The Phantom of the Opera - 1983 and 1962 versions
Yesterday evening I watched both Phantom films in a row, as they were each like an hour and a half and I had nothing better to do. Let me tell you - them Faust songs are gonna get stuck in your head. XD Both of these movies, and 5 out of 8 Phantom movies made in the last century have the company working on Faust and Christine trying to get the role of Marguerite. If you can't dance and mime to The Jewel Song after all of that, YOU MUST NOT FEEL PAIN BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH IT HITS YOU IN THE FACE. Just kidding around, though, I like Faust from what I've seen.
That's totally besides the point, anyway. I just wanted to give some quick reviews. Quick because... you know, it was my first time watching - I feel like me and Maximilian-Phantom have only ever been out to tea together, and I haven't quite warmed up to Herbert-Phantom yet. (hehe, 'Herbert') There were thumbnails of parts of other movies in the side-thingy on youtube and I'd see Charles or Robert and their faces would be as familiar as family members almost. So yeah, I only remember so much and I mostly just have first impressions to go over.
First off, Maximilian Schell as the Phantom and Jane Seymour as Christine, from 1983.
Not such a great movie. Its definite strong point is the Phantom himself, which is no surprise - it's the thing people put the most work into. Otherwise, their storytelling through camera was difficult to always understand. I didn't feel like there was a whole lot of suspense or threat from the Phantom. Truth be told, the two movies are blending together for me right now since both had similar feels and a bland color spectrum, but neither Maximilian nor the guy I'm going to get to soon did a lot of killing and/or menacing about.
The characters weren't bad. They weren't spectacular but they weren't bad. The Phantom Reviewer acted like the "Raoul", played by Michael York (who would later become Basil in Austin Powers), wasn't that good, but I actually liked him! I've always loved the actor's voice, and he was a bit snarky. Him and Christine had to get used to each other, but instead of just being a patron, he was the director of the play. That made for a lot more legitimate interaction and when they ended up in bed together it was no sudden surprise. You could sense their attraction even when they sort of bickered. hahah
Christine? Again, not seeming to be well liked, but she was the first Christine I've ever seen with a little bit of spice instead of just pure sugar. Actually, aside to Mary Philbin, I think she reminds me the most of Lily. She never did anything overtly offensive, but she had a brain that said that people were acting rude and she shouldn't put up with it, even if it was the Phantom, which was nice. And hey, what do you know, when she tried to tell Raoul that she simply couldn't tell him anything more about having a singing instructor, he got all upset like she must be cheating or acting like he's too stupid to have to know about it and then they weren't talking for a little while. hahah Oh, and she had a pretty lavender dress at the Masquerade. :)
AND THEN THERE'S ERIKKK- wait a minute, he's not even named Erik in this version. Well, whatevertf his name was. (Like I would remember?) Anyway, "Erik" was a crazy mofo,
I mean, he was pretty creepy. That's not his face - that's his MASK. He goes around looking like that ON PURPOSE. I thought a Phantom's inner dialogue was something like "people will freak out if they see my face, so I should cover it up with something inoffensive," but this one just doesn't care. Nobody ever really sees him, anyway, and when he goes to the masquerade, he wears a mask that looks like a regular human face. It's pretty neat.
Anyway, he has a voice like he's been fighting a cold for some time, but I quite like it. And the set-up where he has a house with all of his wife-who-had-committed-suicide's stuff was weird but it did its part at being unsettling. She had to come in and practice singing in there while wearing the wife's clothes. It was another one of those "she reminds me of someone I used to love" tropes that I'm not really into, but Phantom movies use them so often I just had to get used to it.
Also, surprise surprise, he got into some kind of accident where his face was doused in acid. What's new, pussy cat? WOOOOooooOOOoooh.
The unmasking scene was neat. He said a really cool line before she pretended to caress him with her hand and then just plain ripped it off:
"I only have to be loved to be good."
It speaks for all Phantoms, I think. Great line right before something like that. Naturally he ain't so good after that point and holds her hostage. He even recites some lines from the book and makes her run her hands into his face. It's a shame the ending was such a cop-out.
Speaking of cop-out endings and acid-induced disfigurement, we have Herbert Lom as the Phantom and Heather Sears as Christine, from 1962.
