Today, the final performance of The Phantom of the Opera is taking place on Broadway, after remaining on the same stage for 35 years. Because of how close to my heart it is, I figured writing about the 2004 movie adaptation would allow me and other phans to grieve and memorialize it at least a little.
The Phantom of the Opera originally began as the 1909 French novel by Gaston Leroux. In 1986, Andrew Lloyd Webber debuted it as a London musical, then on Broadway in 1988. There are a few cinematic adaptations of this story, but I’d like to write specifically about the 2004 musical version because it’s actually my absolute favorite movie in all of existence.
Joel Schumacher took on the project of transforming this musical into a feature film, which I saw for the first time at 3 years old. I think being so young at the time led to instantly producing a deeper obsession within me than The Phantom has for Christine.
The story follows Christine Daae (Emmy Rossum), a young ballerina who grew up in the Paris Opera Populaire. After strange occurrences leave the lead Soprano, Carlotta Giudicelli (Minnie Driver) unable to perform, Christine gets a chance to perform an aria because of private lessons she’s been taking since childhood. Her teacher is revealed as The Phantom (Gerard Butler), who has been causing the strange occurrences to further Christine’s career. Meanwhile, she falls in love with Raoul (Patrick Wilson), her childhood friend, which angers The Phantom and leads to a series of horrifying mishaps.
That being said, let’s see how the breakdown works with (or against) my subjective opinion…
Time- 3
Although the film has been out for nearly two decades, I don’t think it’s anywhere near the status of being a classic, even for those that love musical movies. The runtime is just under two and a half hours, which can feel pretty long, especially for those that are new to the musical movie genre. But I’d like to factor in that it’s been my personal unwavering favorite my whole life.
Rewatchability- 10
This is my comfort movie. I watch it to let negative emotions out, to remember positive ones, to sing along with, to fall asleep, to do homework or study, or just whenever I feel like I need it. I can’t even begin to try calculating how many times I’ve watched it overall, as I’ve watched literally several times within a day, many times. There will never be another movie that gets such a perfect score in this category for me as this does.
Cinematography/Editing- 5
Some of the cinematography choices within this film make me cry, like the transition of the theater essentially coming back to life in the beginning and many of the song sequences. But there are also way too many silly mistakes that I can’t help but roll my eyes at, but maybe that’s just from watching it so often for so many years. However, these are things that are honestly easily fixable if the crew simply decided to take the extra time to do so. For example, Meg’s pants magically become dry after she treks through the underground lake, and it’s very noticeable when she walks into The Phantom’s lair at the end.
Plot- 7
The storyline of Phantom isn’t really a new idea, as it fits the gothic romance tropes perfectly. There are many similar stories, like The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Beauty and the Beast, on the basis that a deformed man falls in love with a beautiful girl. But the side storylines of Phantom make it stick out, like Christine and Raoul’s romance that creates a love triangle, Madame Giry’s knowledge of The Phantom; everyone else’s invasive curiosity even leads to interesting arcs.
Acting- 6
I think this is the most difficult category to accurately rate. I personally adore every member of the cast, but the biggest gripe to most people that dislike this movie is some of the cast’s acting or singing, particularly Gerard Butler’s.
Oddly enough, his over-the-top and whiny portrayal of The Phantom is what makes him my favorite actor to play the part. I like that he isn’t a perfect singer, as he slides through notes that are more staccato on the stage. I love that in this case because it’s more emotion he’s using to sing rather than skill.
Additionally, Christine is portrayed by Emmy Rossum who not only grew up singing in an opera house like her character but she was specifically chosen for the role by Andrew Lloyd Webber after he heard her sing.
So I’m taking the world’s opinion into account as well as my own for this category because I do understand the other perspective of wanting a trained singer to act in the role of The Phantom.
Costume Design/Special Effects- 9
I will forever be blown away by many of the costumes and makeup in this film: from the “Masquerade” ball gowns and accessories to the way Christine’s makeup changes from light and natural to more smoky and seductive when she’s taken down to the lair. I also remember running around with a red blanket as a kid acting like Christine in the “All I Ask Of You” scene, so there’s a lot of sentiment to include in this category.
Gruesome Factor- 2
This is the other point people make about this movie. It really isn’t as scary or gruesome as it should be, especially with The Phantom’s deformity makeup. However, I have a theory that I would love to someday either confirm or debunk.
I think The Phantom’s makeup isn’t so scary when Christine first sees it, peaks at its worst look when she takes his mask off during “Past The Point Of No Return” and gets a bit better again the last time we see it, after he forgives Christine and lets her go. I always saw a bit of a metaphor in there matching the storyline, but again maybe that’s just after nitpicking it for most of my life.
Shock Value- 7
For those that’ve never seen any version of The Phantom of the Opera, many portions of this film can come as shocking, whether that’s because of the storyline development, the music or the several murders. The film may not be shocking in horrific ways, but I get goosebumps the moment the fire is struck to light the chandelier that can continue until the candle goes out at the end.
Believability- 9
The emotions conveyed really lead to feeling like the atrocities that occur in this film could really happen. There’s even a lot of speculation that Gaston Leroux originally used some real life occurrences to inspire the book. At the very bottom line, it’s very possible for someone’s stalker to go so deep into an obsession that they start harming others, thinking they’re helping the person they adore, and even accidentally hurting that person too.
Ending- 10
The movie returns full circle to black and white, showing present-day Raoul leaving a present for his late wife, Christine. He notices a fresh rose already placed on her headstone with the engagement ring The Phantom last had, creating one last ominous feeling that he’s still stalking around after all that time. I think this ending is pretty creepy to the characters that experience it, while also romanticizing how eternal The Phantom’s love for Christine is.
Points Total: 65% out of 100%
It’s pretty funny to look at this score given my full feelings, but I guess I’m just glad it technically “passed.” The Phantom of the Opera (2004) definitely leans more on the romantic genre and backburners horror, so I think that’s a big reason the score is lower than some of my other reviews. I also factored in a lot of other people’s opinions rather than solely relying on my own.
I could talk on and on about this movie for the rest of my life, and I will, but for now, I’ll just leave you with this…