Arts Features
A Closer Look At The Phantom
By Amy Somensky Jul 10, 2004, 5:02 GMT
For years and years Hollywood has looked to the theatre for their next and best movie projects. From Showboat in 1951, West Side Story in 1961, Little Shop Of Horrors in 1986, or Evita in 1996 there has been no shortage of theatre crossovers on the big screen. The resurgence of this has come with 2002’s Chicago. Winning the Oscar no doubt will open up the flood gates with everything Hollywood producers can throw at us.
With the teaser trailer just released, I figured there is no better time to discuss The Phantom of the Opera. A film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s successful musical has long been in the works. I for one never thought it would happen. Everyone you can think of has been mentioned in the role of the deformed Phantom, from John Travolta (who by the way hasn’t done a musical in years) to Antonio Banderas (after his awesome performance in the film version of Evita).
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The Phantom and Christine |
Set to direct the film is Joel Schumacher. He has directed Veronica Guerin, Phone Booth, A Time to Kill, and Falling Down to name a few. The casting choices were left up to Schumacher who wanted the cast to be “young and sexy.” Lloyd Webber’s request was that “the three leads have to be good singers.” With that I have to assume that this cast has the pipes to perform music as difficult as Phantom’s.
Emmy Rossum has just turned 17 and has been singing at the Metropolitan Opera since she was 7 and seems to understand the character of Christine and her motivations for being seduced by the Phantom. Rossum said in an interview, “the character, Christine, is very lonely, needy, and vulnerable, and because of that she's manipulated; so there was a range of emotion to explore. I also had a close friend who died about two months before we started shooting, and that influenced my performance because the character thinks she sees her father, who passed on when she was about 9, and that this man, the Phantom, is a conduit of his spirit.”
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Christine and Raoul |
Patrick Wilson is no stranger to Broadway. He has starred in Oklahoma and The Full Monty, for which he has received Tony Award Nominations. He has also starred in the touring companies of Carousel and Miss Saigon. He has the right look for Raoul, young and handsome, and the more I think about him, the more I like him. Although I have never heard him sing, after seeing his performance in Angels in America, I have no doubt he can pull off a loving, desperate, yet conflicted Raoul.
Gerard Butler is an unknown Scottish actor whom I know very little about and seems to have very little theater experience. Schumacher gushed about him saying, “he’s the greatest, he’s like the Scottish version of Colin Farrell. He’s just a regular guy, he says it like it is. And he’s a fabulous singer. I knew him before we started casting Phantom and he told me he’d been in a band. I asked him if he could sing - not just stand up on stage with a guitar, but really sing - and he said ‘I think I could’. Then when he came in to audition he blew me and Andrew Lloyd Webber away. He’s going to be a great Phantom - a young, sexy Phantom.” The Phantom is the glue that holds the story together. To be effective, Butler must make him frightening, horrifying, pathetic, charming and make the audience feel sympathy for him all at the same time.
Now seems the perfect time to address the thousands of fans who were up in arms that Michael Crawford was not cast in the role of the Phantom. Lets think about the age difference. Emmy Rossum is 17 and cannot pass for much older than that. Michael Crawford is 62. We are approaching Anna Nicole Smith territory here. There is no way he could be the Phantom now, he is just too old. Schumacher has also had some comments on the controversy, “"and I know the Michael Crawford fans are going to be hysterical, but maybe they should stay home then." Right on Joel!
The cast member I am crossing my fingers for is Minnie Driver as Carlotta.
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Carlotta |
*Spoilers Ahead*
The Phantom tells the story of a deformed man who lives in and haunts the crypts of the Paris Opera House. He falls in love with the young singer and ingenue, Christine, with whom he takes under his wing to perfect her voice. At the heart of the story is the tortured soul that is that Phantom. The film will include some of his back story. This is severely lacking in the musical. I have not read the famous novel that serves as the source material, but I think the film will be much better for including some of his back story. It gives a reason for the pain he is suffering which leads him to the horrible actions he takes. According to reports the film will include a scene in which Madame Giry first meets Erik (The Phantom) at the fair, and how she helps him hide from the authorities by taking him to the Opera House after he has killed his owner whom has kept him in a cage.