Again, rather unremarkable story-telling, no memorable music, and a Phantom that was too easy to figure out. However! To my surprise, the Christine was a complete charm. She had the same kind of charm as Teri Polo - obviously really young and naive but it isn't made out to be like... "oh, I'll end up in some sexual situation and end up enjoying it. And I don't even realize I'm wearing heavy eye-liner", like Emmy Rossum. (sorry, hun) It genuinely made her easy to empathize with.
Also, a nice Raoul who wasn't a douchebag at all. I mean, seriously, he was through and through a good man who she chose with some sort of logic. He was almost... too nice. He also took it upon himself to research the Opera Ghost and found out who the Phantom was on his own. He started this before Christine was ever kidnapped, just out of suspicion, but once she was, he had a pretty good idea where to find her.
I really liked how they made the opera... director? Whatever he was, to be such a dick. It kind of made me feel like he was the true villain of the story, which isn't really desired in a Phantom movie, but at least he was thoroughly dastardly. XD
The Phantom was... if "the angel of music is very strict" ever applied, it's with this guy. He doesn't even want into her pants. Like, at all. I think all he's really concerned about is the fact that before he became the Phantom, he had his music/a full opera stolen from him and since Christine was cast the part years later, he wanted to make sure that she took full advantage of her singing abilities. In that respect, it was hard to feel like he really cared about her as herself. Like, if any other lady got the part, would he be stalking her? I don't know. But they only had a few hours together before she was rescued, and in it, she was getting tired of singing lessons so he bitch-slapped her. lmao And then when she passed out, he threw a cup of dirty sewer water right in her face.
Yeah... they were not romantic in this movie. XD Don't expect no Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Christine had a funny line, though, about how when the Phantom visited her, he'd just stare.
"It felt as if he was trying to burn a hole in my brain!"
It reminded me of
Dances and Phantoms do not mix with advanced algebra. Erik may as well have been sitting in a desk nearby, watching, with his eyes burning a hole into my textbook.
Spoilers ahead:
Somehow in the end, he wasn't seen as a threat at all. He negotiated with Raoul to continue teaching her the rest of the week in time for her debut and then she played the part, the Phantom sat in Box 5 and cried his eyes out, and then this STUPID-ASS henchman character of his, God I hate parts like this, in any type of movie, was watching the opera from up above when a guard caught him, he jumped on the chandelier above Christine's head to... I don't know, corner himself? He was a retard, I swear. The chandelier was going to fall from his weight, so he got off, but the rope had already snapped, so the Phantom jumped from Box 5 and shoved her out of the way, but the chandelier fell on him and he was, you know, impaled. It wasn't a very heavy or elaborate chandelier, but that's the beauty of cinema, idn't it.
Either version doesn't get above a C+; they're not ones I imagine I'll be rewatching often in the years to come, but they had elements that I appreciated and if both the Phantoms were elaborated and spent more time with her, I think the grade would be higher. However, neither seemed to be more than made-for-TV movies, taking the story and altering it severely so they could have something to entertain people for a short while without getting deep, which is common to do with stories with such usable archetypes, like The Phantom of the Opera.
But it's funny that I say that given that the Charles Dance version WAS made for TV and it was still so good. It was probably so because the plot wasn't just constructed by television writers - it was adapted from a play that took time and thought and didn't know it would ever be a movie. I still need to see Yeston and Kopit's "Phantom" somehow, (youtube?) I hear the movie was very faithful to the play, and if that's so, then I'd like it. Even if the songs are crap. lol
So... that's it. Favorite Phantom movies go in this order, I think:
1. 1990 w/ Charles Dance & 1989 w/ Robert Englund tied.
2. *gulp* for the eye candy, 2004 w/ Gerard Butler
3. 1925 w/ Lon Chaney
4. 1998 w/ Julian Sands
5. 1962 w/ Herbert Lom (I think?)
6. 1983 w/ Maximilian Schell
7. 1943 w/ Claude Rains
Except I haven't seen Claude Rains in years. For all I know, it's better than I remember. And I didn't dislike it! I just thought it wasn't entertaining compared to the others.
