Reviewer: Mikaela Porter
The Phantom of the Opera / 2004 / 7.2
Director/Studio: Joel Schumacher
Warner Bros. Pictures
Box Office: Budget- $70,000,000
Gross- $154,648,887
Genre: Musical Romance Thriller
The mis en scene in this movie was wonderful. The setting is in Paris late 19th century and the costumes I believe are a great depiction of what it should look like. The overall set design was phenomenal and had a great taste. The genre is more of a romance musical so it had lots of candelabras and firelight which also added to the creepy aspect that it is she who gets kidnapped and taken to this dungeon. It is not what one would expect to be a sewer. Maybe the only thing that threw e off, but it is still a great design in that it is the Phantom’s home and his place of music. The lighting was great and always somewhat dim and dark adding to the thriller portion of the genre and making the film look older.
To my dismay, most critics did not like the film as I expected. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 33%, however, a better result is the audience saying that it was 86% good. “Give me the Lon Chaney version any day. Call me an old-fashioned man if you want, but I just had such a hard time finding anything remotely likable in Schumacher's glam rock version of "The Phantom". Though Rossum's performance is worth remembering, everything else is basically lifeless and lacking in energy or appeal. The whole production feels cut and pasted, and it doesn't translate well to the big screen.”- Felix Vasquez Jr. I completely disagree with Felix here. I think incorporating the rock element to the musical was a great idea! It is is fresh and it goes along with the attitude that most of the film is about. A critic that can better explain what I agree with said :
“That said, open-minded moviegoers, shameless romantics, and, of course, existing Phans should have little difficulty in letting their darker (or, given the ultimately tender spirit of the material, lighter?) side give in to the power of the music of the night. There’s a reason why Lloyd Webber’s live adaptation has consistently packed in crowds for going on two decades and served as the “entry drug” for future fans of live theater (such as myself), and it’s the much like the reason why Christine is so taken by the Phantom himself: it conjures up this unexplainable spell that leaves audiences sad, sentimental, swooning, smiling–in some way transported and moved. Now, in Schumacher’s film, that spell lives on.” - Michael Dequina
“THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA” starring Emmy Rossum, Gerard Butler, and Patrick Wilson. Directed by Joel Schumacher. (PG-13, 143 minutes) Christine Daae was brought up in the Paris Opera house. She grows up and discovers a voice, telling her and teaching her to sing. She believes he is the angel of music, but in-fact he is a scheming genius, The Phantom of the Opera, and he falls in love with her whilst. Although she is fascinated and drawn towards The Phantom, almost hypnotized, she falls in love with her childhood sweetheart, The Viscount de Changy or Raoul. This stirs up a major love triangle and the plot only thickens. Wonderful sets, costumes and cast. The music was brilliantly written by Andrew Lloyd Weber and is a must see musical. ★★★★Porter.
Shortly, there will be a new review!
Mikaela
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