Patrick Wilson is quoted as saying, “it's the same as the play, fans of the musical will love it. I think it will exceed their expectations. There are no songs cut - there's actually one added. This movie is Andrew Lloyd Webber's baby, and he kept the integrity of the show. The things you only imagine in the stage version really happen on the screen." Saying that there have to be some changes in making a good adaptation of a musical. Some of the reported changes include moving the scene in which the chandelier crashes to the stage. Instead of after “All I Ask Of You,” it will fall after “The Point of No Return.” This change will certainly up the drama at the end of the film. This change will make a change in the dialogue during Masquerade a necessity since The Phantom mentions the chandelier. The manager’s second act “Notes” number has been changed to just dialogue spoken by the Phantom after “Masquerade.” This change will force the introduction into Raoul’s plans to be moved elsewhere. The ending has been lengthened to tie together any remaining questions and to connect the beginning and the end of the film. It begins with the auction and an old Raoul journeying through Paris to a cemetery all in black and white. Then we are plunged into color and Raoul’s memory of the events of 1870. The film ends with the camera drawing through the mask the Phantom has left behind for Meg and becoming black and white again with Raoul in the cemetery at Christine’s grave.
The biggest change will be the addition of a new song and three new pieces of music. The new song, titled “No One Would Listen,” will take place in the Phantom’s lair after Madame Giry’s recount to Raoul how she first met Erik at the fair and how he came to be in the Opera. Andrew Lloyd Webber has said this about the additions, “there are three new pieces of music, and one entirely new song. In the film they've added a sequence in which we learn more about back story of the Phantom--where he came from and what happened to him. At the end of the sequence, he sings a song about his emptiness and loneliness and that he's been rejected from the moment he was a child. It's called ‘No One Would Listen'. I'm quite pleased with it!" This is a great edition. I have longed to truly understand the Phantom’s torment.
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Masquerade, Hide Your Face So The World Will Never Find You |
As for the trailer. Obviously it is just a teaser, and that is a perfect name for it. The countless number of images speed by so fast that it would take many viewing to catch it all. The look of the film looks awesome. The lushness seems just right. The leads have the right look for their characters, and I got a couple of chuckles at seeing Minnie Driver in Carlotta’s elaborate costumes. The beautiful music is there but I still want to hear them sing, and until that happens I will not be totally convinced. If you watch closely you will catch a glimpse of the Phantom unmasked.
The biggest question for me is whether anyone besides fans of the musical will actually want to see this film. Musical films can be very awkward when a character just bursts into song. That is the reason why the film version of Evita with Madonna didn’t work, even though it had some real masterful performances. The reason why Chicago worked was that the characters had a reason to burst into song, they were in Roxie Hart’s imagination. That is also the reason why Chicago crossed over from just the theatre fan audience to film audiences. Of all the musicals on Broadway, Phantom is one of the most traditional, and without a big name to carry the film, it will have to rely on it’s name and hope it can attract a bigger audience. Most of that will depend on whether it’s cast can actually deliver.
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Older Talkback
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The movie is out!!! Everyone must go see it! It is beautiful! But please, if you're obsessed with the stage production--go with an open mind. The movie is different, and it's different on purpose.
POTO is the best musical EVER!!!!!!!!
I thought that the film was brilliant and the cast were great
I just wished that Christine chose Erik (Phantom) over Raoel becase he was such a girl compared to the hunk that is the Phantom!!!
The Phantom of the Opera is the best movie ever. i saw it 6 times in the theater and bought it on dvd the 2 disc one. It was mysterius and and wonderful. Gerard did a great job as the phantom. his voice was so stronge i loved it. Christine should have stayed with him, i know i would have. i know all the songs, they danced around my memory and i loved them.
