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365days365movies · 3 years

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February 19, 2021: The Phantom of the Opera (2004) (Part 1)

I love musicals.

Hands down, when talking cinematic adaptations of musicals, my favorite is Little Shop of Horrors. I’ve seen it MANY times, and will see it many, MANY more. And I’m not the only one. I mean, obviously, but in this case, I’m referring to my girlfriend. She’s chosen to represent herself with a GIF from her favorite musical, Hairspray. So, here she is:

Ravishing. Now, because it’s currently our anniversary, I let her pick today’s movie from my list. And so, she chose a musical that neither she nor I have seen: 2004′s The Phantom of the Opera. And some of you may now be saying, “What, this guy said he liked movie musicals, and he hasn’t seen TPotS? That’s like saying you haven’t seen Grease, or Singin’’ in the Rain, or, PFFT, West Side Story!”

...About that...

Yeah, yeah, I know! It’s insane, and I’m a hypocrite. I’ll be getting to the rest of those eventually, and one of them’ll be coming in the next couple of days, I promise. You can probably guess which one. Anyway, fact of the matter is that we’re gonna watch it tonight, and I’m looking forward to it.

However, there’s another factor to this, and that’s the fact that this film...doesn’t have the best reputation amongst fans of the original musical. And, yeah, this should ideally be the Michael Crawford version, but the Butler version is the one I have access to, so we’re going for it. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap (1/2)

Paris, 1919, back when the whole city was in black-and-white for a year. They lost the budget for color after World War I. Anyway, at an old opera house, an auction is taking place, and items found within the theater are for sale. One of these is a music box with a monkey on it, an item which sponsors a bidding war between an older woman, and an older man in a wheelchair. I’m sure we’ll find out who they are eventually.

Anyway, a broken chandelier is also up for option, and was involved in the mysterious disaster of the “Phantom of the Opera” fiasco. They turn it on with electric light, and as they raise it to the ceiling, the organist goes fuckin’ NUTS. The song’s so loud that it REVERSES TIME, and we’re now in color, in the year 1870 at the same opera house.

The theatre, managed by the soon-to-retire Monsieur Lefèvre (James Fleet), has just been purchased by Richard Firmin (Ciaran Hinds) and Gilles André (Simon Callow), who are there to observe. On stage, a rehearsal for the opera Hannibal is taking place, and the costume’s are already...like, a LOT, not gonna lie. The headliner for the show is soprano (and drama queen supreme) Carlotta Giudicelli (Minnie Driver), and is being funded by patron Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny (Patrick Wilson).

The background dancers are instructed by Madame Giry (Miranda Richardson), and include her daughter, Meg (Jennifer Ellison), and her adopted daughter, Christine Daaé (Emmy Rossum). As the rehearsal takes place, an accident happens on stage, almost injuring Carlotta. Enraged, she leaves, and refuses to perform.

Meanwhile, Madame Giry finds a letter from the Phantom, who demands his normal monthly salary of 20,000 francs, as for Box 5 to be left open. While the new owners think that this is ridiculous, they also note that it’s pointless without a lead singer for their show.

However, Christine is volunteered, and shows that she is indeed a talented singer. The show goes on, and Christine is a smash, much to Carlotta’s dismay. At this point, Raoul also discovers that this is his long lost childhood friend (and possibly long lost love) Christine, which she also noticed earlier.

But this is because of a mysterious teacher, who sings to her from the walls of the theatre. Meg comes in to congratulate her (through song), and asks who her tutor is. Meg responds...in song (”Angel of Music”).

Afterwards, Madame Giry also congratulates her, and tells her that the Phantom is pleased with her. Right after, Raoul also pays her a visit, and the two reconnect on shared memories of times in an attic in the summer. She tells Raoul that she is visited by an Angel of Music, and cannot go to the dinner that night with him. And the Phantom agrees, as he locks Christine in her room. YIKES.

And as literally every person in the theatre except Christine leaves, the Phantom serenades her, angered by Raoul’s presence, and Christine’s potential dalliance with him (”Mirror”). And through the mirror, he takes her to a mysterious crypt beneath the theatre. And as they sing their strange duet in the form of the title song (”The Phantom of the Opera”)...I try to resist talking about Gerard Butler until later. And it’s hard. It’s SO hard, guys.

But, OK, he takes her away on a...sewer horse...how the FUCK did he get that horse down there? And wait, WAIT, does he put her on that horse to walk her, like, 20 feet to the gondola? Like...WHY DO YOU HAVE THE HORSE? That is...monumentally wasteful. Where do you keep the horse? Does he feed the horse? How much? How often? With what? Does the horse eat the sewer rats? Is there naturally growing sewer hay? Does the Phantom’s salary go towards buying food for the horse, or buying new horses when the original ones DIE OF STARVATION - WHAT THE FUCK IS WITH THIS HORSE?!?!? WHOMSTVE THE FUCK

And yes, I love this fuckin’ song (not the singers, but we’ll get there), but this is distracting me alongside the statues of naked men in the sewer, because...well, Joel Schumacher. What can I say, it’s kind of his aesthetic. Anyway, we get officially introduced to the Phantom of the Opera (Gerard Butler), a very handsome-looking man who likes wearing a half-mask.

I say handsome, because the Phantom in this movie, looks...fine. HE LOOKS OK. HE LOOKS LIKE A DUDE WEARING A MASK. What, did somebody throw a hot candle at his face once, and he freaked out over it and ran into the sewers forever...WITH A HORSE? NOT OVER THE HORSE SHIT.

Look, the Phantom is supposed to be HIDEOUSLY scarred. Famously, in one of the film adaptations of Phantom, actor Lon Chaney Jr. purposely distorted his own face using adhesive face in order to play the role of the hideously disfigured character. Now, other versions have just given him severe, and I mean SEVERE burn scars. But behind the mask, Butler looks...fine. HE LOOKS FINE GODDAMMIT. He looks like he’s wearing the mask because it looks edgy and shit.

But OK, what’s happening in the movie? Oh, right, more serenading (”Music of the Night”), with another song that I like quite a bit. This and the previous song were songs Id heard before, and that I’d already had on my playlist. They’re great, what can I say? Now is Butler doing it justice? Ehhhhhhh, we’ll talk about that in the Review.

During this song he kinda seduces her, or attempts to, and also shows her a wedding dress. She sees herself in it and IMMEDIATELY faints, Jesus! Curtain falls on Christine while she’s in a bed, and we go back to her room, where Meg is looking for her. She finds the mirror, and is about to go back there, but her mother finds and stops her.

Meanwhile, stagehand Joseph Buquet (Kevin McNally) tells the chorus girls of the legend of the Phantom, and describes a physical description that doesn’t match him...even a little. We cut back to Christine, who wakes up in what my girlfriend refers to as a “bomb-ass HQ.” Which is fair, let’s be honest. Anyway, she heads over and tries to unmask her new masked lover (?).

He’s not the biggest fan of this, and he emos all over the screen (”Stranger Than You Dreamt It”). And then, as he puts his mask on, we suddenly (and I mean suddenly) jump to 1919, where the old woman, Madame Giry, bids farewell to...wait, that’s Raoul? HOW DOES HE LOOK SO MUCH OLDER THAN HER, WHAT???

Back in the past, inexplicably, the theatre owners and manager sing about the theatre and the Phantom’s demands ("Notes..."), and are soon joined by Raoul, who brings them a separate note, saying not to look for Christina any further. THEN, Carlotta joins them, delivering a letter of her own from the Phantom, warning her not to return to the theatre.

In his letters, he details how his theatre is to be run, threatening a disaster if Christine is not cast in the lead role, and if Carlotta is not cast in a silent role. However, the theatre owners and Carlotta refuse to obey, and Carlotta is cast in the role, as the owners try to appease her (”Prima Donna”).

That night, during a performance of Il Muto, Carlotta’s singing the lead role. Additionally, Box Five is full, and the Phantom is PISSED. So, like a Phantom do, it’s time for some good old fashioned petty revenge! He switches her throat spray, causing her to lose her voice on stage, and causing the audience to laugh when the show ends abruptly. They quickly and publicly recast the role, giving it to Christine instead. Well, mission accomplished by the Phantom! Guess we’re good without retribution. And then he hangs the stagehand.

Well...fuck, man. Realizing that the Phantom is EXTREMELY dangerous, Christine goes to save Raoul, who she...is in a relationship with now? Wait...wait, hold up, the fuck did I miss? I mean, yeah, he probably is gonna kill Raoul, but there is, like, NO lead-up to their connection before this point.

