: The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

Film Title: The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

Genre: Drama / Fantasy / Musical / Romance / Thriller

Director: Joel Schumacher

Two Most Important Member of the Cast: Gerard Butler (The Phantom) and Emmy Rossum (Christine)

Review

[1]The Phantom of the Opera is based on the hit musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It tells the story of a disfigured musical genius who haunts the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera, waging a reign of terror over its occupants. When The Phantom falls fatally in love with the lovely Christine, he devotes himself to creating a new star for the Opera, exerting a strange sense of control over the young soprano as he nurtures her extraordinary talents.

[2]In his review, Wesley Morris (2004) states that The Phantom of Opera is at times unintentionally entertaining because its tone shift from ridiculous to overwrought. There are also moments when the movie seems desperate to approach a lyric surrealism. Morris added that the movie is neither enjoyable as a love story nor moving as a tragedy. What is missing from it is the fearless of certain movie stars to transcend the clunkiness.

[3]Roger Ebert (2004) agrees with Morris. According to him, what he dislikes in The Phantom of the Opera is not the film itself but the underlying materials used in the movie. According to him, the story is thin beer for the time it takes to tell it and the music is maddeningly repetitious. He also added that the crashing down of chandelier is a historical reenactment, not a shock. In addition, he points out that the mask of the Phantom is more like a fashion accessory and his good profile is so chiseled and handsome that the effects is not an object of horror but a kinky babe magnet.

[4]Moreover, the emotions sets to Andrew Lloyd Weber’s purplish music are theatrical that the film becomes effective as the stage play. In addition, the performances of the characters are more about the music than the story.

[5]On the other hand, luxurious sets and costumes give this film the grandest of aspirations. Schumacher delivers a perfect visual translation of the staged production to the screen: the Phantom’s Lair is given a cavernous shape and the opera house an architectural masterpiece. Similarly, every nook and cranny of the setting feels like an actual setting rather than a prop in a filmed play. In the same way, these settings are given a multi-dimensional shape.

[6]In essence, the film, much like the play is about what lies beneath the surface. Beneath the opera house lays the dark, unsettling Phantom. Beneath his silky, featureless white mask is a horribly character. Yet, there is actually nothing below the surface of this film for all of it is the references to the deceptions of appearance.

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[1] Internet. (2006). Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera (2004). Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved November 8, 2006, from www.movies.yahoo.com

[2] Morris, W. (2004, December 22). The Phantom of the Opera Movie Review. The Boston Globe.

[3] Ebert, R. (2004, December 22). Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera. Retrieved November 8, 2006, from www. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com

[4] Internet. (2006). Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera (2004)-Movie Mom’s Review.Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved November 8, 2006, from www. http://movies.yahoo.com

[5] Brody, M. (2004, December 21). The Phantom of the Opera – Review. Cinema Blend.

[6] Ibid