I think Christine should have choose the Phantom over Roul, Roul is such a sissy compared to the sensuall, lonely man that is the Phantom.... I think Christine was being mean to the Phantom at the end of the movie when she goes back to him & gives him the ring, because he thinks she is coming back to him because she choose him instead of Roul, instead she gives him a ring & walks off... That is my favorite movie!!!!! Keep up the good work Gerry
I have no idea why you people think that this movie is so amazing. It is NOTHING compared to the stage production. And before you jump down my throat about how it's not supposed to be the stage production, think about it. It actually claims on the website, 'The first rendition of the STAGE PRODUCTION on the big screen.' Yeah.
Gerard Butler is a lovely actor and a very handsome man. Believe me, I thought he was rather good as the Phantom, and even better if I played Michael Crawford's voice while he was sining ;-) But he doesn't have the voice for the songs, and even though a bit of talent peeked through, he unfortunately does not have the voice training absolutely needed for this role.
Emily Rossum...oh God...don't get me started on her. She has the talent of a pigeon and yes, her resumee is impressive, but she's frankly bad. She can't reach the high C at the end of Phantom of the Opera, and she can hardly reach the high F at the end of Think of Me. I think that the only talent in this film was Minnie Driver because she was actually trained as an opera and stage singer. For that reason, she should have been cast as Christine and Emily Rossum should have been Carlotta.
Now, the guy who plays Raoul is actually OK. However, his voice is a little too faint and with some proper training, he could be as great as the original. That's actually pretty high praise coming from me.
Bottom line: the movie is only good if you play the 1986 Broadway track behind it with everything else muted.
To Catherine -
Perhaps you should do some research before you comment...
Minnie Driver did NOT sing her part.
Emmy Rosum has been singing Opera PROFESSIONALLY since she was 7.
Educate yourself before you open your mouth next time, perhaps it will make your opinions worth listening to.
i luvvv the film so much i can't get it out of my head. i wish that Gerard butler was really the phantom and i was cristine and then we could be forever.
the film is great, its a hundred times betta den the stage show, and all of their voices were perfect, so i don't know what ur going on about catherine.
i'v deen the film like a billion times now (i'v lost count)
and i don't wish to see the musical, because i'v seen clips and it looks like a put down. (becides my name is rely Farwa)
GERARD BUTLER SHOULD WIN AN OSCAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I saw the film of the Phantom of the Opera and I purchased the video. It is wonderful. I may have seen the video 50 times. We love the music, story and the cast. Gerard Butler is great as the phantom. The role is definitely his. Emmy Rosum is simply stunning. Patrick Wilson is my favorite, however. He has a wonderful,gentle and melodious voice - just right to sooth the confused Christine.
I hated the movie. I was bitterly dissopointed in Rosem's awful singing. Nothing like the book.
First of all to Miss Catherine de la Russie.
no offence to you, but I totally DISAGREE WITH YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think that Gerald Butler did an exalent job as the Phantom. I mean REALLY.
Who can possibly hold a note for 18 seconds.The longest I can hold a note is 17 seconds.Oh, by the way I think that Gerald is an exellent singer,and deffinently deserved to play the Phantom.
Beth I completley agree with you.I bought the cd 'phantom of the opera' ,and it says on the casting Carlotta as Minnie Driver,and the singing voice of Carlotta by Margrett Preece.
So I think that Margrett Preece deserves your complement for singing and Minnie Driver for acting,Miss Catherine de la Russie.If you wanted to hear Minnie Driver sing (Which she did well) On the movie 'Phantom of the Opera'
Listen to the opening credits song which is 'learn to be lonely'.
If Gerald Butler happens to be reading this I think you did an exellent job as the Phantom,and I wish that I could meet you.
