This movie is no doubt one of the all-time grand productions of the silent era--not to mention one of the more memorable, due in very large part to the talents of Lon Chaney Sr., who created one of the most memorable visages in all of filmdom as Erik the Phantom. But is "The Phantom of the Opera" a truly great movie? I would say parts of it are great, or at least memorable.
We all know about the "unmasking scene", which still packs a jolt 80 years after it was filmed. Erik's indignation as he points his accusing finger at the woman who violated his privacy, so to speak, turns to a mad sort of glee as he forces her to look upon his face ("feast your eyes--glut your soul on my accursed ugliness") and seemingly just as quickly he turns away from her, knowing now that Christine has seen what's under the mask, his love will go on unrequited. That Chaney can win sympathy for such a hideous man is a testament to his talent.
On the flipside, there's the sequence with the chandelier, that seems to take forever building up to & when it finally does come crashing down, it's all over too quickly. As the picture moves towards its climax, you may start to wonder how indeed Erik managed to stay hidden for so many years. Before the movie is over, it seems like all of Paris is beating down his door trying to get at him. Did Erik start marking his trapdoors with X's?
Overall, I might be inclined to call this more of a great spectacle than film--a "spectacle" however that can still entertain and provide more than a few indelible memories.
We all know about the "unmasking scene", which still packs a jolt 80 years after it was filmed. Erik's indignation as he points his accusing finger at the woman who violated his privacy, so to speak, turns to a mad sort of glee as he forces her to look upon his face ("feast your eyes--glut your soul on my accursed ugliness") and seemingly just as quickly he turns away from her, knowing now that Christine has seen what's under the mask, his love will go on unrequited. That Chaney can win sympathy for such a hideous man is a testament to his talent.
On the flipside, there's the sequence with the chandelier, that seems to take forever building up to & when it finally does come crashing down, it's all over too quickly. As the picture moves towards its climax, you may start to wonder how indeed Erik managed to stay hidden for so many years. Before the movie is over, it seems like all of Paris is beating down his door trying to get at him. Did Erik start marking his trapdoors with X's?
Overall, I might be inclined to call this more of a great spectacle than film--a "spectacle" however that can still entertain and provide more than a few indelible memories.