Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera – 2004
Directed by Joel Schumacher
The movie will be released on DVD on May 3, 2005!
As any long-time visitor to this site will know, I have been against the idea of this
movie from the very beginning. The show is so fabulously theatrical, I’ve always felt
that Hollywood would somehow manage to screw it up. But, for some reason, nobody
decided to ask my opinion when they went ahead and made it! 🙂 So all I could do was
hope for the best, while fearing the worst.
It turns out, however, that’s it’s neither the best nor the worst. There are many
things about this film that I really enjoyed, but enough things that I didn’t to
ensure that it won’t ever be one of my favourites. It will also NEVER replace the
stage show, which was my biggest worry about having it made at all – will people see
this and think this is the show? I hope not, since it really isn’t.
First, the positives:
1. The sets, costumes, lighting, etc.: Absolutely fabulous! I don’t think I really
have any complaints on this front. I didn’t fall in love with the Phantom’s lair, but
I think that’s only because it’s not really how I imagine it. The costumes are
wonderful.
2. Patrick Wilson! Easily my favourite part of the movie. Though I didn’t agree with
some of the changes they made to the character of Raoul, Patrick played him
brilliantly, and might even be, dare I say it, my favourite Raoul ever!
3. Emmy Rossum, Miranda Richardson, the managers, other supporting cast: Nearly
everyone else was also very good in their roles. I didn’t think Minnie Driver was *
quite* as funny as I’d been led to believe (and I’ve seen some ladies on stage who
were funnier), but she was fine. Emmy Rossum has a lovely voice, and did a good job
as Christine.
4. The orchestrations. Although the overture was changed a bit (why?), overall the
music sounded wonderful.
Now, the things that didn’t work for me:
1. Gerard Butler. Oh, what this movie might have been with a different Phantom! I’ve
never seen any of this actor’s other work, which I’m sure is very good, but he simply
is not Erik. He’s certainly not the Erik of the original novel, and not close to the
best men I’ve seen on stage. Erik is supposed to be an ANGEL OF MUSIC. This would
imply that he can SING. Gerard Butler cannot sing. All the phrasing was wrong, the
words were clipped, it evoked no emotion from me whatsoever. He is also too young,
but I knew going in that the director apparently didn’t feel an older man could be
sexy. And, though I’m sure this is also primarily the director’s fault, he played
Erik as too insane. Through seeing the show 17 times live, that final scene never
fails to move me to tears. This wasn’t even close. It was like watching a stranger,
and not the Erik that I’ve come to know. He wasn’t funny, he wasn’t charming, he
wasn’t gifted – he was simply crazy.
2. The changes in the backstory. This was inconsistent with the original novel, and
damaging to Erik’s character. If you have him locked up in the Opera House for all
his life, it certainly seems to imply that it has driven him mad. One review of the
movie that I read stated “In short, the Phantom is a nutter, and by the time the
film’s plodded to a halt, there’s not a character or viewer who doesn’t know it.” And
unfortunately, I have to agree with that! But you’ll never catch me saying that about
the Erik of the stage show or the novel.
3. The swordfight. Stupid.
4. Cuts and spoken lines. Not many cuts, but the second act version of Notes is
mostly gone, and several lines are spoken rather than sung. Also stupid.
5. The Phantom’s makeup. When they finally got the mask off, I was like, “That’s it?”
From a distance, he just looks like a slightly unattractive man. Even up close, it’s
really not that bad. I found it took away from the overall effect. This Erik is NEVER
scary, in terms of his character or his face. They seem to have missed the point that
a sense of danger is integral to his character.
As you can see, though in terms of numbers, the lists are pretty equal, the things I
didn’t like are much more substantial. I didn’t hate it, as some people thought I
might, but I also don’t feel like it’s an accurate representation of the show. When
seeing a live performance of the show, there is so much that can be interpreted in a
different way. You can choose where to look, which character to follow. This film is
simply one person’s interpretation of the show. It’s definitely not mine. And I truly
hope it doesn’t discourage anyone from seeing the real thing for themselves, and
finding their own experience of it.
| Cast
Gerard Butler …. The Phantom
Alison Skilbeck …. Nun/Nurse |