If Emmy Rossum is reading this, I think you did a wonderful job as Christine hitting all those high notes.I mean I'm a soprano and I can't even hit those notes! Same thing I said to Gerald Butler I wish that I could some how ,someday,I could meet you.
If Patrick Wilson is reading this I think you did an exellent job as Raoul.One day I looked on the internent looking for information on the charicters of Phantom of the Opera,and when I came to you,I couldn't find any on you.As I said to Gerald Butler and Emmy Rossum, wish I could meet you.
To all of the cast of 'The Phantom of the Opera' you all did a wonderful job on the movie. Keep up the good work.
Ignore all the negitive comments.
Oh catherine:
that note at the end of the theme song is a high E two octaves above middle C, not a high C. i dont mean to sound egoistic, but i do have perfect pitch and i did try out those notes on the piano to make sure they are the correct notes. and the note towards the end of 'think of me' is a high B flat not an F. think of me ends on a E flat. and emmy rossum could jolly well hit those notes. before you start on how she 'can't hit the notes', try to hit them yourself and see how you sound like and how 'not being able to reach those notes' would really sound (in other words, strangled). and yes, minnie driver's singing was dubbed by a professional opera singer called margaret preece. she did not sing those herself. and i think emmy sounded beautiful- she's a lyric soprano whose voice is perfect for the role of christine and she sounds how christine would sound like. it would be quite gross if a 16-year-old christine sounds like a woman twice her age, in other words, the voice of carlotta being too mature for christine. it would hardly be believable. emmy's voice is also powerful when she needs to be, and you see her voice develop and you see her grow throughout the course of the storyline. at the beginning she sounds innocent and bell-like and she's a little impressionable girl, by the end in 'point of no return' she really grows into a woman. pay more attention to how the voices and singing were used in the movie. perhaps it would make you sound better, not just like some person who doesnt know a thing about the actors and actresses in the movie. if you would just compare christine and carlotta, if they both sound the same, in other words your so-called 'only professional voice', then what contrast would she bring to the opera songs? if they sound the same, then why do the opera managers in the movie flinch when they heard carlotta but were so taken by christine's voice? it would seem rather dumb, don't you think? and don't you think its kind of weird if the lead soprano of the opera house sings like a 16-year-old when she's obviously much older than that? same piece of advice: do some research before you shoot your mouth off. thanks.
Catherine:
I have to say you are an idiot. Beth is right, Minnie Driver did not even sing her part. Apparently you have no idea what you are talking about. While Emmy Rossum is enjoying her fame and glory as Christine; you can enjoy your lack of fame and glory and stay a bitter wanna be. Oh, and by the way, Emmy did hit that high C at the end of The Mirror song you are jealous because you could not do it to save your life.
I totally agree with all of you on those comments to Catherine. Look Catherine, i don't hate you and i am not trying to be mean or anything, but you are wrong. Emmy did hit all of those notes beautifully. For a 16 year old, that is pretty good. I'm a soprano,taking lessons from an opera singer, and I'm still learning on how to hit those notes properly. my mom was an opera singer, and she even agrees with me that Emmy hit those notes beautifully. And usually people who sing opera have good pitch and can hear weather or not someone is gpoing flat. And about gerard, his voice may not sound operatic, but it is honestly exactly how I would imagine the Phantom's voice to sound. They describe his voice like an angels, and i don't think and angel would have an overboard vibrato voice. Hs was smooth an bell like, and that's is really good for a first timer who has never sung operatic music like that before. Don't you think they would know what they are doing hiring people to sing? Just ponder that the next time you get critical
L.G.
I cannot stop hearing the voices in my head. The Phantom haunts me. The casting for this movie is simply exquisite. When I am in New York I shall have to see the play, after all this time. I think Hollywood blew it by not casting Butler as the next James Bond. Of course, it isn't any loss for Butler: he's a man's man, a woman's heartthrob and a combination of innocence and intelligence. I will watch the movie many times and cry many times for the Phantom.
