The Phantom of the Opera 2005

It doesn't begin in media res as the others movies (1925, 1943, 2005), but as a rememberance which takes place in a very nostalgic and romantico-gothic atmosphere. The auction guy's voice enhacts as a narrative voice, which is not that surprising as many people might have seen the previous movies and went to see this one in order to revive some of its magic.

I'd say this movie is a fanfiction, which turned an opera into an opera within the opera. It features stunning sceneries and more surreal scenes, idealised from the former stories. Even if it often looks like more a circus than an Opera...

Characters are quickly introduced, and they history and parts are immediately displayed. The fact is, the previous movies were condensated in this movie's first part in order to pursue the story further on (which merely consists on fighting over a woman. Yeah).

Some of the scenes are similar to scenes of the previous movies, maybe as a reference, maybe it's maybelline (yes, again. It's getting late and I'm getting tired). However, the story differs in many points, and is often the complete oposite of 1990's film. For instance, it's all about love, and not of music or inspiration. It might even look like a sad, sad story about how a girl confronts her Oedipean complex and leaves her crazy father for a pretty lad who's also rich and a viscount.

I liked the twisted ending, as I'm not against massive movie Opera destruction. Plus, it seems like Indiana Jones had a little trip in those dungeons, once, and left a little souvenir...

Here's the stage Catherine vs Eric duet, for us to compare with the 1990's one:

The special effects are great (I loved the Opera morphing back into past at the very beggining of the film), but this modernity sucks out some of the authenticity of the era.

I like some of this film's ost best, maybe because I'm used to that kind of music, maybe it's maybelline... Plus, I like Nightwish, which might help. But, well, some of the musics are at the level of "Johanna" of The Evil Barbor by Tim Burton... Plus, CATHERINE IS NOT SINGING OPERA!! At the beginning at least. A shame for an Opera singer, right? Such a good illustration of the evolution of our ways of singing, from italian Operas to Edith Piaf, to Vanessa Paradis, to men also singing as girls... Thank you, mike inventor. Look at what you've done! You've castrated voices and we love it.

Characters:

La Carlotta : In short (very short, less than 10 poor minutes) she's a bitch. She's been given an horrid speaking voice, is heavily depicted as a bad singer (a bit like Lina Lamont in Singing in the Rain) and a whinny capricious mood-swinging ridiculous character. One does not feel any compassion for her, as one could have with her 1990's version (but in the end. Sorry for that, madam).


Eric: He's both ugly and beautiful, and as mad as a genius... that's a bit too much for him not to have turned into a Gary-Stue, don't you think? He's more angry than 1990's Eric. He longs for revenge rather than for love, he wants to posses rather than be. He's such a filthy capitalist, send the communists to get him!

He only wears half a mask, which is still according to 1990's design, but lets us see an especially pure and beautiful face when 1990's Eric might have appeared a bit of a "monster" or an animal. It seems like our era can accept deranged psychos, but only if the're pretty. And the prettier they get, the nastier they are. Morals are as good as ever. Appreciate it.


If you've not got it yet, the message here is following: If you ever meet a perfect man, know that he's wearing a mask, and that he does not want you to see what's behind that mask. This movie points out the darkness within us... No, wait. 1990's movie pointed out madness, sadness, due to a dejection based on looks. 2005's movie points out that pretty guys might be ugly murderers, according to the old thesis that the Devil, sins, seem beautiful and appealing, even if they're evil at heart.

I'm sorry, but this is getting a bit overdated, don't you think?

Catherine: She's completely fascinated by the Phantom. The sexual tension between them is so concrete I swear I saw the Phantom trip on it once. However, we don't really see what she sees in him (appart from a drug of some sort). But then the Phantom becomes an ugly murderer, and she switches him for a Viscount (from ghost to Viscount, there's been theoritically some upgrading, right?). I didn't feel sad for the Phantom, because he's a fucking killer, and appears as a fucking Arpagon too (a kind of very possessive guy). Which is sad, because he's a pretty damn interesting character at chore. Catherine was quite interesting too, but here she's only teared between too man she loves sensualy, so it's a bit poorer than in 1990's movie, where love stories where a bit trickier.


Viscount de Chagny: He looks like Adam Storke, but I like the former's curls more... and his character's dept was a plus, too.

De Chagny's anti Star Wars epic quote: "This man, this thing, is not your father".