington). Even
Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund, donned the mask for a gritty and bloody
horror take back in 1989. But the film I place on this list is the one released
in 2004 with much anticipation, and yet not much acclaim.
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| From L to R: Chaney, Rains, Englund, and Butler |
Andrew Lloyd Webber first developed his vision for Phantom
of the Opera back in the 1980’s and it went on to be one of the most
successful, and longest running shows in the history of the stage. The music of
the show became iconic of the show itself, and as a result, today many of the
earlier versions are compared to this one (which is rather unfair.)
Phantom begins in the year 1919 at the run down Opera
Populaire (based on the Paris Opéra House) at an auction of the artifacts found
throughout the building. The audience is told that many of the artifacts
figured into the famous disaster, including the chandelier. The auctioneer
commands that the chandelier be risen to showcase the repair work done on it,
and as it is, the audience is transported back to the year 1870 when the opera
house was in its prime.
Two men, Firmin (Ciarán Hinds) and Andre (Simon Callow) had
recently bought the opera house with the help of a wealthy patron, Raoul,
Vicomte de Chagny (Patrick Wilson) and all three were touring it. Throughout
they heard rumors of a mysterious opera ghost but paid it little mind. The
current feature at the company is the lead soprano, Carlotta Giudecelli (Minnie
Driver, in an over the top performance). Much of the company finds
Carlotta to be quite insufferable, as does the Opera Ghost, who prefers the younger
and more natural talent of Christine Daaé (Emmy Rossum).
The Ghost or Phantom (Gerald Butler), through manipulation
and intimidation, arranges it so that Christine can sing in Carlotta’s place in
the current show. Christine does, to much fanfare and success. Raoul,
recognizing Christine as a friend from childhood, is instantly taken by the
young woman and afterward goes to her dressing room to court her. However the
Phantom has other plans and has decided that the time is right to reveal his
existence to Christine and take her back to his lair, which lies in the
passages far beneath the opera house.
Christine had come to the opera house at a very young age,
as her father, a famous musician, died when she was very young. She knows no
life outside of the theater where she lives. Naturally, she is completely taken
by the seductive nature of the Phantom.
Eventually, she becomes fearful of the Phantom as he begins
to show signs of lust, vengeance, and, she learns, a thirst for blood that
takes anyone who might be a person standing in his way. Throughout the film,
Christine is torn between her childhood friend, Raoul, and her teacher, The
Phantom, which builds to a final climax toward the end of the film that leaves
the viewer, oddly, satisfied.
Phantom is not without its faults. The film can be long
winded at times, and some of the scenes which were created for the film, and
not in the stage show, enable this to happen. One scene in particular, where
the Phantom and Raoul are fencing in the cemetery at the grave of Christine’s
father in particular is a drag. Much of the acting is a
big over the top in many scenes, (especially in regards to the aforementioned
Carlotta) and Wilson doesn’t really give the character of Raoul much depth (but
to be fair, the character is written as a bit of a priss and a dullard), and
the big reveal of the Phantom’s face leaves much to be desired. However, the
film overcomes these faults with a great take on character interaction,
motivation, and some insight on human nature.
Phantom is really about the coming of age for Christine.
Throughout the film, she is transformed from the innocent teenager, to a young woman who is willing to give up all that she is,
and ever will be, for someone else. It’s about the ultimate sacrifices that
many of us make for each other throughout our lives and the ramifications of
our decisions, for good and bad.
What makes this Phantom great is the music. Not simply
background noise, or even choppy and cheap setups which are found in many
old musicals. The music of Phantom of the Opera has a way of reaching out and
grabbing you in your sub conscious (as all great music does.) It’s no surprise,
to me, that Webber was married to Sarah Brightman, who played the original
Christine on stage, when he wrote the music. Only someone with a deep
connection to someone else or a higher power could really dig deep to find that
which transcends. It is, and will remain, his greatest work.
Phantom is not for everyone. But I have always found an
unusual connection to it. It’s best not to labor on that point too much, but I
will say that it’s one of those films you could find yourself identifying with,
and appreciating with each viewing, and it is thoroughly entertaining.
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