The Phantom of the Opera (2004 film)
| The Phantom of the Opera | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster for Phantom of the Opera | |
| Directed by | Joel Schumacher |
| Written by | Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart, Richard Stilgoe, Joel Schumacher |
| Produced by | Andrew Lloyd Webber |
| Starring | Gerard Butler Emmy Rossum Patrick Wilson Miranda Richardson Minnie Driver Simon Callow Ciarán Hinds Jennifer Ellison |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. (USA) Universal Studios (Latin America and Australia) |
Release date | December 22 2004 |
Running time | 143 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $70,000,000 USD |
The Phantom of the Opera is the 2004 Joel Schumacher directed film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart's internationally successful 1986 stage musical, which is in turn based on the novel The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. The cast includes Gerard Butler as the Phantom, Emmy Rossum (who was only 16 at the time of filming) as Christine Daaé, Patrick Wilson as Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, Miranda Richardson as Madame Giry, Jennifer Ellison as Meg Giry, and Minnie Driver (whose vocals were dubbed by Margaret Preece, a professional opera singer) as Carlotta Giudicelli. Ramin Karimloo (who had been playing Raoul in the London production of Phantom at the time of filming) appeared in a cameo role as Christine's father.
The film was a USA/UK co-production, and had various distributors worldwide. For example, Warner Bros. distributed the film in the USA, and Universal Pictures (producers and/or distributors of the 1925, 1943, and 1962 adaptations of the book) released the film in Latin America and Australia.
Plot
Based on the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the book by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of an opera company being terrorized by the mysterious Phantom, a man who hides in the catacombs of the opera house because of his deformed face.
The film begins in 1919 at an auction in the decrepit Paris Opera House, where Raoul, the elderly Vicomte de Chagny, purchases a music box featuring a monkey. The next lot is a chandelier in pieces covered by an enormous tarp. The tarp is lifted and the audience is swept back to 1870, the Paris Opera House restored to its former grandeur.
Rehearsals are underway for Chalumeau's Hannibal starring Carlotta Giudicelli and Ubaldo Piangi. Raoul, the young Vicomte, visits during a rehearsal. The retiring manager of the opera house, Lefevre, introduces the new directors, Richard Firmin and Gilles André. Christine Daaè, a chorus girl, recognizes Raoul as a childhood friend. Carlotta is asked to sing (Think of Me), but a large set piece falls on her and she leaves, refusing to perform. A note from the Phantom of the Opera explains to Firmin and André that Box 5 is to be kept empty for the Phantom's use and that his salary of 20,000 francs is to be paid monthly.
The directors choose Christine to replace Carlotta after Madame Giry, the dance director, recommends her. After the performance, Christine confesses to Meg Giry that she has been tutored by a mysterious figure whom she thinks is her father (Angel of Music). Raoul enters Christine's dressing room and they embrace (Little Lotte). After he leaves to ready a carriage for them, the Phantom reveals himself through Christine's mirror (Angel of Music/The Mirror) and takes her to his lair (The Phantom of the Opera) where he seduces her with his passion for music (The Music of the Night). When she wakes some time later (I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It), she removes the Phantom's mask in curiosity. He throws her to the floor in his fury and mourns his malformed self, then returns her to the opera house.
Later, Meg discovers the passageway in Christine's dressing room, but Madame Giry stops her before she travels along it. Joseph Buquet, a stage hand, frightens the performers with stories of the Phantom and his magical lasso. The opera house is thrown into confusion over the upcoming production of Il Muto as well as the reception of several notes from a mysterious O.G. (Notes). One note insists that Christine play the Countess and that Carlotta play the mute pageboy. Carlotta accuses Raoul of writing the note, but André and Firmin flatter her into performing as the Countess (Prima Donna).
During the performance all goes as planned until the Phantom makes an appearance at an upper balcony. Carlotta loses her voice (Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh) and the Phantom strangles Joseph Buquet, hanging the body over the stage. Christine takes Raoul to the opera house roof where she tells him about her fear of the Phantom (Why Have You Brought Me Here?/Raoul, I've Been There), but Raoul promises to keep her safe (All I Ask of You). The Phantom, having heard them, weeps alone (All I Ask of You--Reprise).
