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Popular Film Analysis:
The Phantom of the Opera
Americans want to experience, feel and relate to situations that aren't always possible. Theatre and movies allow the audience to escape from everyday anxieties and stress, to imagine what life would be like if viewed or taken from another perspective. However, there are other things beyond the obvious that relate to and help determine how the audience will react to a film. Such things as the genre that the film is placed in help to set expectations that will draw in a specific crowd of people expecting certain things. Some genres include; humor, action, romance, death, deceit, fantasy, horror, ect. The Phantom of the Opera is a classic, musical romance film popular because of its emphasis on love, constant entertainment, and powerfully touching music.
Love equals power in this case. The Phantom seeks the love of a young girl, Christine who's cast into the opera from a dancer to a lead role when the original vocalist bails last minute. If he is able to obtain this love, he can have her sing all of his musicals that he has composed while hidden in the dark anterooms of the opera house, which then will give him the power he is so eager to finally have. Christine's love for music and singing makes her extremely vulnerable to The Phantom. As the audience patiently watches the film, one can see that The Phantoms love for Christine and his music slowly grows into an uncontrollable obsession that will ultimately lead to Christine's death. But, before that the audience is taken on a ride through all of loves games. Christine must choose between the hot male; who returns from somewhere along her past (Raoul); and the ugly man who seemingly just wants to be loved (The Phantom). Everyone wants to love and/or be loved, but not everyone gets what they want. Because of this films emphasis on love and all that it entails, the spectator; consciously or subconsciously; is taken on an emotional ride that allows them to relate to and learn from the experiences being acted out throughout the entire film. Everyone knows what it feels like to give and receive love, as well as to not be loved and not give love. So, through the film, The Phantom of the Opera, the viewers can relate to the characters making the film more personable than ever imagined.
Ever heard of a story that sings of the “Angel of Music” and the “Phantom of the Opera”? A tale that once you have listened to the sweet melody that you will realized that you've pasted the “Point of No Return”? This love triangle has captivated multitudes ever since the 1910 original Phantom of the Opera was published in France by Monsieur Leroux, although most story lovers recall the musical of the same name by Andrew Lloyd Webber or the motion picture adaption. Although this story has been entertaining people for over a century, in this new era have prerecorded voices and movements begun to overshadow the talented performers of live theater? Although “The lavish screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera (2005) only deepened the damage” of the dislike of musicals made into film “with non-stars in the leads and an unimaginative production,”(Musical),which version, the live performance or the film, makes the story more attractive? To answer these questions, permit this essay to analyze two methods of storytelling: 2011 live performance Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall and the 2005 film, and decide if music and story lovers everywhere have too “turned from true beauty”.
Lloyd Webber’s widely regarded masterpiece Phantom Of The Opera uses key motifs and themes throughout the musical to establish its characters and scenes in an effective manner. Throughout the production the motifs, themes and songs all develop to reflect the changes their respective characters undergo. This is particularly evident when analysing The Phantom, his motifs and songs, and how they develop throughout the story.
In one of William Shakespeare’s most renowned and celebrated plays, the story of a General named Othello unravels in tragic form as he falls victim to the lies created by Iago. Once revered as a war hero and wed to the beautiful Desdemona, Othello’s life spirals downward with the untimely death of his beloved in his own hands, ultimately ending with his own demise. Love is the force behind this tragedy. Tragedy is the main driving force that brings happiness and tragedy to the characters within the play. But even as such a prominent force, it lacks clear definition. Love has a different meaning to the characters in the play. Characters like Othello, Desdemona, and Iago all have different perspectives on love, which informs their behavior in different ways.
When we think about the force that holds the world together and what makes humans different from animals, one answer comes to our minds - that humans can love. Love is a state of mind that cannot be defined easily but can be experienced by everyone. Love is very complicated. In fact it is so complicated that a person in love may be misunderstood to be acting in an extremely foolish manner by other people. The complexity of love is displayed in Rostand’s masterpiece drama Cyrano de Bergerac. This is accomplished by two characters that love the same woman and in the course neither one achieves love in utter perfection.
What makes a movie or a play important? The messages of course; no text will ever go without messages intertwined within the story line. Tom Stoppard is a master of this technique which is shown throughout his play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. This is a play about two gentlemen who are from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. Stoppard writes this play expecting readers to know the play Hamlet extremely well; some parts of the play are even performed within Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. However, this is a play about two dead men walking; readers who know the play Hamlet know that these two men are going to die at the end of the play. This is a play where everything is a metaphor, a message, or a theme, some of which reference back to Hamlet, others refer to other things throughout history. There are specific messages that arise throughout Tom Stoppard’s play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, which includes the use of language, the question of identity, and lastly the uncertainties of life and death.
