Phantom of the Opera (1925)

As regular readers know, I am a big Phantom of the Opera fan, having read the book at least four times.  So, with October upon us, it seemed only fitting that I should take a moment to discuss one of my all time top five movies, the 1925 silent version of The Phantom of the Opera.

The Phantom of the Opera is, at its core, a story of a love triangle.  In the middle is Christine Daae, budding young star of the Paris opera.  On one side of this triangle is Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny.  On the other, Erik, who has mentored Miss Daae to stardom on the Paris stage.

It just so happens that Erik is also a hideously disfigured man who has been “haunting” the Paris opera house as the mysterious Opera Ghost.

First thing you should know about this movie is that there are a lot of different versions out there, as is often the case with many silent movies.  If you can find it, there is a special collector’s edition of the film that was released in 1997.  This version remasters the film from a 1929 reissue, but at the original 20 frames per second run speed rather trying to run it at 24 frames per second.  To most people, this probably does not mean anything when watching it.  Most important with this version is that the film is tinted according to original specifications.  Where some prints are strictly black and white, this version is color tinted according to the scene, and the masquerade scene is in two color Technicolor, making the Phantom’s red death costume really pop.

As for the actual film, it is probably the closest version to the actual book I have seen (and I have seen a few of them).  Granted, some liberties have been taken with it (the back story of Raoul and Christine is largely missing).  Lon Chaney’s Phantom of the Opera is undoubtedly the closest to the description in the book, as well as one of the most terrifying ever brought to screen.  Christine’s shocking revelation of Erik’s ghoulish face is one of cinema’s greatest scenes.  And while Carlotta does not croak like a frog on stage (forgivable in a silent film), she certainly sings to bring down the chandelier.

Even if you have trouble with silent films, fans of horror, movies, and even movie make up should definitely try and see this truly classic film.

Related articles

• Introducing Erik (colleenguilderson.wordpress.com)
• The Chaney Blogathon! Two men, thousands of faces (moviessilently.com)