Year of Release: 1925Country of Origin: USA
Director: Rupert Julian
Cast: Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry
Plot outline: A mad, disfigured composer seeks love with a lovely young opera singer (IMDb).
This well known silent classic is certain to be of interest to silent movie students who haven't yet gotten around to seeing it. It provides the most famous role for one of the silent era's biggest stars, Lon Chaney. Movie buffs will also be fascinated by its color sequence. Color cameras and film, and their prodigious lighting requirements, were prohibitively expensive, yet this marquis production used a color scene to generate buzz, and show off its colossal opera house sound stage. Besides the sets, the pastel color scene, and the fame of its production and star, The Phantom of the Opera has yet more going for it: suspense! True, it is predicated upon a stock theme, the pure blond beauty in peril from villain, a cliche that preceded cinema. But the theme is overused precisely because it is effective, especially since some of us take the perverse attitude of cheering for the villain. If anyone is offended, it might be those mindful of the woman's role in society. An early scene features dozens of childlike ballerinas fascinated by and fearful of the Phantom. Worse, our heroine, Christine leaves much to be desired in terms of character. While the unseen Phantom is advancing her career, she cheerfully follows his instruction, even spurning her lover, the heroic and humorless Raoul. If her rival Carlotta is killed, so much the better, for the sake of her own career. But once Christine learns how ugly her new boyfriend actually is, all she can do is cower in fear. Only late in the movie, when she pleads to the Phantom to spare Raoul, does she show concern for someone other than her fair-skinned self. (BK)
My judgement: *** out of 4 stars
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