Either way it presents a bit of a hit to my suspension of disbelief, since if it's Meg she shouldn't be so damn old-looking and if it's Madame Giry she ought to be the ancient one in the wheelchair.Īt any rate, whichever Giry it is, she gives up bidding against Raoul and lets him win the music box her downcast look and quiet acquiescence suggest that she may be ceding the item to him because his claim on it is greater in terms of what happened in the past (as the Phantom's impact on his life was far greater than it was on pretty much anyone else except for Christine).Īs in the original musical, Raoul is still a vicomte, even in his old age I presume this is because Lloyd Webber's version tends to pretend that the other de Chagnys don't exist. I think this is actually meant to be her daughter, Meg, now also in her fifties, though again she looks pretty damn aged for that and it would have been nice for someone to tell us this so we weren't confused about her apparent age-defying powers but, on the other hand, there's really no evidence of this aside from my desire to make it make sense. My other question has to do with Madame Giry, who is lurking about bidding against him for the music box Miranda Richardson, who will also be playing Giry in the flashback, looks maybe twenty years older here tops, which is confusing since we're supposed to believe that 30+ years have gone by (and she doesn't seem to need any nurses with wheelchairs!). I suppose he could have terrible gout or something, but that wouldn't explain why he looks like he's somewhere in his seventies. I have a few vague questions here, mostly having to do with why Raoul is in a wheelchair and why he's being attended by a nurse - if it's 1919 he's in his late fifties, but that usually wouldn't mean he couldn't walk anymore. The idea that the events of the past are much more real and emotionally compelling is still ably presented, however, and reinforced by Raoul's internal monologues in regards to the musical box he purchases at the auction. Interestingly, the grey vintage footage is used for the present day, while the events of yesteryear are filmed in glorious technicolor I'm reminded strongly of the 1995 Yu/Cheung film, which did the same thing, but unfortunately Schumacher's lack of variation and interaction between the two styles lacks Yu's deft and evocative touch. The prologue is, therefore, familiar, being set in 1919 the vintage-style film, sepia-toned black and white with artful distressing to suggest age, is effective in communicating this to us, though it wears a little thin over the course of the movie. well, it does survive, at least, but one of the greatest technical faults of this film, for me, is in relying much too heavily on its stage origins and refusing to explore most of the new freedoms that could be accomplished in film. As far as surviving the transition to a new medium, it. This is, as you can probably guess from the cover's white half-mask and the inclusion of a certain composer's name all over all the credits, a film version of the 1986 Lloyd Webber musical it follows said musical's plot almost exactly, and makes few nods to its new format, retaining a lot of the same stage effects and recitative passages. This film was the most undeniably polarizing descendant of the original Phantom story until the advent of the second Lloyd Webber musical in early 2010, and it still inspires a great deal of heated opinion on both sides of the fence. Some people think this is the worst film ever made, and some thinnk it's better than Casablanca. Whether or not that's a good thing is a topic of hot and often frothy debate.
This film is probably one of the most influential workings of the Phantom story to emerge in the last decade. Now in its 30th record-breaking year, The Phantom of the Opera continues to captivate audiences at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London’s West End, after more than 11,000 performances.Īndrew Lloyd Webber’s mesmerizing score along with jaw-dropping scenery and breathtaking special effects, magically combine to bring this tragic love story to life each night.The time has come.
The musical opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre on 9 October 1986 with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in the leading roles, and there have been dozens of productions worldwide since then. Shamed by his physical appearance and feared by all, the love he holds for his beautiful protégée Christine Daaé is so strong that even her heart cannot resist. Presenting The Phantom of the Opera, the smash hit musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber!Įxperience the power of the phantom with your nearest performance:įar beneath the majesty and splendour of the Paris Opera House, hides the Phantom in a shadowy existence.
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