Anyway, as Christine explains that there is a Phantom when Raoul says he doesn’t exist...wait, WHAT? MOTHER FUCKER BUQUET JUST NOT MURDERED IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY WHAT IN THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN????? YOU LITERALLY HEARD THE...you know what? Break. BREAK. This is...this one’s tough.

See you in Part 2!

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tornrose24 · 3 years

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Thoughts on Cinema Sins ‘Everything wrong with Phantom of the Opera’ video.

Well at least ONE of the movies I was hoping Cinema Sins would cover happened. Some sins were expected, but I wasn’t expecting that the CS guy apparently saw the musical and has some knowledge about the history of PotO in general.

-”Several people died.” No not really unless not everyone got out of the burning opera house.

-Knew he’d make a Minions joke the second ‘illumination’ was mentioned.

-Aww, no sins off for the use of the Overture music? And its from the 80’s so of course it would sound the way it does.

-Ok, I admit showing the seats losing their dust and becoming brand new again as a ‘what if’ for movie theaters when quarantine was over was amusing.

-There’s a difference between good opera singing and annoying opera singing, which is why the ladies didn’t care for Carlotta’s singing.

-I wonder what a Silence of the Lambs opera would be like, speaking of CS getting his Hannibals mixed up.

-Raoul and Christine are supposed to be around the same age, so the fact that Patrick Wilson was like 13 years older than Emmy does make the ‘childhood sweethearts’ thing strange.

-Oh great, now CS made 2004!Raoul and Christine’s age gap as problematic as with her and Erik’s by pointing that out.

-Minnie Driver is a great Carlotta AND was a memorable part of this film.

-Oh Christ, 200,000 francs equals almost a million bucks in today’s world? Isn’t that a little too much to demand, Erik?

-Yeah Emmy doesn’t exactly HAVE the right voice for Christine when you compare her to other stage Christines (but at least she doesn’t have a weird vibrato like a certain someone).

-Christine doesn’t strike me as a super social person, and her father was a supporter of her musical talents so it makes sense that she wouldn’t be amongst her new fans and pay a visit to the chapel.

-I wonder if Ramin (aka one of the best Phantoms) found out that he was compared to Harry Styles in this video.

-Christine was supposed to keep her lessons a secret, so it makes sense that she’d confide in Meg after that.

-CS points out the unfortunate implications of Christine being a child when she was approached by Erik in this adaptation and I’m pretty sure CS is going to utterly destroy Webber for this someday.

-Actually yeah-where the hell did everyone go when there was so many people outside Christine’s dressing room a few moments ago?

-I do appreciate CS calling out Giry for just letting the Phantom stalk Christine and not stopping it sooner. (And it does feel strange that she’d let the girl she considers a surrogate daughter go through this).

-”Psychedelically laced smoke.” Every fan thinks that too.

-Also, the mirror is a trick mirror. Kind of obvious later.

-Also he needed her to think he was a divine tutor and didn’t show up until Raoul came into the picture (and because he wanted to move on to actually facing her like a real person).

-Well the horse WAS in the book, but him being part of Christine’s ‘possible hallucination’ makes sense too. Also the idea of her ridding the Phantom is amusing.

-No that WASN’T the sewers they were going through–the opera house literally had an underground lake and there’s a history behind it since the opera house this story is based on is real.

-Erik building the statues makes more sense to me since the guy is meant to be hyper talented.Also note that this is where you can especially tell CS had experience with die hard fans of the book since he refers to the Phantom by his actual name for this sin in addition to saying WHAT they told him specifically.

-Actually CS has a good point about how the final note of the title song is shown off. They should draw more attention to Christine singing that note since its not only a display of her talent but a show of just how much influence/power Erik has over that. Instead we don’t see Emmy singing (and as anyone will tell you, she sang it as an E flat and not an actual E note).

-Yeah that scarf mask is weird.

-The smoke eye has been a mystery for AGES CS and no one can answer why.

-Love the description of singing “Music of the night” as to treat it like going to a glorious destination.

-Thanks for reminding me why the casting choices and changed up backstory makes 2004!Erik worse than he needs to be (God... what the hell were you thinking ALW and JS?!)

-If CS is familiar with the musical, I wonder if he’s aware that 2004!Erik was many a teenage girls’ crush with that in mind.

-Ah the return of the original ‘creepy doll that looks like a character’ that I almost forgot about. Except CS makes it more creepier by pointing out something about it that makes 2004!Erik more creepier than he needs to.

-CS keeps referring to actors by whatever they were in/a character they also played. And I’m just reminded how strange it was to see Emmy in Shameless (and she’s not enough to make me want to watch that show).

-CS forgot that the managers were supposed to be ass-kissing when he wondered why they were in the dressing room.

-If I remember correctly, a company performs one opera production at night and then practices/rehearses for the next one during the day. The one they perform happens for a certain amount of time before its time to switch out. But yeah, the film makes it look like this is all happening in 24 hours which shouldn’t be possible.

-Nothing for that guy mooning Carlotta? Ok then, moving on I suppose.

-I’ve seen this movie hundreds of times and I NEVER saw the boat in the woman’s wig until it was pointed out.

-Was he not paying attention? Erik kills Bouquet because the guy was trying to go after him. The original reason why he died in the book was for the same reason.

-I’m glad that CS has sympathy for Christine for all she went though in a supposed 24 hours. I’d crack under all that too.

-Surprised he didn’t sin the snot shot on the roof. (You know what I’m talking about).

-Yeah, so much for a secret engagement if you got the ring exposed.

-Not sure why CS finds the gold guys funny other than they are ‘just there.’

-I would love to see the party-goers go after Erik since they DO outnumber him as an alternate scene during that moment after ‘Masquerade.’

-No ‘This is Sparta’ jokes? Ok then, moving on I suppose.

-Christine’s dad is implied to be famous in this movie (explaining the mausoleum, but in the book he was poor so he shouldn’t have one). But that does raise questions as to why Christine seemingly has little money to her name in this version.

-Dude, seeing the gave fight scene as Nite Owl vs. Leonidas was something I couldn’t unsee for more than 10 years. But I bet the Snyder fans loved that joke. (Speaking of CS and superhero films WHEN WILL YOU STOP TEASING ME WITH ‘ANIMATED SUPERHERO FILMS’ THAT ARE JUST ANIMATED DC FILMS AND SHOW ME THE ONE I ACTUALLY WANT TO SEE?!)

-I would love to see a Home Alone version of PotO since CS pointed it out.

-Actually I would love to see the au where CS is a critic in the PotO world and just not give a shit if Erik threatened him.

-Yeah, Raoul making Christine the bait and endangering her IS messed up. As much of a dolt he is, novel!Raoul would NEVER have done that to her.

-Erik’s hair looks nice because its a wig, CS.

-Oh boy, the reveal of the bad make up. No surprise it got a sin. I loved that CS showed Lon Chaney’s version (and hopefully will get people to watch the original silent PotO) and was more impressed by it over what this movie had. I also love how blunt CS is in summing up the deformity.

-There wasn’t a fire when the mob went after the Phantom in the musical. But as history can prove, some mobs care more about their goals than their own safety.

-I think they wanted to squeeze in one more trap before the final confrontation and Raoul WAS trapped in a room that became filled with water in the book and silent film. Though I’m amazed CS didn’t notice the reverse direction the bubbles were going during that scene.

-I don’t know how to answer why Christine was just standing around and doing jack shit to help Raoul during the final confrontation.

-A recreation of one of the most famous kiss scenes in musical history and CS just sums it up as ‘yeah your first kiss always sucks.’

-I love the contrast of Super Mario music with shots of PotO for the bonus round.

-Holy crap, that WAS a lot of candles.

-Some of the alternate audios for the last bit were unfamiliar but that Bug’s Life scene for when Christine is heading towards the mirror is perfection.

-And of COURSE CS would use that one Mission Impossible scene.

Final verdict: Predictable at times, but pretty amusing for a PotO fan like myself. I do hope the next movie musical CS covers is ‘Little Shop of Horrors.’

#phantom of the opera #the phantom of the opera #cinema sins

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faded-florals · 5 years

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What do you think of Hadley's acting in the 25th anniversary performance? Some people thought it was weak

I have talked a little bit before about how much I like Hadley, both in general and as Raoul. I’m going to try to answer this as best I can, but I have to say that I am a complete amateur with no more than an introductory acting class under my belt and so my perspective is really just going to be from that of a general audience member. Basically I know how his performance makes me feel, and here are a couple reasons why I think his acting was effective.