Three months later there is a masked ball (Masquerade). Raoul and Christine are secretly engaged, and Christine's engagement ring is on a chain around her neck. The Phantom appears (Why So Silent?) and orders André and Firmin to produce Don Juan Triumphant, his masterpiece. He tears Christine's ring from her neck, then disappears. Madame Giry explains to Raoul how she saw him in a cage in a traveling fair, and hid him in the opera house after she saw him strangle his captor.
Christine visits her father's grave at the Daaé mausoleum (Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again). The Phantom masquerades as her father (Wandering Child) but Raoul arrives and a swordfight ensues. Raoul nearly kills the Phantom, but Christine stops him. At the opera house, Raoul, Firmin, and André decide to produce the Phantom's opera in order to catch him, knowing he will be present if Christine sings (We Have All Been Blind).
On opening night, the Phantom strangles Piangi and takes his place in a duet with Christine (Point of No Return). She unmasks him, and the Phantom causes a huge chandelier to fall. He escapes, taking Christine with him, and a mob pursues them (Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer). Raoul follows them to the lair where the Phantom throws a Punjab lasso at him, but releases him after Christine kisses the Phantom. He goes into a room where a monkey music box is playing the tune of "Masquerade." Christine gives him her ring, and she and Raoul exit. The Phantom leaves the lair, and Meg Giry enters and finds only his white mask.
The epilogue takes the audience back to 1919, when the elderly Raoul places the monkey music box at Christine's grave. Next to the grave is a fresh rose with Christine's ring tied to it, presumably placed by the Phantom.
Stage version vs. film version
While the film remained mostly faithful to the original libretto of the stage show, some minor changes were made. Some scenes were added; others were deleted; some lines that were sung on stage were spoken in the movie, as well as minor changes in the lyrics to suit the scenes. In addition, several slight changes were made to the story.
The famous chandelier crash—situated at the end of Act One on stage—was moved to the film's climax after the song "The Point of No Return" near the end. This and some other changes, however, was kept for Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular, a modified stage production modelled mostly after the film. The chandelier crash also received computer-generated imagery alterations. For example, before reaching the floor, the chandelier's cables rip through the ceiling of the Opera House where this would be all but impossible on a live stage.
Changes were also made to some of the characters and their backgrounds. In the film, Madame Giry first meets the Phantom when they are both children and helps him escape from imprisonment in a carnival; it is suggested that he spends his entire life living at the Opera. In both the stage show and the original book, the Phantom winds up in the carnival as an adult after travelling the world and spending time in Persia. Also, during the film scene in which Christine visits her father's grave, a sword fight ensues between Raoul and the Phantom. In the stage production, the Phantom stands upon the grave and attacks the couple with small blasts of fire from his torch. The Phantom's makeup for the film was changed from the musical; and made much more subtle and natural as it would not be required to impact from afar. The Phantom's various magical tricks (such as his sudden disappearances) were also fully explained in the film.
The pivotal unmasking of the Phantom was made more dramatic; unlike on the stage, close-ups could be afforded. Furthermore, there was a noticeable increase in the action and drama of the film incarnation, examples including the various sword-fighting sequences absent from the stage version. The Phantom's subterranean lair was enlarged and given various new furnishings including candles that lit themselves automatically (these were actually accomplished with a special type of candle which would light itself when brought out from underwater, instead of using CGI).
The character of Christine was similarly changed; in the film, she is orphaned as a young girl and brought to the Opera by Madame Giry.
Cast
- Gerard Butler as The Phantom
- Emmy Rossum as Christine Daaé
- Patrick Wilson as Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny
- Miranda Richardson as Madame Giry
- Minnie Driver as Carlotta Giudicelli (Margaret Preece as her voice)
- Simon Callow as André
- Ciarán Hinds as Firmin
- Victor McGuire as Piangi
- Jennifer Ellison as Meg Giry
- Murray Melvin as Reyer
- Kevin McNally as Buquet
- James Fleet as Lefevre
Notes
Driver herself does lend her actual singing voice to the film's end title song, "Learn To Be Lonely", written by Lloyd Webber and Hart exclusively for the film. The tune for "Learn to Be Lonely" was originally intended for an additional song to be sung by the Phantom during the film, called "No One Would Listen" (originally to have had lyrics by David Zippel, who adapted a few lines of the musical for the movie due to changes in the staging), but the song was removed for pacing reasons. (It is included as an extra on some editions of the DVD.) There was some controversy among fans in regard to the performance of "Learn to Be Lonely" at the Academy Awards, where it was performed by the singer Beyoncé Knowles, along with several other songs nominated for Best Original Song.
