The Phantom of the Opera

The other evening I spent my time watching the 2004 version of phantom of the opera, one of my favourite musical theatre shows and also one of my favourite films.

Phantom of the Opera was originally a book written by Gaston Leroux called La Fantome de L'Opera that was written in 1911 about Leroux's own experiences when visiting the underground lake in the 1880's where the phantom was said to have hid and also 'stumbled upon some poor wretches who had been massacred under the commune in the cellars of the opera.'

Even the front cover of the novel looks horrific and after watching the recent interpretation of The Phantom of the Opera the Gothic Horror elements became very clear to me. 

The film starts with the view of an old tarnished Opera House in the future in black and white as the characters enter it and take part in an auction to buy what remains of the Opera House. The scene is set when the well known Phantom of the Opera song is played and everything in the Opera House turns from old to new as we as an audience are transported back through time to how the Opera House used to look.

I was reminded of it's gothic horror theme when 'Christine' the main character was in her dressing room and the Phantom's voice is heard singing to her in a minor key setting the scene and creepily you see his face appear in the mirror wearing a mask. Admittedly this is a modern interpretation but the mystery of the phantom comes from not seeing his face and also the feeling of uncanny when the phantom reveals his secret shine for Christine in the underground lake where he lives.

In the 1929 version of Phantom of the Opera the silent film follows the story very well but takes quite alot of concentration as there is only music heard and film to tell the story. The Phantom in this appears alot more fictional as it
would compared to the Phantom in the recent interpretation. It was really interesting watching a silent film however trying to figure out what was going on.

Here is the 1929 movie below!

I also found alot of other version of this classic! 

1925

1989

1943

1962

These are various adaptations of The Phantom of the Opera but my favourite by far would have to be the 2004 version with Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum as the lead roles. 

Here's my favourite scene from the movie when the Phantom takes Christine down to the underground lake!