![]() A single still frame presented to an audience, completely isolated from the context of the rest of the film, would leave absolutely no room for misinterpretations. Later in the film, Christine rejects the Phantom, arcing her back to its limit, her face turned as far away as possible, with her hands outstretched as if the very air around Erik would prove toxic. Somewhat silly, but simultaneously delightful in its approach. There's something both awkward and poetic to the movements of the actors as they express their emotions not in subtleties, but rather in exaggerated body language that almost feels at home here (almost, but not quite.) Early in the film, frightened ballerinas spontaneously spin in place (one revolution) as a visual representation of their anxiety. The rooftop scene, in particular, where Christine and Raoul plot, oblivious to the presence of the unmasked phantom who listens in with great intensity from his perch above gripping his cape in his heartbroken state, eventually throwing himself back into the grasp of the statue in disbelieving defeat. ![]() He moves with a precision and deliberateness that's not entirely natural, but remains paradoxically sincere. I couldn't help but smile watching Chaney's haunting performance beneath that famous makeup, seeing it animated for the first time, the sadness and tragedy that underlines the phantoms soul. Though blatantly exploitive in its camera angle, the timing, the expression on Chaney's face, though it aims purely for spectacle and shock for the audience of 1925, it carries something newer spectacles/shock-films lack: charm. Barring a handful of shots showing a cloaked figure from behind (or from a distance), this motif continues as Erik, the Phantom, is represented as a shadow, calling to Christine from the catacombs behind her dressing room mirror until she inevitably comes face to face with the mask (which she will inevitably remove.) Even though I'm quite familiar with the face of Lon Chaney's Phantom from the numerous still-shots out there, I still felt the pulse of anxiety and suspense when that famous moment drew near. A character with a lantern wanders the labyrinth below the Paris Opera house, ducking into an alcove as the shadow of the Phantom passes. From the opening scene, Phantom of the Opera makes great use of shadows. So, like with other classics, I viewed Phantom of the Opera with the delight of discovering our cinematic horror roots seeing the predecessor to Jack Pierce, Rick Baker, and Stan Winston in action, watching the precursor to John Carpenter, Mario Bava, and David Cronenberg. And I find it fascinating that this is, indeed, the ancestor to many horror films that I adore today. Cinema has evolved so far since the Silent Era that watching these films is almost like glimpsing into another world completely unrelated to the one most of us grew up watching. The exaggeration in the actors gestures and expressions the early camera technology that's not quite fluid and not quite clear the tinted colors and an artificially overlaid soundtrack it all combines and adds up to paint an abstract and unnatural picture. I find silent films more eerie than the talking B&W horror films (Dracula, Frankenstien, the Thing from Another World) and also more eerie than the modern color films (Suspiria, Ju-on, the Descent). ![]() Interested in knowing what the movie's about? Here's the plot: "A comedy musical stage version of the Phantom of the Opera, filmed live on-stage during a performance in Florida." 'The Phantom of the Opera' is currently available to rent, purchase, or stream via subscription on FILMRISE. Released June 7th, 1991, 'The Phantom of the Opera' stars Darin De Paul, Alexandra Kinter, Richard Kinter, Joey Leone The NR movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 33 min, and received a user score of 60 (out of 100) on TMDb, which collated reviews from 1 well-known users. Now, before we get into all the details of how you can watch 'The Phantom of the Opera' right now, here are some particulars about the Hirschfield Films music flick. We've listed a number of streaming and cable services - including rental, purchase, and subscription choices - along with the availability of 'The Phantom of the Opera' on each platform. Yearning to watch ' The Phantom of the Opera' on your TV, phone, or tablet? Searching for a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the Darwin Knight-directed movie via subscription can be a challenge, so we here at Moviefone want to do right by you. ![]()
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