The entire cast of the 25th Anniversary RAH performance was strong. Ramin plays a wildly unhinged and yet somehow still highly sympathetic Phantom, Sierra’s Christine is bold but deeply sensitive and passionate, Barry James’ and Gareth Snook’s managers are comical without being goofy or distracting, and Wendy Ferguson as Carlotta is 100% a nightmare diva without being insufferable. Not only were all of these actors wonderful in this specific performance, but they all came in with previous experience in the show in some form. Hadley had never been in a production of POTO before and was therefore kind of starting with a disadvantage, but I actually had no idea that this was even the case until quite a long time after seeing the show and being thoroughly impressed with him. Despite all of this, being a ‘newbie’ among a very strong cast, Hadley doesn’t get lost. In fact, I find him pretty hard to ignore. A lot of Raouls can disappear when not being featured in a scene, but whenever Hadley is present onstage throughout the show he is noticeable and entertaining.

A big part of my love for Hadley’s acting comes from his highly emotive face. I like to poke fun at the faces he pulls but it’s really all out of adoration. He’s fun to watch because he’s always responding to what is going on around him, whether that be to other characters or even his own character’s thoughts. I also like watching him even when he’s not the focus of the scene because he’s always in character and his facial expressions show that. (Wendy Ferguson does this really well, too!) His presence adds to the scene even when he is just in the background, like in much of Prima Donna, and especially in the Final Lair. I’m going to throw some of my favorite Hadley faces at you, now.

I honestly think a lot of the criticism about Hadley from the 25th comes from people not liking his characterization of Raoul, not specifically his acting. (I’m going to give my classic example, because a lot of what I’ve heard about Hadley’s acting refers to this scene in particular) By the time we get to WHYBMH I expect Raoul to be frustrated, and from previous scenes I know him to be a skeptic as well as concerned for Christine’s safety and health. So when Christine is having her meltdown on the rooftop I want to see Raoul’s actor show all of this in his voice and movements and Hadley delivers just that. He holds his own with pointed vocal intonation against the vigorous score as well as Sierra’s frantic energy, and brings an intensity to a scene which has a high potential to fall flat if played too gently like I’ve seen/heard many Raouls do. (Patrick Wilson’s Raoul comes to mind immediately, but he really never stood a chance with Emmy Rossum’s lackluster Christine)

There’s also danger here, though, where Raoul can come off as mean if not done right. I don’t believe Hadley’s Raoul comes off as mean, however this could be subjective. When I personally see Hadley’s performance, again speaking to WHYBMH as an example, I see a character who has strong convictions, is fed up with hearsay, and is in a stressful situation, and I am able to make an emotional connection with the feelings he is expressing. That’s a sign of an effective performance to me. It may not resonate with everyone and that’s ok, but that doesn’t make his performance weak.

#poto #The Phantom of the Opera #Hadley Fraser #Raoul de Chagny #phantom of the opera 25 #ask fadedflorals #Anonymous #also that VOICE #but we're just talking acting here #long post

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stardust-writer · 4 years

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love me—that’s all i ask of you

Written for @mysmeweek2020‘s Day 4 prompts: AUs & Lost!

Read it on AO3!

Summary: Lost and terrified, Areum finds shelter in Jihyun’s arms. Or the All I Ask Of You scene with Christine!Areum and Raoul!Jihyun in this Mystic Messenger Phantom of the Opera AU I’m working on.

Warnings: Trigger warning for mentions of murder, violence, and blood.

A/N: I have a different OC for each route. Areum Song is the OC I use for Jihyun/V’s route. Other OCs may appear, but for this work, Areum takes on the MC’s role. This work is a concept scene from a WIP I have: Phantom of the Opera!Mystic Messenger AU. As this is just a concept to a work that hasn’t been published yet, it may not appear the same or at all in the final draft when the WIP has been finished and posted.

Songs While Writing: All I Ask Of You (2004 Movie Ver.) - Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Andrew Lloyd Weber; (25th Anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall ver.) - Sierra Boggess, Ramin Karimloo, Andrew Lloyd Weber

The opera house’s rooftop was bare of any signs of life. The night sky shone with an array of stars, with little to no clouds to hide the moonlight. The gentle snowfall covering their surroundings in blankets of white. Had it been any other time, Areum might have found it calming. Instead, she scans the place madly, ensuring that they were safe.

“Areum.”

She flinches at the soft whisper. She turns to Jihyun, her eyes wide with fear.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asks, taking her hand in his and caressing it with his thumb. “Why are we here?”

“I...I can’t go back there,” Areum whispers frantically. She glances around their surroundings again. “Please, Jihyun, don’t make me! He’ll kill me!”

“The phantom?” Jihyun’s bright, mint eyes cloud with concern. He pulls her closer to him as gently as possible. He takes Areum’s face in his hands and looks her in the eyes. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Areum. The phantom is nothing but a story—a fable.”

Areum shakes her head. Her eyes begin to fill with tears and she squeezes them shut, trying to calm herself down. But none of it helped.

“Then how do you explain all that?” she cries, referring to the chaos in the opera below them.

Jihyun falters for a moment, trying to find the right words to calm his beloved. Areum sees this and turns away, wrapping her arms around herself.

“Areum, please,” Jihyun tries. “Please, think about this. He can’t be real. No one has even seen him. He’s just a figment of your imagination, a made up entity to explain accidents in the opera house.”

“You don’t understand,” she says. Areum takes in a shaky breath.

“I’ve seen him, Jihyun. I’ve met him, spoken to him, and sang with him” She tightens the grip of her arms. She could still see the vastness of the glassy lake, the darkness of the cavern only kept at bay by the many candles inside. She could still hear the sound of the piano, playing as she drifted in and out of her sleep. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget the way he latched onto my arm, or the way he tried to keep me from leaving.”

She recalls the angelic voice that would sing with her each night. The gentle flow of his words as he taught her how to polish her raw talent, the way he praised her with such sincerity. She never imagined that her angel of music could bring harm to anyone, much less murder someone in cold blood.

Then the face of the phantom flashes in her mind.

“You should’ve seen him. The pleading, child-like eyes he faced me with. He looked so lonely and vulnerable, so lost and alone...I know what that feels like, Jihyun.”

“Areum…”

Areum.

The blood freezes in her veins. Impossible. He couldn’t have found her here. She tries to reason with herself, perhaps she was hearing things. Except, she’s heard that very voice so many times before. She would know it anywhere.

Areum searches around wildly, her whole body shaking with fear. She forgets the pitiful face and instead sees the evidence of violence and death she witnessed just moments ago. Her eyes scan the rooftop desperately. She can hear Jihyun still trying to call her name, but her knees buckle and she falls to the floor, unable to erase her fear.

“Areum, listen to me,” she hears Jihyun say. His arms wrap around her body, lifting her up from the ground. He holds her close, face only a few inches from his so that she would see nothing else. “That’s enough. Let’s not talk about darkness or fears. I’m here with you, and I promise, nothing will harm you.

“I’ll guard and guide you, if you let me.” He says, pressing his forehead against hers. “Let my words warm and calm you. Let me know your fears so I can shelter you, hold you, and keep you safe in my arms. Just...let me be with you. That’s all I ask.”

Areum feels the strength return to her with each word he utters. She releases the grip on her arms and instead chooses to cup Jihyun’s face in her hands.

“Do you mean it?” she asks.

“Of course,” is his immediate response.

“Then, can I ask you of something, too?”

“Anything, my love.”

“Stay with me,” she breathes. “Say you need me with you beside you, that you’ll let me follow you anywhere. That you’ll share each day, each night, each morning with me. That you’ll love me every waking moment, as I do you—”

“You already know that I do,” Jihyun says, cutting her off with a gentle smile.

A tear slips down Areum’s cheek as a smile breaks on her face.

“Anywhere you go,” she whispers.

“I’ll go, too,” he whispers back.

A small laugh escapes Areum’s lips as she pulls him in for a kiss. It was slow and gentle, sweet and assuring. The fears remain in her head, but they’ve shrunk to almost nothing. Yes, the phantom can try and find her, he may even attempt to drag her back into his darkness. But she had Jihyun to stand with her, and that alone was enough.

#MysMeWeek2020 #stardustwriting #v | jihyun kim / original character #v | jihyun kim

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gracie-p8-officialblog · 5 years

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Defending Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny

Ah oxymorons, one of my favourite literary devices... If you don't know what an oxymoron is, let me enlighten you: it's a phrase that contradicts itself (kinda like verbal irony), like "jumbo shrimp", "chilled hot chocolate," "clearly confused" or "defending Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny".

Because, you know, Raoul doesn't need much defending. Seriously. If there's going to be any defending going on here, Raoul's the one who does the defending for most of the play (up until Final Lair where the roles are reversed and Christine is now the one who does the defending but more on that later.) Are we clear on that? Good.