Piperpop
This movie Was is and forever will the GREATESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST of all...Christine must of been blind not staying with the phantom first of all he their for her whenever she needed him...he guided her and got through when she missed her dad...Raoul was not....besides raoul is such a sissy not passionate at all....THIS MOVIE SHOULD WIN A MILLION OSCARS...to those who did not like it go choke on a tree...dont watch it your eyes are not worth being watched from...
catherine:
You are so totally wrong with saying that carlotta and christine should have been swiched around. Those two people were perfect for the part, and they both had great voices. Also, minnie driver did not sing her part. However, she did sing 'learn to be lonely' during the end credits. Also, christine did not hit a high c. I have the piano book for all the songs, and since i can read treble clef, i think i should know. I am done criticizing you now.
Gerard Butler was perfect for the part of the phantom. He had a great voice and he was really handsome. Emmy Rossum was also very good for the part of christine. She too had a great voice and i was really impressed on how she could hit those high notes so easily. Her intonation all the time was perfect. Now, Patrick Wilson. He was such a sissy in the part of raoul! I was so disappointed how christine went with raoul instead of the phantom. The phantom was the best charecter in the movie and raoul was such a girl. The phantom actually loved christine and raoul jist 'liked' her. It was so mean how she came back to the phantom at the end only to give the ring back to the phantom. She should have stayed with the phantom. raoul was such a sissy and wasn't really there for christine when she needed someone. I agree with Joel in his comment in the soundtrack. Her pull towards the phantom was a very deep, soulful union, and her pull towards raoul was only her awakening as a teenager.
to pony girl:
gerard butler didn't hold those notes for 18 seconds. The people digatly looped the notes to make it sound like it was one long note.
I think that the Phantom was amazing and Raoul (like many other people have said) was no where near as passionate. And he reminded me of a girl, mostly because of the hair. He was a 'prince charming wannabe'. Patrick Wilson did a great job playing the character and I think his voice suited the part, but I just dislike the person he played. He had a knack for ruining moments with Christine and the Phantom...the graveyard, the ending scene, etc etc. Also I thought it was so awful how the Phantom was listening to he and Christine singing together during 'All I Ask of You,' and the Phantom saw them kiss. I think Christine should have stayed with the Phantom, and she gave him false hope by returning the ring.
Still, I loved the music. 'Music of the Night' and 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again' are my favorite songs. I also really liked 'Think of Me'.
And Catherine I suppose everyone else has jumped down your throat...And I am going to do the same. You sounded so egotistical and all your facts were wrong, which made you sound stupid and arrogant. And saying that Christine has the talent of a pidgeon! She was singing opera professionally since she was 7. Also I prefered her voice so much more than Margaret Preece's (the voice of Minnie Driver) especially during 'Think of Me'. It was sweet, and not overly vibrato when Emmy Rossum was singing. Although, Margret Preece did sound good during the play in the movie, Il Muto(sp?). She was also hilarious(Minnie Driver) when she sounded like a toad.
Still Catherine, I'm glad you had a unique opinion, even if I despised it. Oh and also even if your facts were wrong.
Again, the movie was the best in the world, and I will always cry at the end of the movie for the Phantom.
I loved this version of the movie, the music was wonderful.
I'm DYING to get my hands on the 2-disk version,
where the Phantom does the scene 'No One Would Listen'.
I have a bookmark of a page where they play the song,
and I am constanly listening to it. Oh and your right,
it's II Muto. My favorite character is the Phantom, [ofcourse!]
and I really am jealous of Gerry's voice. A total fan of his voice.
I've actually said I want him to teach me how to do it. ;D
I have NOTHING against Patrick, but his character.. well...
is really such a girly-man. People paint pictures where the Erik pungabs him,
lots, and lots, and lots of them. ;) Oh, and Rauol wears cherry lip gloss.
Emmy did a wonderful job on her singing voice, a true Christine there,
but she scarcely showed emotion. Now, when she was in a trance,
I could understand, but all through the movie?
