Phantom of the Opera (Universal Studios Classic Monster Collection)
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Movie Reviews of Phantom of the Opera (Universal Studios Classic Monster Collection)
Movie Review: More comedy than horror
Summary: 4 Stars
The baritone and the inspector steal this movie, The Phantom is only a side note to their attempts to get the soprano.Movie Review: Phantom of the Opera
Summary: 4 Stars
I enjoyed and am enjoying this film--not the usual Nelson Eddy but still good. DVD received in good condition.Movie Review: The Phantom Goes Musical
Summary: 3 Stars
Gaston Lerouxs penny-dreadful novel was hardly the stuff of great literature, but it did manage to tap into the public consciousness with its gas-light-gothic tale of a beautiful singer menaced by a horrific yet seductive serial killer lurking in the forgotten basement labyrinths of the Paris Opera. Lon Chaneys silent classic kept the basic elements of the novel intact-and proved one of the great box office hits of its day, a fact that prompted Universal Studios to contemplate a remake throughout most of the 1930s. Although several proposals were considered (including one intended to feature Deanna Durbin, who despised the idea and derailed the project with a flat refusal), it wasnt until 1943 that a remake reached the screen. And when it did, it was an eye-popping Technicolor extravaganza, all talking, all singing, and dancing. The Phantom had gone musical.In many respects this version of PHANTOM anticipates the popular Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musical, for whereas the Chaney version presented the Phantom as a truly sinister entity, this adaptation presents the character as one more sinned against than sinningan idea that would color almost every later adaptation, and Webbers most particularly so. But it also shifts the focus of the story away from the title character, who is here really more of a supporting character than anything else. The focus is on Paris Opera star Christine Dae, here played by Susanna Foster. In this version Christine is not only adored by the Phantom; she is also romantically pursued by two suitors who put aside their differences to protect her.
Directed by Universal workhorse Arthur Lubin, this version is truly eye-popping in the way that only a 1940s Technicolor spectacular could be: the color is intensely brilliant, and Lubin makes the most of it by focusing most of his camera-time on the stage of the Paris Opera itself and splashing one operatic performance after another throughout the film. But in terms of actual story interest, the film is only so-so. Susanna Foster had a great singing voice, but she did not have a memorable screen presence, and while the supporting cast (which includes Nelson Eddy, Edgar Barrier, Leo Carrillo, and Jane Farrar) is solid enough they lack excitement. And the pace of the film often seems a bit slow, sometimes to the point of clunkiness.
The saving grace of the film-in addition to the aforementioned photography, which won an Oscar-is Claude Rains. A great artist, Rains did not make the mistake of copying Chaney, and although the script robs the Phantom of his most fearsome aspects, Rains fills the role with subtle menace that is wonderful to behold, completely transcending the films slow pace, the lackluster script, and "sanitized for your protection" tone so typical of Universal Studios in the 1940s.
Like most "Universal Horror" DVD packages, this one is superior. The centerpiece of the bonus material is a very nice documentary, "The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked," which details the origins of the novel and the numerous film adaptations of itand which is actually quite a bit more interesting than the 1943 film itself. There is also a nice, if somewhat perfunctory, audio commentary track by historian Scott McQueen, trailers, stills, and the like. But when everything is said and done, its the film that countsand unless youre a diehard Phantom fan youre likely to be unimpressed.
Movie Review: Too little phantom ,too much opera
Summary: 3 Stars
If you set aside the movie of the Lloyd Webber musical this is probably the most lavish version of the Gaston Leroux warhorse ever made.It is visually sumptuous with superb sets which saw the team working on them garner a much deserved Oscar .The costumes are splendid and the colour photography luminous and eye catching .All this unfortunately is at the expense of the horror element and the scenes of drama and tension are subservient to depictions of operatic performance and ones of broad comedy .The suspense and fear of both the original book and the much lauded Lon Chaney Junior movie version are missing amid the welter of staged opera and bufoonery backstage
The Phantom is Enrique (Claude Rains)a former violinist at the Paris Opera who has lost his job due to his diminishing physical powers .A frail and middle aged man ,he loves from afar the young aspiring singer Christine DuBois (Susanna Foster) ,a talented artist but one languishing in the Chorus of the Opera House .Enrique is secretly paying for her singing lessons while seeking to make a new living as a composer.When a music puplisher cheats him over a piano concerto he has written Enrique attacks him and is disfigured by acid in the fight that results.He haunts the catacombs under the Opera House and threatens all those who stand in the way of Christine's advancement including her boyfriend and the other performers
Rains makeup is restrained and there is no attempt to replicate the grotesquerie of Chaney's make up or performance .It is a touching and beautifully judged performance by a great screen actor .The horror scenes when they arrive are effective -the chandelier scene in particular-but they are too few and far between and the plot gets sidelined by too many stodgily staged opera scenes and these ,too be absolutely blunt , are not at all well sung .Eddy and Foster are more Operetta than Opera .
The movie falls between two stools and eventually becomes more a mundane musical than a tale of terror and the performances Rains aoart are woeful.It looks good though and can be enjoyed for its decor but not for its intensity
Movie Review: 2-star movie, 4-star DVD
Summary: 3 Stars
Although I'm a huge Universal Monsters fan, I put off getting this one for a long time. I was put off by reports that the opera portions of the film far outweigh the horror aspects. And those assertions were absolutely correct. I WANTED so much to love this movie, but I just can't.
The 1925 silent version, while not perfect, at least offered an atmosphere of dread and menace--not to mention Lon Chaney's brilliantly macabre makeup work. And although the phantom's underground lair is skillfully realized in this version, there remains very little horror in the tale. Even the unmasking scene is a major letdown. Claude Rains refused to endure any heavy makeup, for fear of being typecast in horror roles--ironic, since he was a major player in two earlier Universal films, The Invisible Man and The Wolfman. The result is a pale imitation of the same scene in the Chaney film.
And speaking of Rains, he's a fine actor. But he's really miscast here. Much like Spencer Tracy in Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, released around the same time, Rains simply does not fit the part. His attempts to persuade Susanna Foster to stay with him are delivered with hardly any inflection at all, and the whole scene feels rushed.
On the plus side, Phantom is easily the best-looking of all the classic Universal horror films. The technicolor photography is simply gorgeous, and director Arthur Lubin allows his camera to move often, resulting in some impressive tracking and zoom shots. As with all the first wave of "Classic Monster Collection" discs, there is an excellent documentary which covers all the cinematic Phantoms up through the 1962 version.
Bottom line: If you're a Universal Monster fan, it's probably worth having in your collection. But don't expect many chills from this well-intentioned misfire of a movie.