And it has come to my attention that Raoul has got a lot of flak from phans for various reasons. And in this post, I'm going to refute the stupidest Raoul bashing arguments.

Also, we're not counting Love Never Dies because I think it's just an alternate universe and that it ruined Raoul's character for the sake of that fanfiction.

It is a truth universally acknowledged (or at least in the wee Raoul Defense Squad Circle) that Raoul is one of the greatest and most underrated boyfriends to ever exist in musical theatre. There seem to be two kinds of people in this world: those who appreciate Phantom of the Opera, and those who don't know what they're missing. The ones who appreciate Raoul as the hero, prince charming and cinnamon roll he is, and then there's the other camp. The ones who villainize Raoul and think he is nothing but a stupid, wimpy, abusive fop who crushed the Phantom (aka. Erik's) dreams and never truly loved Christine. They seem to be laboured under the mistaken delusion that Raoul is a cowardly pretty boy who is pretty much Gaston 2.0. (Technically, there's a third group: those who know nothing about Phantom of the Opera (POTO) but we can only hope that they will come out from under their rocks as soon as possible)

In case if you couldn't tell, I'm Team Raoul. And the bashing he recieves is unfair tbh. This is where I will appreciate and explain why I love him.

First of all, I'd like to combat the theory that he is boring. Ladies, puh-leeze. He's much more relatable than you admit and that we all have a little bit of Raoul in us. Failure to see things staring us in the face, saying or doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, having a 'see it to believe it' attitude when we have little-to-no evidence on something... yeah, don't pretend you don't see a trend. Raoul is relatable whether we want him to be or not.

And just because Raoul has boy-band hair and dresses well, that doesn't make someone a fop. He's a navy man and a nobleman so he is expected to look nice. But Erik is the one who takes it to the extreme. I mean, c'mon, a fedora?

I also noticed that when he asked Christine out for dinner after reuniting with her ruffled the feathers of many phans. What right has Raoul to fall in love with Christine? What does he need from her? He only fell in love with her for her voice and beauty! And he only noticed her when she was in Hannibal! Can't he just go get someone else?

News flash people. It's been YEARS since Raoul last saw Christine. And they were kids when they last saw each other, along with the fact that he travelled in order to train as a navy man! So it's understandable on why he got excited to see Christine again after so long. Plus, his love for her is more than just her voice and beauty. Sure, they have mutual memories and he likes the way she sings, and he likes how beautiful she is. But there's nothing wrong with thinking of how beautiful a girl is AND how beautiful is her voice (within reason).

I admit, Raoul and Christine's relationship at first struck me as being sappy and overdone. You must know that I was only nine or ten when I first discovered POTO, and so excuses must be made. By the time I listened to it again at fourteen, I was completely won over. Raoul fell in love with her because she was a nice, beautiful person (both on the inside and out) and they knew each other since they were kids! His love is genuine AND stable for Christine. He represents everything she needs- stability, protection, a guiding hand and affirmed affection. She represents everything he needs, in turn, someone to show affection to and the woman he has loved since childhood. Plus, he was brave enough to ask Christine to marry him despite their class differences, risking that his family might disown him for being married to someone inferior to his rank. It just shows how strong his love for her is.

And now, let's get this point clear, I believe the claim that he was gaslighting Christine is bogus. He's been raised as someone who doesn't believe in the supernatural and 'phantom' literally means 'ghost'. But here’s the kicker. He doesn’t leave. Like, no matter how much he doubts her love of what she says, he still loves her and stays with her. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with him thinking Christine is a little delusional with all the Phantom stuff. None of it added up to him, and it all seemed illogical. Its natural for any human being to not believe those kinds of things, so stop using that to make him look bad. Plus, if he said something like "Oh Christine, you're SO stupid!" and laughed at her about it, phans could definitely have a valid reason to hate him. But he doesn't do that! Instead, he tries to find the Phantom's voice calling out to her and when he saw nothing, he began to comfort her and was like" There, there, shh... Don't worry... Everything's gonna be alright. I'll help you make all the bad things go away." And due to dramatic irony, he has little-to-no evidence to prove the Phantom's existence compared to the audience who saw it all!

If you still aren't convinced, then listen very closely to what I'm about to say: Here's some 'Raoul's I highly recommend to look up before y'all hate on him.

I highly recommend John Cudia, Michael Shawn Lewis, Jordan Donica and Patrick Wilson who play VERY princely and adorable Raouls. Trust me, their Raouls are IMPOSSIBLE to hate!

One last point before I wrap this up: The only reason Raoul asked her to agree to be the lead is because he realized that if Christine does that, the Phantom would be there. And he knows it's their chance to get rid of this elusive Opera Ghost. And the only reason Christine doesn't want to is because she is afraid of what the Phantom will do. Now this annoys many Raoul-haters and call me a broken cassette tape but... Even though I agree it was a teensy bit callous of him to persuade Christine into performing her stalker's opera, Raoul hoped it would catch the Phantom, and he was willing to do it to get protect Christine from the Phantom in the future. Was his plan risky? Probably. Did he honestly think Christine would be in danger? No! He was going to get all the cops to come and protect her. How was he supposed to know the Phantom had other plans? Plus, running away is a big no-no for Raoul. Because as shown in "Why Have You Brought Me Here/Raoul, I've Been There" and "Wandering Child", whenever and wherever they run to, the Phantom ALWAYS finds them! Therefore, to his naive, young mind, he believed that doing Don Juan Triumphant would stop the Phantom from doing more harm to Christine and the opera house. So stop using this to vilify him!

I should like to also take this time, while I still have your attention (you are paying attention, right? Right? Hey! Wake up!) to point out some other important events that showed Raoul's character and bravery; namely, him fighting his way through the French sewer system (aka. The yuckiest parts of France) to save Christine, he didn't keep his hand to the level of his eyes to comfort a terrified Christine, he dodged some fireballs thrown at him in the graveyard just so he could protect Christine AND last but not least, he nearly died for Christine in order to save her from Stockholm syndrome/an abusive relationship!

In short: Raoul de Chagny is a knight in shining armour who loves Christine more than his own life. He stands by her, fights for her, comforts her AND was willing to sacrifice everything for her! And how the audience writes him off as an one-dimensional bad guy who does not love Christine, I will never know why. Are you convinced yet? If not... *hands list of what are the differences between a healthy and unhealty relationship* Yours, I believe.

#raoul de chagny #Raoul defense squad #phantom of the opera #POTO #just some tea #Defending Raoul de Chagny #no raoul bashing or you get a timeout #spilling tea

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adamwatchesmovies · 4 years

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The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

While watching 2004's Phantom of the Opera I had to seriously consider whether this film would be any good if it weren't for the musical score and the songs. Before we get into this question, what's this movie about?

In 1870, Christine Daaé (Emmy Rossum) is a performer at an opera house and has caught the attention of the building's most famous resident, The Phantom (Gerard Butler). Through murder, sabotage, and blackmail, the masked man who lives beneath the building is determined to make Christine into a star. Unfortunately for him, Christine’s talent has attracted the attention of her childhood sweetheart, Raoul (Patrick Wilson).

This movie looks and sounds terrific. The sets and costumes create a grandiose scale to the entire production. From the operas within the film to the Phantom's dark catacombs, it's a visual feast. The scene where Christine is swept off her feet by the Phantom and brought down to his underground lair is incredible. She is entranced by his mystique and sex appeal to the point it makes the tunnels look like a palace. That first look at the Phantom’s lair embodies everything good about this movie.

It’s hard to say exactly it is what brings this distant adaptation of Gaston Leroux's novel down. It’s several accumulating factors. First, the characters. The Phantom is interesting, if only because he’s a talented maniac. The other sides of the love triangle are bland. Several of the side players are two-dimensional cartoons. The best example has to be Christine’s rival, Carlotta (Minnie Driver). She even has the shrill voice and toy poodle hanging around her all the time to hammer in that she's an intolerable primadonna. There’s no middle ground, which makes it hard to care about what’s happening when there's no music. Director Joel Schumacher sometimes has the characters speaking in rhyme, sometimes has them talk normally. It distracts you further and makes the outlandish moments feel out of place. When there are action scenes, they're not well shot and poorly coordinated. You'd think with Gerard Butler and Schumacher, both with big-budget action movies under their belt, this would've been better.

