The Phantom of the OperaThe Phantom of the Opera is a 2004 Joel Schumacher directed film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart's internationally successful 1986 stage musical, which is based on the novel written by Gaston Leroux in 1911.
Description
Combining romance, horror, mystery and tragedy it is a dark tale of a deformed child who killed his abuser and hides out for life in solitude within the Paris Opera House. The child grows up to become The Phantom of the Opera. In a melody that speaks of the “music of the night” we are taken on a journey deep into the dungeons of both The Phantom’s home at the Opera House as well as the dungeons of his soul. This can sometimes be the case with both spiritual manipulation and obsessive love. The character of the Phantom falls in love with Christine a young actress who performs at the Opera House. He somehow mysteriously almost hypnotizes her into developing a relationship with him. Meanwhile Christine is secretly engaged to Raoul a nobleman and patron of the Opera. On discovering Christine’s involvement with Raoul the Phantom gives Christine a choice to stay with him forever or he will kill Raoul. Her decision to this confrontation brings to an end the story of The Phantom of the Opera.
The Musical
I saw the stage version in Hamberg Theatre Hall, Germany circa 1990. Although my use and understanding of the German language at that point was not yet expert I engaged strongly with the play and it captured my imagination and moved me emotionally. The power of music to move our emotions is felt within the work. Themes running throughout the musical include actor’s lives, love triangles and star-crossed lovers.
The Film
I saw the film in or around 2006 and found it a faithful rendering of the show. But with Webber's footprints all over it, and not much more than that. If anything it had the opposite effect on me. The cinematic adaptation is full of high production values, time-tested songs, exquisite sets, and lush costumes but painfully full of itself that I cringed for the duration of watching the film.One real difference from the stage version is that it is unavoidable that the phantom played by Gerard Butler loses his crucial mystery when brought up close and personal with the audience. Seen at a distance, lurking in the shadows, he's a more remote, isolated and effective figure. Although I think the actress Emmy Rossum fares better as Christine Daae, projecting a mixture of talent, beauty, and innocence.
I felt The Phantom of the Opera played well on the stage, where audiences are seated several feet away from the lead actors, but when director Joel Schumacher sweeps his camera in for one of his dozens and dozens of close-ups, their melodramatic facial expressions come across as over-the-top.
I felt The Phantom of the Opera played well on the stage, where audiences are seated several feet away from the lead actors, but when director Joel Schumacher sweeps his camera in for one of his dozens and dozens of close-ups, their melodramatic facial expressions come across as over-the-top.
The Book
I haven’t read the book written by Gaston Leroux in 1911 but would imagine what makes the stage version unique is the haunting music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Andrew Lloyd Webber was the son of a Christian organist at the Central Methodist Hall in London; he grew up within the church and understood the power of music to communicate spiritual truths.
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1 comment:
this entry has more of your own analysis (than the one re: film theory), which is good. the comparision of close-ups vs. mystery is exactly the kind of thing i'm looking for.
i'm a bit confused about your comment re: the music--webber's score was used in both the stage and the film versions, so how can it make the stage version unique?
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