Trafalgar Square Publishing has issued The Phantom of the Opera Companion, a definitive account of the tale, tracing the legend from its origins, and through all its artistic incarnations, to the contemporary theater production and film. It includes the complete screenplay and more than 150 photographs from both the film and theater productions worldwide.
The soundtrack has been released on CD.
Warner Home Video released the film on HD DVD on March 28, 2006.[1] It would be one of the earliest titles to be released on that media format. The HD DVD audio track features Dolby TrueHD.
Awards and nominations
Wins
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films
- Best Performance by a Younger Actor - Emmy Rossum
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
- Best Young Actress - Emmy Rossum
- Female Breakthrough Performance - Emmy Rossum
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards
- Best Cinematography - John Mathieson (tied with Christopher Doyle for Hero)
Young Artist Awards
- Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actress - Emmy Rossum
Nominations
- Art Direction - Anthony Pratt
- Cinematography - John Mathieson
- Original Song - Learn to Be Lonely
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films
- Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film
- Best Costumes - Alexandra Byrne
Art Directors Guild
- Feature Film - Period or Fantasy Film - Anthony Pratt
Costume Designers Guild Awards
- Excellence in Costume Design for Film - Period/Fantasy - Alexandra Byrne
- Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
- Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Emmy Rossum
- Best Original Song - Motion Picture - Learn to Be Lonely
Online Film Critics Society Awards
- Best Breakthrough Performance - Emmy Rossum
Young Artist Awards
- Best Family Feature Film - Comedy or Musical
Critical reaction
The film was met with mixed reviews upon its release, the general critical consensus being that it was visually spectacular but lacked any truly compelling sense of romance or danger.[2][3][4]. Emmy Rossum, however, received much acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination for her performance.
Gerard Butler, whose singing voice was untrained previous to the film, was criticized for not having the full vocal range needed to play the title character; this criticism often originated from "Phantom" fans (also called "Phans") who were enraged that the role was not given to the original London and Broadway Phantom, Michael Crawford. (Crawford, who was born in 1942, was 62 years old when the film was released.) In many interviews, Andrew Lloyd Webber said that Butler was chosen specifically for the emotional, rocky quality of his voice as a juxtaposition against Patrick Wilson's much sweeter singing style. He did however receive praise for his acting and potential star power in several papers such as the New York Times.
Some reviewers suggested that Emmy Rossum's voice was not mature enough for the role of Christine, although she was purportedly chosen to show the innocence of her character.[5]
Popular response, however, was much more positive, with the movie maintaining a spot in the top ten grossing movies of the week, for a month, even in limited release. Due to its limited theatre count, however, domestic box office receipts overall fell short of the film's $60-70 million USD budget. When foreign box office receipts were added in, it quickly made a profit, earning over $100 million overseas.[6]
References
- ^ Business Wire. Warner Home Video Announces Titles and Release Dates for HD DVD. January 5, 2006.
- ^ "Film version lacking" by Phil Villareal, Arizona Daily Star, December 22, 2004, retrieved September 1, 2006
- ^ "Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera (2004)" by Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald, 2004, retrieved September 2, 2006
- ^ "The Phantom of the Opera (2004)" by Staci Layne Wilson, horror.com, 2004, retrieved September 2, 2006
- ^ Edelstein, David. "Joel Schumacher's Symphony." Slate.com, Reel Time section, December 21, 2004.
- ^ Business data for The Phantom of the Opera, IMDb.com, retrieved November 5, 2006.
See also
- The Phantom of the Opera
- The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
- The Phantom of the Opera (2004 soundtrack)