Overall 2004's The Phantom of the Opera is pleasant. It isn't the definitive telling of the story, unfortunately, which means there’s not much to watch it more than once. With numerous adaptations available either as classic black-and-white (or even silent) films or performed live, you can do better. I won’t dismiss it outright. The visuals and music are that good. In other ways, it leaves much to be desired. (On DVD, December 18, 2014)

#Phantom of the Opera #PhantomoftheOpera #movies #films #reviews #movie reviews #film reviews #joel schumacher #andrew lloyd webber #gerard butler #emmy rossum #patrick wilson #miranda richardson #simon callow #ciaran hinds #minnie driver #jennifer ellison #2004 movies #2004 films

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risingphoenix761 · 5 years

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Sooooooooooo.........

I've been looking for an excuse to do this for awhile, and @kitkat589 gave it to me! I'mma talk about my favorite Phantom of the Opera movies! (Sticking with the movies, but know that I can talk for days about any and all things Phantom)

I'm trying to be merciful, so let's hope this cut works...

2004 musical, AKA the Gerard Butler version

This one gets a bit of hate in certain parts of the fandom, but I love it. LOVE IT. Pure eye candy, as far as design goes, and I'm never going to complain about Gerard Butler and Patrick Wilson gracing my screen. LOL. Patrick is one of my favorite Raouls and I could fall asleep to sound of his voice. Don't think I've ever heard anyone gripe about him in the role, coz there ain't Jack shit to gripe about. He nailed it. Then there's Gerry... I've fought this war before and I'm braced for all the hate, but seriously: NO ACTOR HAS DONE MORE TO CAPTURE THE CHARACTER, PERIOD. He's an actor before he's a singer, and yeah, that shows, but whatever he doesn't have as far as vocal ability goes, he makes up for in performance. The allure. The madness. The loneliness. The sorrow. I'll have to reschedule this particular talk for a later post, because again, I can talk for DAYS about Gerry's Phantom. Reiterating the eye candy thing; the visuals are gorgeous. Emmy Rossum as Christine has a good dynamic with GB and PW and plays an interesting duality between innocence and sexual awakening. Yeah, she's not the most technically skilled in the role, but I still adore her. Her "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" will always be one of my faves.

1925 silent movie, AKA the Lon Chaney version

Ooh, do I ever love this one! If anyone has luck getting hands on the DVD, let me know. In the meantime, I'll stick with what I can find on YouTube, which is a surprising amount. The thing is, you never know which version you're going to find. The original film was destroyed in the 1940's, and all that's left are edits from archives. My favorite that I've run across so far is the 1996 edit with composer Carl Davis's score. Nice and eerie. The plot itself is a bit oversimplified in this version, but the horror genre was brand new, so I guess that's to be expected. As a whole, this one is the most faithful to Gaston Leroux's book (they even had a graveyard violin scene, which was later cut), EXCEPT for the ending. They filmed three endings, the first of which stuck to the book, with the Phantom releasing Christine and Raoul and dying ostensibly of a broken heart. (Does "I'm dying of love" ring any bells?) Test audiences didn't like that! They wanted something decisive! No redemption for villains! The ending you see in the movie was the only one that got the thumbs-up, and if you ask me, I'll tell you right away that I hate it. Lon Chaney as the Phantom, though, is a sight to behold. So nuanced. I love it.

1989 slasher, AKA the Robert Englund version

It's cheesy as hell, but it's got it's good points. Robert Englund being one of them. He got the best dialogue in the script, and he owns that shit. Another good point, the music! THE MUSIC! Misha Segal's score is to die for!

Third good point, the cinematography. The cemetery violin scene in particularly is lovely and just the right amount of spooky.

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This one kinda does its own thing with the story (well, almost all of the film adaptations do), but if you take it for what it is, it's pretty fun. Also a little gross in some parts. It's an 80s slasher flick, after all.

POTO at the Royal Albert Hall, AKA the 25th anniversary concert

It was a glorious time in the fandom when this went down. GLORIOUS. We followed all the news, from the casting choices to production details, and then the concert itself? WHOA. The performance was broadcast live to movie theaters, then PBS picked it up and ran it, then there was a DVD release... Why is this a big deal? Because for A LOT of people, this is as close to seeing the stage musical as they'll ever get. It's very nearly the same show down to the last detail, and for such a long-running, iconic, extravagant show, that's huge. The cast is on another level, if you're a theater nerd. You have Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom (one of the longest running in the role), Sierra Boggess as Christine (the original Christine from the Phantom In Vegas production), Hadley Fraser as Raoul (in what I think was his debut in any Phantom production, though Les Mis fans know him VERY well), and one of the best parts of watching this one is playing spot the cameo appearance. I admit, Ramin and Sierra aren't my faves, but they've played opposite each other long enough, they work well together, and he and Hadley have been besties for a long time, so this 👏 cast 👏 has 👏 chemistry 👏 dammit! I'll have to make another post for this one to break down all the best talking points, but ugh! THIS IS AMAZING!

Honorable Mentions

The Wishbone version

Yay! Wishbone! And it's on YouTube!

1943 adaptation, AKA the Claude Rains version

This one's good if you're into the Golden Age of Hollywood, with extravagant opera sequences, over-the-top designs, etc. There's not a whole hell of a lot about this one that's very Phantom, per se. It's more of an "in name only" kind of deal. But the ending of a particular subplot is one of the most satisfying I've ever seen, and the music is on point.

1998 adaptation, AKA the Dario Argento version

HAHA YEAH FUCKING RIGHT! No one in the fandom ever said that with a straight face and about one of the only things we all agree on is how fucking horrible this version is, but it led to the masterpiece that is this review. Watch the whole thing. It's so worth it.

And that's that! *throws confetti*

#phantom of the opera #pardon my enthusiasm #gerard butler #lon chaney #robert englund #25th anniversary #my faves

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glassprism · 5 years

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After the last question about Gina Beck I was wondering, which performers you think deserve the hype they get from the phans and which are overrated, in your opinion?

I don’t really think any are overrated, but as for ones who live up to the hype... well first, who is getting hype really varies. In general, actors who are currently in one of the flagship productions, like Broadway or the West End, tend to be more popular and well-known than others. But once they leave, people tend to forget them pretty fast. So other than the “Big Four” (e.g. the original cast, the 2004 film cast, the 25th anniversary cast, and the cast of the filmed Australian production of LND), who is hyped can vary a lot.

For example... a while ago I made a list of some fairly popular Christines at the time and included ones that I thought were worthy of the hype. But as you might see when comparing that list of who was well-known to now, there’s some major changes. Sarah Brightman, Emmy Rossum, and Sierra Boggess are still very popular, but I now see much less talk about almost everyone else save for Gina Beck and Kaley Ann Voorhees. Even Anna O’Byrne I don’t see a lot about right now (IMO she got overshadowed the last year by Ben Lewis’s turn as the original Phantom).

In addition to the above, I’d say some popular Christines right now might include: Ali Ewoldt because she had a fairly long run on Broadway, Amy Manford because she’s incredibly photogenic and utilizes social media well in conjunction to that, and Meghan Picerno because of her recent stints in the LND national tour and now the Phantom World Tour. Of those three, I haven’t heard enough of Picerno to judge, but Ali Ewoldt and Amy Manford are both good, though I preferred Kelly Mathieson to Manford and kind of wish more attention was paid to her. If you include LND, Rachel Anne Moore also had a fair amount of fans, which was great as I adored both her Carlotta and LND!Christine.

For Phantoms, some pretty popular Phantoms might be Michael Crawford (worth it, he was so unique and sensual), Hugh Panaro (also worth it, very interesting interpretation), John Owen-Jones (not a top favorite, but I can see why his powerful voice could get him such a following), Gerard Butler (I mean, he tried), Ramin Karimloo (meh), Ben Lewis (fine, but most of his popularity seems to have stemmed from being in the officially filmed version of LND), and Ben Crawford (pretty good). Some Phantoms have recently had a surge of fan attention due to new bootleg releases or just shifting trends, such as Saulo Vasconcelos (love him), Laird Mackintosh (pretty nice), and Jeremy Stolle (immensely surprised but also rather pleased about this since I really enjoyed his Phantom). For LND, Bronson Norris Murphy seems to have come out with the most attention, which I find to be justified as I liked him a lot.

For Raouls... Raouls in general tend not to get a lot of attention, but big names would probably include Steve Barton (very, very much deserves it), Patrick Wilson (not the best Raoul ever but probably the best singer in the movie), Hadley Fraser (ugh), and maybe Simon Gleeson (I enjoyed him). Rodney Ingram still has a bit of a following, though I personally found him a bit rough. Also from LND, Sean Thompson had a lot of fans. I liked him well enough, but didn’t find him too memorable.