She could have done better, I could see it in her.
Now I sing, and I think I'm a soprano, but I haven't EVER taken singing lessons,
and I sing about.. hmm, 3/4 as well as her, just by singing with her.
As for the Prima Donna argument, Margret Preece sang for her in the movie,
but she also featured her voice in the end, and really added the right emotion.
But, she did speak and act for Carlotta, and she did a great job.
To let you know, SOME of my favorite songs are:
Music of the Night,
Point of No Return,
Phantom of the Opera, [I sing it in French too! Rather fitting. ;)]
Wandering Child, [A production from the tune of Angel of Music.]
and No One Would Listen.
~Angel Half-Child
'Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime,
Lead me, save me from my solitude.
Say you'll want me with you here,
beside you... Anywhere you go, let me go too!
Phantom! That's all I ask of you!!' ;D
I really enjoyed this movie. I have not yet had a chance to see the musical on Broadway, but i hope to do so very soon. Andrew Lloyd Webber is extremely talented, and I loved the music. The cast was very good in my opinion. Gerard Butler is one of my favorite actors, and i think that he did a good job overall, but his singing skills need a bit of work, i think. He seemed like he could have done better. Emmy Rossum was incredible as Christine. She is definetly an incredible singer. Raoul had a nice voice. but he was just a tiny bit wooden. Overall, I really enjoy this movie. Kudos to Schumacher, Webber, and the entire cast.
omg catherine de le w/e u need 2 git your facts strait. now i respect ur opinion even if it is totaly WRONG!!! omg i would like 2 c u git yo tale up there and sing those songs ooh yeah and CARLOTTA DOESNT SING another girl whos name i duno sings 4 her. so um next time u wanna trash a movie no wat the heck ur talkin about! o yeah amd emmy and minnie should not switch parts bc there perfect jus the way the parts r. and really could u c minnie playin christine? i dont think so! that would b like a cat in a fishbowl and a fish chasing a flippin dog!!
ok so heres my review of the movie: i think its wonderful!!! i watch it like everyday! omg gerard is kewl hes hansome i spose and um i luv emmy (christine) but i meen dont go w/ that sissy raul. i meen he was an ok singer and a good actor but....i dunno but i meen erik (phantom) is in luv and ya so hes a lil crazy but u no wat it doesnt matter hes a good singer, was there 4 her wen raul wasnt, trained her voice, and comforted her kinda.
anyways gerard, emmy, patrick, i wanna meet yalll!!!!!! ( if yall read this)
its kinda sad b/c i no like every word and i luv any othrt people who luv this movie and yea!! o yea and not 2 trash this movie bc im like in luv w/ it but jus 2 let yall no at the end wen christine and the phantom r kissing, if u look closely there is a long big spit string connected 2 both there mouths! kinda gross but nothings perfect. well peace 2 all phantom of the opera fans luv yall!!!!
i wanna meet the phantom of the opera pple sooooo bad! there awsome! and i dont care wat ANY1 SAYS (catherine de le sumthin or other COF COF)its awsome and gerry emmy and patrick did an exalent job and i wish i could sing like that. b/c quite frankley i suck at singin soo yea...
still havnt seen the play i wanna tho
and its weird bc i nvr liked opera but and still dont but i luv dis movie ugh im weird
Just a question. Throughout the show several people state to 'keep your hands at the level or your eyes.' I have watched the show a few times and can't seem to find the reason for this. Any insight on this?
I just loved the film and the music.
lori,
the hand at the level of your eye means like u no how the phantom hangs people?well if uv scene the movie u no wat i meens. but it meens like if u put your hand at the level of your eye and he tries 2 hang u then your hand will be there and when he tries 2 hang u your hand will be there so u can pull the rope off. get it now?
Lori,
lizzie had it right.
Keeping your hand at the level of your eyes means,
that your hand will get in between the lasso and your neck,
so that it can't choke you to death.
