The film version what has recently become the longest running show in Broadway history was roundly dismissed by critics and did not thrive at the box office. But on the whole, this film was an under rated achievement and a very satisfying film.
true it was not flawless. The Phantom's lair was not as mysterious and haunting as it was on stage. And then there was the use of the flashbacks. The opening scene, used in the stage version, was well done, it was a good idea to do it in black and white and then see the theater come back to life in color, and the final scene with Raoul as an old man at the cemetery was a nice touch, but the flash back scene'd interspersed throughout the film were over kill.
Then there was Gerard Butler in the title role. Most of Butler's performance was excellent, he has a very expressive, compelling face, so it is almost heartbreaking when Christine pulls off his mask to reveal his deformation. But Butler's singing is not strong. His husky voice might have worked in another role, but he simply let his ballad's down. I think it was not a bad idea to use young, mostly unknown actors in the three leads, but it might have been beneficial to find ones who were strong singers.
That being said, Patrick Wilson does sing strongly as Raoul, and brings the charisma he carries on stage fairly seamlessly to the screen. Emmy Rossum is lovely as Christine, and it is interesting to hear the change her voice goes through as the film goes on. The entire supporting cast is faultless. Minnie Driver is a riot as opera diva Carlotta, if not a bit on the . broad side, and Miranda Richardson, although overqualified and underused, is excellent as the motherly madame giry.
What Joels Schumacher also succeeded in doing was keeping the look of the film similar to that of the stage production, but translating it so it works on film, so it is still a different experience than seeing the stage version.
While few had anything good to say about this film when it was in the theaters, after the disappointing film versions of "Rent" and "The Producers", this film deserves a better reputation
true it was not flawless. The Phantom's lair was not as mysterious and haunting as it was on stage. And then there was the use of the flashbacks. The opening scene, used in the stage version, was well done, it was a good idea to do it in black and white and then see the theater come back to life in color, and the final scene with Raoul as an old man at the cemetery was a nice touch, but the flash back scene'd interspersed throughout the film were over kill.
Then there was Gerard Butler in the title role. Most of Butler's performance was excellent, he has a very expressive, compelling face, so it is almost heartbreaking when Christine pulls off his mask to reveal his deformation. But Butler's singing is not strong. His husky voice might have worked in another role, but he simply let his ballad's down. I think it was not a bad idea to use young, mostly unknown actors in the three leads, but it might have been beneficial to find ones who were strong singers.
That being said, Patrick Wilson does sing strongly as Raoul, and brings the charisma he carries on stage fairly seamlessly to the screen. Emmy Rossum is lovely as Christine, and it is interesting to hear the change her voice goes through as the film goes on. The entire supporting cast is faultless. Minnie Driver is a riot as opera diva Carlotta, if not a bit on the . broad side, and Miranda Richardson, although overqualified and underused, is excellent as the motherly madame giry.
What Joels Schumacher also succeeded in doing was keeping the look of the film similar to that of the stage production, but translating it so it works on film, so it is still a different experience than seeing the stage version.
While few had anything good to say about this film when it was in the theaters, after the disappointing film versions of "Rent" and "The Producers", this film deserves a better reputation