#Anonymous #GP gets asks

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let-my-opera-begin · 7 years

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I’ve done it once, I’ll do it again

yes indeed, I’m going to defend the honor of the 2004 Phantom of the Opera, but with evidence to go with it. Yes, I’m aware some people have different opinions on the adaptions, but I’m tired of the phandom hating on this adaption because no matter what you say, it is still an ALW production and deserves much more recognition.

Reason 1.

Out of all the renditions of POTO, this one took the longest. I’m sure everyone knows the struggles of making a movie, but not counting the filming and planning, this movie took almost 20 years just to finalize everything. From the rights purchase to the finding of a director to choosing the production company it took 20 years. wow.

Reason 2.

When they actually decided to film the movie and pick actors, Andrew Lloyd Webber, having complete artistic freedom, decided to go in a different direction than his stage adaptions by not only giving Erik a different perception, but the film in itself. Yes, his original plan was to cast Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford in the film when he decided to make a film in 1989, but after years of production limbo with Warner Brothers, he decided to do something else. Webber chose Shcumacher as his director because he was impressed with the almost obscure way he viewed things, and he decided to choose a cast to go along with Schumacher’s way of filming. Webber decided to go a different way of casting the phantom as stated in the wikipedia article for POTO 2004

They had both decided on another version of the phantom to incorporate in the film thus causing them to look for someone with an edgier side.

They first chose Hugh Jackman as the role of the phantom, but he rejected the role due to the film he was already working on.

Reason 5.

Personally, I think Gerard Butler was the perfect choice for this movie. No, he’s not Ramin Karimloo or Crawford, but he is one heck of a Phantom. For one, he matches the description above when they said they wanted someone more rock and roll and dangerous. Butler really impressed me with the power of his voice. Again, he wasn’t as professional as Karimloo, but he surprised many others.

In this article, it states how Butler had only 4 lessons before performing Music of the Night for Webber, need i remind you how advanced that song is, and Webber was so impressed, he chose him for the role. that most certainly counts for something.

Reason 6.

Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson are also completely underestimated. Rossum, for one, had never had a professional role in a musical movie before in her life and was only 16 when she was chosen. She had been classically trained in opera from a very young age, and Webber offered her the role on the spot after hearing her sing one song. One. Song.

Wilson is another story, look at this article

Wilson was specifically chosen for his background on broadway, I mean look at all the stuff he’s been in!

Wilson had stared in over 5 productions and was chosen to display a more stagish Raoul.

Reason 7.

Have you not seen the costume and scene design?

One of the things I love about movie adaptions of musicals is freedom of set design. You can actively show the characters traveling and interacting in different physical scenery. While the stage production of POTO is so intricate and beautiful, the movie was able to go into more detail on the settings (ex. you can literally see the Palais Garnier in the movie as well as the inside detail even if they didn’t actually film there. They were also able to show more of Erik’s lair as well as the tunnels below.

Reason 8.

Even though I was very disappointed by the cutting of certain parts of certain songs, they pretty much were able to capture the essence of the musical without those extra lyrics.

Anyway, sorry for the long post, but I keep seeing others dissing this movie just because it’s different from other productions. But let me break it to you gently

*clears throat*

NO TWO PRODUCTIONS ARE ALIKE. SAY YOU LIKE EARL CARPENTER OVER RAMIN KARIMLOO, I DON’T SEE CARPENTER LOVERS DISSING RAMIN JUST BECAUSE THEY LIKE CARPENTER BETTER.

I want to live in a world where people accept the fact that Gerard Butler played a pretty okay phantom. Also, I’m pretty sure people are going to think I’m annoying for going so much into this, but this movie helped me get through my surgery so I’m going to defend it with everything I got.

#the phantom of the opera #phantom of the opera #andrew lloyd webber #musicals #broadway #erik destler #erik x christine #cherik

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justanothercinemaniac · 7 years

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Epic Movie (Re)Watch #151 - The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

Spoilers below.

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: Blu-ray

1) The attempt to bring Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic stage adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera to the screen started all the way back in 1989. Back then, it was going to star Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman (who originated the roles of The Phantom and Christine, respectively). The project was ready to begin filming in 1990 with a November 1991 release date, but then Lloyd Webber divorced Brightman (they had been married) and production was stalled. In the interim, John Travolta, Heath Ledger, Matthew McConaughey, Meat Loaf, and Antonio Banderas were considered for the role of the titular character (with Bandera specifically training his voice for the role for years, only getting a chance to sing it during a Royal Albert Hall celebration of Andrew Lloyd Webber). At one point it was going to star Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, but Jackman was busy with Van Helsing and Hathaway had The Princess Diaries 2 to film. Charlotte Church and Kate Winslet were also considered for the role of Christine before Emmy Rossum was cast. Through that time, Joel Schumacher had always been Lloyd Webber’s choice of director because of his work on The Lost Boys. In fact, the screenplay used was written by the pair all the way back in 1989. That means between writing of the screenplay and release, fifteen years went by. Now that I’m done with that fun fact...

2) I think this film improves on the Broadway shows prologue. The use of black and white is a nice touch, as is the decision to age up Patrick Wilson’s Raoul instead of having an elderly actor play the part. It is the first inkling of how the adaptation is able to use the differences between filmmaking and the stage to its advantage.

3) I first saw the stage production of this in August of 2009, then the film a few months afterward. It took me an embarrassingly long time (think years) to figure out that the broken chandelier was lot 666.

4) This adaptation REVELS in the freedoms you have in film versus what you have on stage, mainly through it’s use of three-dimensional space. On stage you have to present all the action in a single location and then orchestrate a scene change. But we get to see how the opera house is as much a character in the film as its titular Phantom of Christine. The film also utilizes the ability to shift POV between characters quite well, as again on stage your POV is stuck with whoever is in front of you. Here we can cut between characters in between scenes and get a fuller view of the picture. All this - as well as its well done use of special effects - gives the film a grander film. It is easy often times for a stage-to-film adaptation to feel stunted, but the team behind Phantom sure as hell knows how to avoid those problems. It’s one of the best parts of the adaptation.

5) Patrick Wilson as Raoul.

So at the risk of offending Phantom purists (something I maybe should have put as a disclaimer on this post), I have always found Raoul to be remarkably bland. No matter how good the performance is, I just have never found him an enticing character. He’s literally just there to be the healthy alternative to The Phantom’s love for Christine. I actually think Wilson does quite well as Raoul, making him the most interesting I’ve ever seen. He is able to make Raoul a bit more aggressive, a bit more strong headed, especially when going after The Phantom. But that’s about it. I think Wilson does admirable and he’s always been a favorite of mine, but I just find Raoul so damn boring.

6) Miranda Richardson as Madame Giry.

Otherwise known as, “The only French character based on a French story in a musical which takes place in French who has a French accent.” Richardson is a talented character actress, as I noted in my Sleepy Hollow recap. She is able to make Giry compelling, interesting, mysterious. You understand that she’s hiding things, but her suspicion never makes her dislikable. To the contrary, the way Richardson plays the part makes Giry all the more fascinating. In my opinion, Giry is as mysterious as The Phantom in this film because of Richardson’s performance.

7) Okay, Firmin (one of the theater owners) making eyes at Christine is weird. Depending on the translation of the novel you read, she’s fifteen. And yes the actress was eighteen at the time of playing her, but still. Creepy. Also when Madame Giry says she’s an orphan this seems to encourage Firmin’s advances and I gag a little.

8) A little wink to another work of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s

Former Theater Owner [on how to deal with Carlotta]: “Grovel. Grovel, grovel.”

(One of the songs from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was “Grovel Grovel”.)

9) Minnie Driver as Carlotta.

I love Minnie Driver and she is absolutely perfect as Carlotta in this film. She is able to play the conceited diva MARVELOUSLY well (claiming to channel an old neighbor she had in Venice for the part). She totally loses herself in the part. This isn’t Skylar from Good Will Hunting, this isn’t Debi from Gross Pointe Blank, this is someone who is totally new. Driver is phenomenal in the part, although she didn’t do her own signing. She is a singer (contributing her vocals to the end credits song “Learn to Be Lonely”) but not an opera singer, so she had to be dubbed in. Nonetheless, she is an incredible addition to the film.

10) Emmy Rossum as Christine Daaé.

The protagonist of the film (more-so than The Phantom even), this was one of (if not THE) biggest roles the 18 year old had at the time. Rossum is great in the part, abel to capture Christine’s vulnerability without making her weak. Her honesty without making her naive. Christine is a character defined by her massive heart. She has incredible passion for music, a deep connection with her long dead father, incredible sympathy with The Phantom, and a wonderful friendship-turned-romance with Raoul. But she never come across as a damsel or as a fool. I think Rossum’s performance is a big part of that. You’re rooting for Christine and you love that she makes you do so.