Get it now? Your hand stops the lasso.
Oh and although I ADORE Michael Crawfords sweet voice,
I don't know if he would have done well in the movie.
If they would have made this movie earlier,
I think Emmy Rossum's voice would have hamonized well with Michael's.
But who else has thought that about Sarah Brightman & Gerard Butler?
They both have passionate voices. If Gerard took singing lessons a bit more....
What do you think about them singing together?
Oh, and one of my favorite parts in the movie is before 'Don Juan Triumphs',
when the Phantom(Erik) sings 'Seal My Fate', I like how Gerard sings that. ;)
And, in honor of the movie, I am wearing my make-shift cloak
and my movie Phantom half-mask replica! Go Phantom!
'The Phaaaaaaantom of the Opera is there, inside my mind...'
I remain, Gentlemen(and Ladies!),
Your obedient Phan Phriend,
~Daphne, The Haunt of the Opera Ghost.
To Catherine de la Russe,
I hate critics like you, I really do. I loved the movie, Gerard Butler's voice was perfection for the part, and I honestly think you need to lighten up. I'll bet you're one of those people who sees a movie and spends the entire time describing which scene was done wrong in your opinion. Hehe, I throw my popcorn at those people.
This movie is phantastic, and the Phantom was drop dead gorgeous, with or without the mask! All though, I think this movie is so depressing because of how badly she breaks his heart, I mean you could litterally hear it ripping in two when she sings 'All I Ask of You' with Raoul. Pretty convienient Raoul chose right then to say, 'Hey guess what, I love you!' Yeah, real romantic! The Phantom doesn't deserve a dumb blonde like Christine (ignoring the fact that she's a brunette). He should have been with someone better... like me! *sigh!*
That movie was the bestest i am so glad it is a true story or it would take the fun out of it a little bit
lizzie thats wrong she says keep your hand at the level of your eye because you cant look him in the face because of his problem...it doesnt mean the that your hand with stop the lasso thats dumb he could just chain your arms up like he did to raul duh any good phantom fan would really know the truth trust me i am i have seen the stage show many of times andi own the movie and watch it alll the time.. so next time you write a comment make sure you know what your talking about ok ok byebye
yeah i know lady phantom he should lol he is like a hunk
HELLO PEOPLE ITS RAUL NOT ROUL OK GOD GET IT RIGHT
The pah
The phantom of the opera has topped the list of my favorite movies of all time.The music itself will take your soul to a higher place.All the lead actors were great and sing really well. But to me Gerard stole the show with his extreme good looks and flawless acting.His music of the night and graceful movements(the way he was leading Christine thru his lair) made me swoon.If I was Christine I would be his in a heartbeat.I loved Carlotta,Andre and Firmin too.Madam Giry was so cool. Overall an excellent movie.
I know everyone's going to jump down my throat, but first, let me tell you I have been studying voice for a long time and have perfect pitch. While I don't pretend to be the best singer ever, I know my **** very well, so don't accuse me of ignorance.
Christine is a well-trained and phenomenal Opera singer. Emmy Rossum is not. That doesn't mean she's a BAD singer--her intonation is good, and she doesn't have any glaringly unhealthy habits--but she just isn't believable as an opera singer, let alone the most spellbinding one her audience has ever heard. Her role requires her voice to do what it isn't ready to do. Even if she had been trained in operatic style since birth--which anyone who knows anything about opera knows she hasn't--her cords are simply too young. An eighteen-year-old has no business singing Phantom of the Opera, even if she can hit all the notes. Singing is much more than pitch accuracy: there's also tone quality and placement, mobility, consistancy, breath support, control, expression--all of which develop with age.
