Phantom of the Opera was filmed in 1925 and is based on the Gaston Leroux novel of the same title. The film has been around for close to 90 years and is still widely known and watched today. It has been deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. It compiled wonderful actors and directors together to form an original masterpiece.
The director uses a feeling of suspense and anxiety throughout the entire movie when he disguises certain actions and faces to keep the audience interested. For example, a man at Box Five is only portrayed as a shadowy figure. Another light factor occurs when the Phantom is about to strike and the lights flicker on and off at the Opera House. This gives the viewer a foreshadowing of what's about to happen and also, it gives a bit of a taste of the Phantom's character and how he likes to make an entrance.
Consequently, the main characters played by Lon Chaney and Mary Philbin were well portrayed by the use of Gothic costumes and elaborate facial expressions. For instance, the Phantom hypnotizes Christine by using his enormous eyes when she gets closer to his home. This scene stresses the fact that the Phantom is not an ordinary individual and possesses dangerous talents, which Lon Chaney has no problem in emphasizing. Mary Philbin's shining moment occurs when Christine against all odds, chooses to meet with Raoul, her lover. This actually ends up endangering both of their lives. The actress freely goes back and forth between a frightened and a content facial expression throughout the film, which proves to add to Christine's personality.
Furthermore, Phantom of the Opera contains various Gothic elements, making it into a romantic horror. Even a small incidence of a black cat walking across the stage, portrays a sense of superstition and a supernatural presence. The red cape that the Phantom is wearing when he spies on Christine and Raoul is a reference to death, which can be thought of as a type of unreality as well.
Overall, I recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for an escape from their ordinary life into a Gothic romance. The film itself can be lengthy at times when no real action is occurring, but in a way, it adds to the suspense that the director is trying to develop. Even its score can be thought of as an artistic addition because it adds to the mood of the entire plot. I can honestly admit that what I expected from the film by just looking at the year that it was done, was nothing what it turned out to be. I enjoyed Phantom of the Opera as much as I would have enjoyed a movie with actual sound in it.
The director uses a feeling of suspense and anxiety throughout the entire movie when he disguises certain actions and faces to keep the audience interested. For example, a man at Box Five is only portrayed as a shadowy figure. Another light factor occurs when the Phantom is about to strike and the lights flicker on and off at the Opera House. This gives the viewer a foreshadowing of what's about to happen and also, it gives a bit of a taste of the Phantom's character and how he likes to make an entrance.
Consequently, the main characters played by Lon Chaney and Mary Philbin were well portrayed by the use of Gothic costumes and elaborate facial expressions. For instance, the Phantom hypnotizes Christine by using his enormous eyes when she gets closer to his home. This scene stresses the fact that the Phantom is not an ordinary individual and possesses dangerous talents, which Lon Chaney has no problem in emphasizing. Mary Philbin's shining moment occurs when Christine against all odds, chooses to meet with Raoul, her lover. This actually ends up endangering both of their lives. The actress freely goes back and forth between a frightened and a content facial expression throughout the film, which proves to add to Christine's personality.
Furthermore, Phantom of the Opera contains various Gothic elements, making it into a romantic horror. Even a small incidence of a black cat walking across the stage, portrays a sense of superstition and a supernatural presence. The red cape that the Phantom is wearing when he spies on Christine and Raoul is a reference to death, which can be thought of as a type of unreality as well.
Overall, I recommend this movie to anyone who is looking for an escape from their ordinary life into a Gothic romance. The film itself can be lengthy at times when no real action is occurring, but in a way, it adds to the suspense that the director is trying to develop. Even its score can be thought of as an artistic addition because it adds to the mood of the entire plot. I can honestly admit that what I expected from the film by just looking at the year that it was done, was nothing what it turned out to be. I enjoyed Phantom of the Opera as much as I would have enjoyed a movie with actual sound in it.