11) Christine’s first number is her big performance of “Think of Me” for the opera house. During the neighbor the filmmakers gave her this angelic glow which I find...really distracting. Like it’s weird to me. I get they’re trying to emphasis her purity, but she looks a bit like a ghost.

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

12) I do like the chemistry Rossum and Wilson have as Christine and Raoul. It’s not hot sweats pure passion chemistry, but it is a trust and honesty they have with each other. They’re old friends and that comes through in their performances. You get that they’re the right fit for each other.

13) Gerard Butler as the titular Phantom of the Opera.

The casting of Butler has been a controversial one following the release of the film. He’s not a classically trained singer and at times it shows. When it does show it can be distracting, but that’s not to discredit his performance as a whole. For the most part his singing is top notch, I would say 95% of the time. It is just you can be a little thrown off when there’s that 5% that isn’t what you were expecting.

I personally do not find Butler to be bad in the part. Quite the contrary, I think he’s pretty great. In my recap of The Bounty Hunter I noted he didn’t have the right kind of charisma to play the romantic comedy angle. This is not true here. To start, Butler fills out The Phantom’s physicality very well. Just the look he has in the mask and the cloak is a powerful visual. More than that though, he is able to portray all facets of the Phantom with expertise and grace. His passion, madness, obsession, instability, sorrow, and later heartache all are done with the appearance of ease by the Scottish performer. There are times when he breaks your heart, there are times when you hate him, but you are never bored by him. He always holds your attention and I think that is key in playing such an iconic character. And again, Butler is just great in the role.

14) Nowhere is Andrew Lloyd Weber’s skills as a composer better showcased in this film than the double billing of “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Music of the Night.”

To start with, the titular song is able to be creepy, macabre, invasive, chilling, fascinating, and eerie all at the same time. It perfectly represents just the horror and mystery The Phantom carries with him. Then turn around right into “The Music of the Night”...

This is the song which particularly gives us an amazing glimpse of who The Phantom is as a character. Nowhere in the film is he quite as voluntarily vulnerable as he is right now. His hearts is on his SLEEVES as he sings to Christine of his world, of who he is as a character. Through the seamless transition from the chills of “Phantom of the Opera” into a piece of music which is moving, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, and just as fascinating, “Music of the Night” is quite possibly the best song in this whole film.

Having said that, it is a song which requires acting to match it. And Butler is at his best during this number. That previously mentioned vulnerability is on full display through Butler’s performance. You can understand his compassion for Christine, not only through his voice but also through his physicality. He plays the heart of the scene incredibly well. Rossum is great here too, showing off her fascination and wonder of The Phantom and his own through no words or song, just movement and expression. They both do a great job of elevating the number as it should be.

15) When listening to “Music of the Night” I believe that The Phantom’s obsession is not exclusively about finding a romantic love with Christine, but more about finding someone to be with him in the night. He is devastatingly lonely and wants a companion with him in the darkness. Who is a more devoted companion than a spouse?

16) The scene where Christine unmasks The Phantom only for him to fly off the handles makes something perfectly clear: the mask is as much for him as it is for everyone else. The Phantom deals with INCREDIBLE amounts of self loathing and metal health issues. He is afraid of being the monster people call him, he is afraid of letting them define him. The mask is an attempt to define himself. As I will explain later, it doesn’t work as well as he would hope.

17) Notes/Primadonna.

The double billing of the song begins as a nice peek into the relationship with theater owners Firmin and Andrew and their friendship (romance?). It also begins to illustrate just how deep the conflict between The Phantom and the egotism of the Opera/rules of the world in light run. You begin to see the hinges coming off of The Phantom as he tries ordering around everyone, setting up the drastic lengths he will go to later on.

The “Primadonna” half of the number serves as a fine montage. Showing just how the owners convince Carlotta to participate in the show and what lengths they are willing to go to to keep her. And it continue the film’s use of movement through a three dimensional space to convey sense of scope and plot, something which cannot be done to such an effect on stage. It’s a nice number but - again, at risk of offending Phantom purists - could it have been cut? It works fine on the stage but this film is two-hours-and-twenty-three minutes long. Would it not have been as effective to cut it for the screen and just had a standard scene of dialogue and score to convince Carlotta to stick around? I know it is blasphemy to consider cutting any number from one of the most iconic Broadway musicals of all time, but I can’t help but wonder if the film would have been better off without it.

18) It was during “Primadonna” when I realized something:

Carlotta’s goal is the same as Lina Lamont’s from Singin’ in the Rain.

They are both incredibly popular actresses with annoying voices looking to destroy the careers of an up and coming actress to ensure their own future success.

Now that you can’t unsee that...

19) The duality of Christine’s compassion/sympathy for The Phantom mixed with her fear of him later one creates a nice conflict for her. Something which is interesting to watch and should parallel the audience’s own feelings.

20) “All I Ask of You”

The number serves mostly as a nice moment of trust and honesty between Christine and Raoul. It is here where one would start shipping them, so to say. Yet while in most productions of the stage play you learn that The Phantom was there the entire time AFTER the song is done, you see his reaction to hearing Christine’s and Raoul’s love DURING the song. His constant presence is heartbreaking, an emotion Butler plays so well. It’s not just that Christine is choosing Raoul over him, she’s choosing the light. She’s choosing day instead of night, cementing the Phantom’s loneliness. Making it all the more heartbreaking for him. This was his once chance to not die alone and he just lost it. And it breaks your heart.

21) “Masquerade”

This is my favorite number in the film. Largely because it is one of the few light moments in the production, but more than that it ties into The Phantom’s own personal struggles in a way you don’t first understand upon listening. The “heroes” of the day (in a kind of elitist way) are practically gloating at The Phantom’s disappearance in a way which is mocking to his pain. They wear masks for fun, he wears a mask because he has to. Because he has been beaten and torn down because of his face. The lyrics take on a much sadder meaning with the reprise later in the film.

22) How fitting is it that The Phantom shows up to the masquerade dressed as The Mask of The Red Death?

“The Mask of The Red Death” is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe where wealthy noblemen attempt to hide from a plaque known as the Red Death by hiding in an abbey. There, they host a masquerade ball when a figure disguised as a Red Death victim enters and makes his way through each of the rooms. His presence marks the deaths of every guest by the hands of the same disease they were so desperately trying to avoid. Basically a bunch of elitists try to hide from those beneath them and in their arrogance sign their own death warrants. I like that.

23) Briefly Raoul pursues The Phantom into a secret compartment under the opera house and finds a room full of mirrors, unable to determine which is the reflection and which is the man. This is not an element of the stage play, but an instead of the original novel. The Phantom would lock victims up in this room to drive them mad. I like the nod.

24) I first saw this stage production while it was traveling in 2009, then again when my alma mater put it on just a year after I graduated high school. I don’t remember Madame Giry going so in depth about The Phantom’s origins so much on stage, but I’m sure as hell glad the film has it.

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Once again, the movie does an excellent job of utilizing point of view to add elements. Seeing just how terribly The Phantom was treated is devastating. As a child he was beaten, mocked, and treated like an animal for years. Referred to only as “The Devil Child” by his captors he only free himself by killing a man and then being forced to hide in the Opera House ever since he was a boy. No wonder the man went mad. No wonder he hides his face. He’s terrified of being exactly what people said he was, and because of the way he was treated that cruelty he’s afraid of is linked directly to his deformity. By hiding his face, he hides the monster. Or so he thinks.

25) I love this line, because it shows just how much we don’t know about The Phantom.

Giry: “He’s an architect and designer. He’s composure and magician. He’s a genius, mousier.”

If I’m not mistake, in the original novel The Phantom DESIGNED the opera house (as well as a palace for a Persian king). He is portrayed as being the greatest artistic mind of the century and the most mad. All in service of more depth to his character.

26) Again this is probably blasphemy to Phantom purists, but I always tune out during “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again”. Rossum is great in the song, conveying the sorrow she feels over missing her father, but come on. Do we need a three to five minute number just to understand, “I really miss my dad, I wish he was here with me?”

I must admit the song is a beautiful piece of heartache and sorrow, while also giving us our best peek into Christine’s relationship with her late father, but it just slows down the pacing too much for me personally.

27) Similarly, the action of the following sword fight between The Phantom and Raoul is another thing that on its own I really like. The decision to add a bit more action to the film as well as giving Raoul more to do is something I appreciate. But it just slows down the pacing too much for me, personally.

