The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

A young soprano becomes the obsession of a disfigured musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opéra House. He kidnaps the soprano and forces the owners of the play to keep her as the lead role of the play.

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writers:

Gaston Leroux (novel), Andrew Lloyd Webber (book)

Stars:

Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 39 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gerard Butler	...	The Phantom
Emmy Rossum	...	Christine
Patrick Wilson	...	Raoul
Miranda Richardson	...	Madame Giry
Minnie Driver	...	Carlotta
Ciarán Hinds	...	Firmin
Simon Callow	...	Andre
Victor McGuire	...	Piangi
Jennifer Ellison	...	Meg Giry
Murray Melvin	...	Reyer
Kevin McNally	...	Buquet (as Kevin R. McNally)
James Fleet	...	Lefevre
Imogen Bain	...	Carlotta's Maid
Miles Western	...	Carlotta's Wigmaker
Judith Paris	...	Carlotta's Seamstress

Storyline

Begins when an opera ghost terrorizes the cast and crew of the French Opera House while tutoring a chorus girl. He finally drives the lead soprano crazy so she and her friend leave. The girl is able to sing lead one night but the soprano doesn't want her show stolen so she comes back. The ghost demands they keep giving his protégé lead roles. Meanwhile, His pupil falls in love with the Vicomte de Chagny, but the Phantom is in love with Christine, his student. The Phantom is outraged by their love and kidnaps Christine to be his eternal bride. Will Raoul, the Vicomte, be able to stop this dastardly plan?

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Plot Keywords:

opera | singer | mask | singing | disfigurement | 

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Taglines:

Her voice became his passion. Her love became his obsession. Her refusal became his rage.....

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Genres:

Drama | Musical | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief violent images

Details

Official Sites:

Central Partnership [Russia]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

22 December 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,219,310 (United Kingdom), 12 December 2004, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,001,890, 26 December 2004, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$51,268,815

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$103,380,072

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Odyssey Entertainment, Really Useful Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

143 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In playing Christine's father in this movie, Ramin Karimloo becomes the only actor to have played all three of Christine's loves. Her father in the movie version, and both Raoul and the Phantom on the stage.

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Goofs

During 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again', Christine walks up some steps and through an archway. Before she climbs the steps, she is holding a bunch of roses with both hands, clasped in front of her. However, when she walks down the steps, the roses are held at her side, in one hand, under her cloak, before she brings them up and holds them in both hands again

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Quotes

[first lines]
Auctioneer: Sold. Your number, sir? Thank you. Lot 665, ladies and gentlemen: a papier-mâché musical box in the shape of a barrel organ.

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Connections

Referenced in Sarah Brightman: Diva - The Video Collection (2006)

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Soundtracks

Journey To the Cemetery
Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart, and Richard Stilgoe
Performed by Emmy Rossum
Produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Nigel Wright, Joel Schumacher, Simon Lee, and Guy de Villiers

User Reviews

Superb Film - but stage to screen comparisons inappropriate.

I think some other comments here are harsh, especially towards the performance of Emmy Rossum, who I thought made the film. Her performance visually (i.e. expressions etc) is mesmerizing. I'm sure a lot of this is down to Joel Schumacher who successfully steers the film away from just putting the stage show on to film, but has actually created something powerful in its own right, so I believe comparisons of the stage show to film are unreasonable.

My only niggles are technicalities, the Phantom wears a mask which only goes just above his eyebrows in the Ball scene (and shows no deformation) and yet when the normal white mask is removed later the entire left side of his face is deformed. The lip sync hing is often poor, especially in 'Think of Me' which is disappointing, especially in the knowledge that all but Minnie Driver recorded their own singing parts anyway.

The Soundtrack has been given a spring clean and it really benefits from it, removing some of the synthesized feel of the original and giving it much more of an orchestral grandeur.

All in all, this film really took me by surprise. As I said above Stage to Screen comparisons do feel somewhat inappropriate with this film, but I was never that fussed about Phantom before or after seeing it on Broadway. I can safely say that this film has converted me.