The movie attempts to make the role more accessible to Rossum's voice--several passages are transposed down (her final note in 'Phantom of the Opera' plummets from an E6 to a C6; and while 'Think of Me' modulates to F major onstage--Sarah Brightman's rendition being an exception--the movie lowers it to Eb, taking the high C6 to a Bb5). Also, the 'Think of Me' cadenza is simplified, especially compared with the stage version (again, Sarah Brightman's version excepted). Listen to Claire Moore's recording on the Andrew Lloyd Webber Essentials CD--she's a bit shrill at times and has a slight lisp, but her cadenza is fabulous.
Mind you, I'm not extremely fond of Sarah Brightman's performance, though I love what her voice has become since then. I haven't heard Rebecca Luker as Christine, but I absolutely adore her--she's the only Lily in 'Secret Garden' for me.
And whatever happened to the gorgeous 'Little Lotte' melody, and others? I don't understand what is supposed to be achieved by having the characters SPEAK those lines instead of singing them. I also didn't like how they shuffled the scenes and omitted some of the best ones. Where's that chilling transition between the 'Don Juan' rehearsal and the mausoleum scene, where the chorus gives way to a violin solo? Christine is much more distressed by that point in the show, what with all the pressure she faces in the second office scene (omitted as well), and thus more desperate for her father's guidance.
The movie was awsome im in love with POTO now, even the stage versions but i like the movie better and emmy rossum not emily catherine is my idol and i do believe every1 has their opinion but sayin some1 isnt for a part is just mean wen they actually did a good job so i think that the whole cast was great.
I so wish i was christine. i think shes mad to choose raoul over the phantom. I luv the phantom, hes so goodlooking. me + my m8 watched it a couple ov weeks ago + we totally fell in luv!
Hi all!
You are The Best!!!
Bye
The film is a disappointment to me. All three of the leads look good, Emmy Rossum *almost* sings well enough for Christine. Gerard Butler does not. There isn't an 'Angel of Music to be seen---or more important---heard.
The film makers got what they wanted: Pretty people and over-the-top sets to appeal to younger film goers. They changed the nature of the Phantom from the ALW stage musical, making him a young man who has hidden out under the Opera House since he was around 12 (?) instead of an older man who has travelled the world and experienced both professional success and personal rejection for years so that winning Christine is his last chance at the normal love and marriage he has futily longed for so many years.
The film makers also removed all the power, magic, mystery, a lot of the menace, and most of the pathos of ALW's stage Phantom. In the film, he is an unfortunate young man whose disfigurement has apparently kept him from doing anything except somehow constructing what looks like a Persian brothel under the Opera House and doing some composing.
On the end of the fim, they tacked a touching but anti-climactic scene in which the Phantom has apparently been hanging around and leaves a ring and a rose on Christine's grave. Better they had left the near-perfect ending of the stage production in which the Phantom mysteriously disapppears, Meg holds up the white mask, and the moving last five chords tell us that the music of the night is over.
So i wish some people would stop trying to critisize the performers roles in this movie! i think they were all great!
and i know im a little late but ive never seen this movie until this month and its because my high school orchestra is performing the phantom of the opera music and i thought i should see it, and im not dissapointed at all! im actually kinda obsessed with it. haha...like watching it sometimes every night or day when i can and i love to sing so i try to memorize the songs!
i think this is THE GREATEST MUSICAL IVE SEEN!
Emma did great to only be 16 or 17 or however old she was! and i didnt know who Gerard butler was until i saw him in this and im obsessed with him now!! Hes SOO friken Hot! ahah and sexy!
and i wish she would have chosen the phantom over Raul but i see why she did it because she didnt want to have to live in the dark with the phantom and he could of gotten mad at her at any time like he did when she tried to see him behind his mask!
but thanks for making this movie!
and i suggest any one who hasnt seen it yet get a box of kleenex! haha
i cry everytime i watch it pretty much!
thanks again!
and Gerard if you need any other young girl to sing with you im right here! hahaha
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arionFeb 20th, 2005 - 00:42:18
The movie is out and it is an instant classic thanks to the talents of Gerard Butler's sexy phantom. Take a box of hankies...
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