28)

Christine [after they plan to use Christine as bait to lure out The Phantom]: “Raoul I’m frightened. Don’t make me do this.”

Can I just say I would like Raoul so much more as a character if he said, “Alright, I won’t make you do this. We can run for it. Just you and me.” I would love that, I would love if Christine came to the decision herself as, “No, even if I’m afraid I have to do this.” She sort of does that in the film as is but I would have liked both Raoul and that decision more if Raoul weren’t pressuring her to do it.

29) So the opera is performing The Phantom’s play Don Juan and the actor playing the titular Don steps off stage and The Phantom steps back on in costume as the don.

And I’m just thinking: really? No one immediately notices that the actor’s height, weight, and voice has changed? No one stands up and shouts, “Hey, that’s The Phantom!” and they just shoot him before he gets to close to Christine? They just roll with it? Do they people in the audience actually believe this is the tubby guy from before? Am I overthinking this?

30) Naming a song “The Point of Return” makes it pretty clear what is happening in the musical at this point, but beyond that the composition of the number does an excellent job of conveying its title. You feel the weight in the music more so than the lyrics, and that’s where the power is.

31) So The Phantom is ugly. He wears his mask to hide a hideous deformity that the world has totally shunned him for. It is this deformity which have caused him to be beaten repeatedly, tortured, and called the Devil’s Child as a kid. And then Christine goes to remove his mask and we FINALLY see the blood curling horror which is The Phantom’s face...

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF] please let me know.)

I do enjoy this film more than some others do, but come on. This is supposed to be one of the most hideously disfigured characters in all of fiction. He’s not even supposed to be human!

Anyway...

33) The decision to put the chandelier crash at the end of the film instead of the end of the first act I think is a smart change. When you’re doing a Broadway show you need a solid ending to act one, in film you usually want to hide the structure as well as you can. There’s no three acts (or at least there’s not supposed to be), there’s just one story. So it makes sense to have the chandelier at the end.

34) The film’s entire climax is incredibly key to The Phantom as a character, and Butler is absolutely stellar in the scene.

THIS is his madness as its greatest. His desperation and his pain has become total to him. There is nothing else. It is here that it becomes clear that the ugliness of his face has entered his soul. He has come the monster he was said to be as a child not because of any physical deformity but because of the mind crippling loneliness that deformity has brought him. He just doesn’t want to be alone anymore, and it is that decision that drives him to madness. And it is the first sign of companionship which brings him back to some form of reason.

Christine: “God give me courage to show you you are not alone.”

That is all The Phantom ever needed. Something real, something which showed him that he could be loved despite his face. He doesn’t lose Christine because of his scars. He loses her because of his actions. And the kiss shows him that. And he lets them go before listening to the music box singing the lyrics to Masquerade.

Phantom: “Masquerade...paper faces on display. Masquerade, hide your face so the world will never find you.”

35) Okay, ever since seeing the original stage production, this image of Meg finding the Phantom’s mask while dressed the way she is makes me want them to go on swashbuckling international adventures.

I really enjoy this adaptation. I think it conveys the stage musical in an effective and equally macabre way, that it uses the change in format to it’s advantage, and that it is acted remarkably well (even the controversial casting of Gerard Butler I think is pretty great). I just really enjoy this film and the heart it carries with it. If you’re a fan of musicals, horror, Andrew Lloyd Webber, any of the actors involved, or Andrew Lloyd Webber, I recommend giving it a view.

#The Phantom of the Opera #Gerard Butler #Emmy Rossum #Patrick Wilson #Andrew Lloyd Webber #Minnie Driver #Miranda Richardson #Joel Schumacher #Epic Movie (Re)Watch #Movie #Film #GIF #Singin' in the Rain #Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

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love-little-lotte · 7 years

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I'm too impatient to do this 30-day challenge, so I'm just going to answer everything today lol. Besides, I'm going on a vacation in two weeks heh. So ANYWAY

1 - I first learned about Phantom when I was ten years old. I stumbled upon the novel in the school library and I borrowed it. I read it and got shit-scared at some parts (remember the part where the Phantom dragged Christine by the hair? That shit is scary for a ten-year-old). Then I learned from my older brother that there's a movie about it, and he showed me the 2004 film with Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum. THEN I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE MUSICAL.

2 - My first musical is Phantom, so obviously it's my first ALW show. My first Phantom, unfortunately, is Gerard Butler (I used to be a fan but then... I grew up and realized he was a bad Phantom.) When and where??? Hmm, I haven't seen the show live yet lol so I can't answer this!

3 - Joseph Buquet, definitely! I actually like his death during the ballet scene. No matter how many times I've seen Phantom, I still get chills.

4 - I HAVE NO IDEA!!!!!! I'm skipping this.

5 - WHEN CHRISTINE HANDS THE MASK BACK TO THE PHANTOM AFTER STRANGER THAN YOU DREAMT IT!!!!!

6 - The Red Death in the ALW musical version. The movie version butchered that costume, tbh.

7 - The Aminta Dress during Don Juan. The details are so pretty and I particularly love the part where Christine swishes the skirt when she spins around.

8 - WISHING YOU WERE SOMEHOW HERE AGAIN

9 - Aw shit, I don't know! Um, probably Notes. I skip that part 30% of the times.

10 - "But his voice filled my spirit with a strange sweet sound, in that night there was music in my mind, and through music my soul began to soar!"

11 - "IT'S OVER NOW THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT!"

12 - That little scene where Christine makes her way to the graveyard, just before she sings, "In sleep he sang to me..." THAT VIOLIN PART. YES, THAT.

13 - Hugh FREAKING Panaro. That might sound so cliche, but yes, he's my favorite. I love how he portrays the Phantom. He's violent and scary, and somehow you could feel his vulnerability during the Final Lair.

14 - Rebecca FREAKING Caine. I mean, have you heard her voice??? It's like she's an angel. A TRUE ANGEL OF MUSIC. What I'd give to see her back as Carlotta.

15 - John FREAKING Cudia. My, my. His rendition of "All I Ask of You" is just the best, imo. And you can truly see he loves Christine with all of his heart.

16 - UHHH, the "soar" part. I can't sing but when I absentmindedly sing that line when I'm washing the dishes or something, I sound like a dying cat.

17 - Hm. Probably Christine. When multiple people start singing, my brain will immediately go to Christine's voice.

18 - ....wishing you were somehow here again...

19 - It's the second version I watched, after the 2004 film. I, too, like millions of people, got obsessed with Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess. It's true that their chemistry is undeniable, and yes, I was one of those hardcore Rierra fan for a long time. I didn't like Hadley Fraser, though. He's so hard with Christine, it's kinda annoying. I guess the only reason he got the part is because of his Grantaire during the Les Mis 25th anniversary the year before. I love love love Ramin and Sierra, BUT when I educated myself with more Phantoms, I think they could've chosen a better Phantom (please don't kill me). He's "meh" during the early parts BUT he shined during the Final Lair.

20 - As a ten-year-old, I loved it. As an eighteen-year-old, no. Gerard Butler can't sing, but he can act though. Seriously. Emmy Rossum is the exact oposite. I actually love her voice (her "consume us" during Point of No Return tho), but her acting is.... no. She's not even acting, tbh. She's jsut..... there. Patrick Wilson, imo, is a fantastic Raoul, tho. I really liked him. And there's also the part where they cut "IN ALL YOUR FANTASIES." Plus, their costumes are BORING!! Emmy's Star Princess dress is NAH compared to the stage version.

21 - All I Ask of You. Yes. I love how the Phantom was there, and it's just, heartbreaking. And, I love the Mirror Scene.

22 - That interview where Sierra Boggess interviewed other Christines during Daae Days. Does that count?

23 -

24 - It’s a playlist tho.

25 - Love the music, hate the story. Why does Meg Giry have to kill Christine tho??? And why does Raoul have to be an asshole??? And why the FUCK did Christine sleep with the Phantom after kidnapping her and her boyfriend??????? WHO DOES THAT?

26 - Once, a friend gave me a charm bracelet with a Phantom-mask on it. THEN I FREAKING LOST IT IN OUR APARTMENT BEFORE.

27 - ......Rierra. I might not like the 25th anniversary that much, but dang it, Ramin and Sierra's chemistry is OVER THE ROOF.

28 -

29 - *coughs uncomfortably* Meg is in love with Raoul. Why else would she want to go with him to the lair??? (Yeah sure she wants to save her friend but eh.)

30 - EVERYTHINGGGGGG. From Phantom's obsession with Christine to Christine's relationship with her late father. I LOVE EVERYTHING.

#phantom of the opera 30 day challenge #phantom of the opera

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