Next I'd like to see that animated version. I hear it's good. lol
Blah blah blah, all non-phans are going "I DON'T BLOODY CARE, JENNIFER. IS THIS ABOUT YOUR WRITING? NOOOOO." Hey, it could have been. I don't think Max or Herbert really inspired me, though.
That's totally besides the point, anyway. I just wanted to give some quick reviews. Quick because... you know, it was my first time watching - I feel like me and Maximilian-Phantom have only ever been out to tea together, and I haven't quite warmed up to Herbert-Phantom yet. (hehe, 'Herbert') There were thumbnails of parts of other movies in the side-thingy on youtube and I'd see Charles or Robert and their faces would be as familiar as family members almost. So yeah, I only remember so much and I mostly just have first impressions to go over.
First off, Maximilian Schell as the Phantom and Jane Seymour as Christine, from 1983.
Not such a great movie. Its definite strong point is the Phantom himself, which is no surprise - it's the thing people put the most work into. Otherwise, their storytelling through camera was difficult to always understand. I didn't feel like there was a whole lot of suspense or threat from the Phantom. Truth be told, the two movies are blending together for me right now since both had similar feels and a bland color spectrum, but neither Maximilian nor the guy I'm going to get to soon did a lot of killing and/or menacing about.
The characters weren't bad. They weren't spectacular but they weren't bad. The Phantom Reviewer acted like the "Raoul", played by Michael York (who would later become Basil in Austin Powers), wasn't that good, but I actually liked him! I've always loved the actor's voice, and he was a bit snarky. Him and Christine had to get used to each other, but instead of just being a patron, he was the director of the play. That made for a lot more legitimate interaction and when they ended up in bed together it was no sudden surprise. You could sense their attraction even when they sort of bickered. hahah
Christine? Again, not seeming to be well liked, but she was the first Christine I've ever seen with a little bit of spice instead of just pure sugar. Actually, aside to Mary Philbin, I think she reminds me the most of Lily. She never did anything overtly offensive, but she had a brain that said that people were acting rude and she shouldn't put up with it, even if it was the Phantom, which was nice. And hey, what do you know, when she tried to tell Raoul that she simply couldn't tell him anything more about having a singing instructor, he got all upset like she must be cheating or acting like he's too stupid to have to know about it and then they weren't talking for a little while. hahah Oh, and she had a pretty lavender dress at the Masquerade. :)
AND THEN THERE'S ERIKKK- wait a minute, he's not even named Erik in this version. Well, whatevertf his name was. (Like I would remember?) Anyway, "Erik" was a crazy mofo,
I mean, he was pretty creepy. That's not his face - that's his MASK. He goes around looking like that ON PURPOSE. I thought a Phantom's inner dialogue was something like "people will freak out if they see my face, so I should cover it up with something inoffensive," but this one just doesn't care. Nobody ever really sees him, anyway, and when he goes to the masquerade, he wears a mask that looks like a regular human face. It's pretty neat.
Anyway, he has a voice like he's been fighting a cold for some time, but I quite like it. And the set-up where he has a house with all of his wife-who-had-committed-suicide's stuff was weird but it did its part at being unsettling. She had to come in and practice singing in there while wearing the wife's clothes. It was another one of those "she reminds me of someone I used to love" tropes that I'm not really into, but Phantom movies use them so often I just had to get used to it.
Also, surprise surprise, he got into some kind of accident where his face was doused in acid. What's new, pussy cat? WOOOOooooOOOoooh.
The unmasking scene was neat. He said a really cool line before she pretended to caress him with her hand and then just plain ripped it off:
"I only have to be loved to be good."
It speaks for all Phantoms, I think. Great line right before something like that. Naturally he ain't so good after that point and holds her hostage. He even recites some lines from the book and makes her run her hands into his face. It's a shame the ending was such a cop-out.
Speaking of cop-out endings and acid-induced disfigurement, we have Herbert Lom as the Phantom and Heather Sears as Christine, from 1962.
