The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writers (WGA):

Gaston Leroux (novel)
Andrew Lloyd Webber (stage musical)

Release Date:

21 January 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

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

Plot:

A disfigured musical genius, hidden away in the Paris Opera House, terrorizes the opera company for the unwitting benefit of a young protégée whom he trains and loves.

Plot Keywords:

Opera | Diva | Opera House | Disfigurement | Phantom Of The Opera

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 27 nominations

Cast

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

Also Known As:

Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera (USA) (promotional title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief violent images.

Runtime:

143 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | French | Italian | Spanish

Colour:

Black and White | Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Taiwan:PG-12 | Malaysia:U | Iceland:10 | Philippines:PG-13 | Hungary:14 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Netherlands:6 | Portugal:M/12 | Greece:K-13 | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Brazil:14 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Chile:14 | Czech Republic:12 | Finland:K-11 | Germany:6 | Ireland:12 | Norway:11 | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | UK:12A (original rating) | UK:12 (video rating) (2005) | USA:PG-13 | South Korea:12

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Odyssey Entertainment

Trivia:

At the end of the Masquerade scene, Raoul briefly enters a circular chamber full of mirrors. This is a reference to the original Phantom of the Opera novel, in which the Phantom used the mirrored chamber as a torture chamber to drive victims insane.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the scene of "Don Juan" it shows a birds eye pan over of the audience in the ground level (orchestra seating). The people in the back few rows are not people but figurines of head and torso, they do not have legs.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Auctioneer: Sold. Your number, sir? Thank you. Lot 663, then, ladies and gentlemen.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Behind the Mask: The Story of 'The Phantom of the Opera' (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Track Down This Murderer

Musical Blockbuster!

A great musical spectacular of a scale not seen since the fantastic Chicago a year ago.

If you only know the main Phantom theme tune, you will quickly learn to love the other beautiful tunes throughout this film.

I had never seen the stage show, nor knew the story before seeing this film, so everything that happened was a surprise including the wonderful ending.

Take a tissue or two with you as it's sad...I won't say any more about that.

The ONLY thing that slightly annoyed me during the film was that the solo musical numbers were not perfectly in sync to the person singing it and it spoilt the illusion that the person was actually singing it and not just miming.

Nevertheless, one of the best films of the entire year, and I've seen a lot of films! An easy 8/10 vote for me.