Again, rather unremarkable story-telling, no memorable music, and a Phantom that was too easy to figure out. However! To my surprise, the Christine was a complete charm. She had the same kind of charm as Teri Polo - obviously really young and naive but it isn't made out to be like... "oh, I'll end up in some sexual situation and end up enjoying it. And I don't even realize I'm wearing heavy eye-liner", like Emmy Rossum. (sorry, hun) It genuinely made her easy to empathize with.
Also, a nice Raoul who wasn't a douchebag at all. I mean, seriously, he was through and through a good man who she chose with some sort of logic. He was almost... too nice. He also took it upon himself to research the Opera Ghost and found out who the Phantom was on his own. He started this before Christine was ever kidnapped, just out of suspicion, but once she was, he had a pretty good idea where to find her.
I really liked how they made the opera... director? Whatever he was, to be such a dick. It kind of made me feel like he was the true villain of the story, which isn't really desired in a Phantom movie, but at least he was thoroughly dastardly. XD
The Phantom was... if "the angel of music is very strict" ever applied, it's with this guy. He doesn't even want into her pants. Like, at all. I think all he's really concerned about is the fact that before he became the Phantom, he had his music/a full opera stolen from him and since Christine was cast the part years later, he wanted to make sure that she took full advantage of her singing abilities. In that respect, it was hard to feel like he really cared about her as herself. Like, if any other lady got the part, would he be stalking her? I don't know. But they only had a few hours together before she was rescued, and in it, she was getting tired of singing lessons so he bitch-slapped her. lmao And then when she passed out, he threw a cup of dirty sewer water right in her face.
Yeah... they were not romantic in this movie. XD Don't expect no Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Christine had a funny line, though, about how when the Phantom visited her, he'd just stare.
"It felt as if he was trying to burn a hole in my brain!"
It reminded me of
Dances and Phantoms do not mix with advanced algebra. Erik may as well have been sitting in a desk nearby, watching, with his eyes burning a hole into my textbook.
Spoilers ahead:
Somehow in the end, he wasn't seen as a threat at all. He negotiated with Raoul to continue teaching her the rest of the week in time for her debut and then she played the part, the Phantom sat in Box 5 and cried his eyes out, and then this STUPID-ASS henchman character of his, God I hate parts like this, in any type of movie, was watching the opera from up above when a guard caught him, he jumped on the chandelier above Christine's head to... I don't know, corner himself? He was a retard, I swear. The chandelier was going to fall from his weight, so he got off, but the rope had already snapped, so the Phantom jumped from Box 5 and shoved her out of the way, but the chandelier fell on him and he was, you know, impaled. It wasn't a very heavy or elaborate chandelier, but that's the beauty of cinema, idn't it.
Either version doesn't get above a C+; they're not ones I imagine I'll be rewatching often in the years to come, but they had elements that I appreciated and if both the Phantoms were elaborated and spent more time with her, I think the grade would be higher. However, neither seemed to be more than made-for-TV movies, taking the story and altering it severely so they could have something to entertain people for a short while without getting deep, which is common to do with stories with such usable archetypes, like The Phantom of the Opera.
But it's funny that I say that given that the Charles Dance version WAS made for TV and it was still so good. It was probably so because the plot wasn't just constructed by television writers - it was adapted from a play that took time and thought and didn't know it would ever be a movie. I still need to see Yeston and Kopit's "Phantom" somehow, (youtube?) I hear the movie was very faithful to the play, and if that's so, then I'd like it. Even if the songs are crap. lol
So... that's it. Favorite Phantom movies go in this order, I think:
1. 1990 w/ Charles Dance & 1989 w/ Robert Englund tied.
2. *gulp* for the eye candy, 2004 w/ Gerard Butler
3. 1925 w/ Lon Chaney
4. 1998 w/ Julian Sands
5. 1962 w/ Herbert Lom (I think?)
6. 1983 w/ Maximilian Schell
7. 1943 w/ Claude Rains
Except I haven't seen Claude Rains in years. For all I know, it's better than I remember. And I didn't dislike it! I just thought it wasn't entertaining compared to the others.
Next I'd like to see that animated version. I hear it's good. lol
Blah blah blah, all non-phans are going "I DON'T BLOODY CARE, JENNIFER. IS THIS ABOUT YOUR WRITING? NOOOOO." Hey, it could have been. I don't think Max or Herbert really inspired me, though.