The Phantom of the Opera is known as the most successful musical in history, but its age most clearly shows through some of the themes it displays. Most noticeable to me, is the fact that The Phantom of the Opera conforms to and supports traditional gender roles. This becomes evident after analyzing the characters and their interactions during the 25th anniversary production in London. As a whole, The Phantom of the Opera suggests that the ideal man is authoritative, powerful, decisive, and jealous, while the ideal woman is feminine, indecisive, and naïve.
Extreme passion results in irrational actions with horrifying consequences. The indecisive and fervent whims regarding love and the human heart are often selfish and fickle. For the victims of love, destruction is often inevitable. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, unrequited love forces both Romeo and Juliet to commit suicide, as neither one believes it is possible to continue life without the other. Both, through mere days of desperation, elation, deception, and grief, were ultimately cheated out of their lives by their love. Shakespeare develops a similar opinion through Helena in A Midsummers Night’s Dream. Helena is able to recognize love as a volatile creature, yet with uncontrollable power over the heart.The transient nature of love is channeled through deception and clouded judgement.
Genres are helpful in the general public as they give spectrum to different people and their different tastes. It also accommodates for any mood one may be in if they wanted to watch a film. It characterizes the films and sorts them into place for the viewer’s pleasure, “At all levels of the filmmaking and film-viewing processes, then, genres help assure that most members of society share at least some general notions about the many films that compete for our attention.” (Bordwell & Thompson, 2004: 110)
Going to the movies is an experience that everyone can enjoy, and while most people have an idea of what genre of movie they are partial to, there are some movies that will appeal to almost any crowd. I recently took my two nieces, ages ten and thirteen, to see the 2014 musical Into the Woods, and in the audience there was a large group of teenagers, a couple families that had brought their preteen and teenage children, and even some adults that had gone to see it for their own enjoyment. There are numerous aspects of a movie that can catch a person’s attention, and the film producers of Into the Woods knew exactly how to draw in the desired crowd. In order to do this, the filmmakers used both ethos and pathos to appeal to their intended preteen, teenage, and adult audiences.
Love is a very powerful force which some believe has the capability to overpower hate. Within the play, Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare displays various events in which the characters convey the message that love can conquer all. The characters in this play continue to forgive the ones they love, even under harsh circumstances. Additionally, Shakespeare effectively demonstrates how Romeo and Juliet’s love for one another overpowers significant emotional scenes within the play, including the feuding between their two families. Furthermore, by the end of the play the reader sees how love defeats the shock of death and how Romeo and Juliet’s love ends the ancient feud between the Capulets and Montagues. Using these three events, the reader sees Shakespeare’s message of how love can conquer all. In the desperate battle between love and hate, Shakespeare believes love to be the more powerful force in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.
In the play “Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare shows that love has power to control one’s actions, feelings, and the relationship itself through the bond between a destined couple. The passion between the pair grew strong enough to have the capability to do these mighty things. The predestined newlyweds are brought down a rocky road of obstacles learning love’s strength and the meaning of love.
Different from other types of films, the music in Phantom of the Opera was used by all the characters, as a way to tell their part of the story. The music created a convincing surrounding for the film, guided the audiences. The music was constantly a signifier of emotion, as the characters expressed their feelings through the songs. The music score was an emotional and scary score that tied into their diegetic/non-diegetic singing, giving the main characters an identity, specifying situations and places to help connect certain points. When we hear the dark music play throughout the movie, it plays a certain theme, that theme gives the viewers a clear hint of who or what the music is talking about. Another example of signifier of emotion was in The Devil Wears Prada, where the film used either fast upbeat songs for when Andy walks all around the city, running errands for Miranda, or romantic alternative music when Andy is with her boyfriend and true friends (The Phantom of the Opera/The Devil Wears
Love is a force that can overtake large adversities and can stumble over small challenges. Love is an intense feeling of deep affection. Love is eternal, but can be deflected. Different forms of love are expressed by Othello, Desdemona, and Iago in Shakespeare’s play Othello. As a result of romantic love, Desdemona splits from her family, and Othello slays his wife. Next, familial love, not as dominant as romantic love, is evidenced in Desdemona's choice to marry Othello against her family's requests. Lastly, Self-love is the basis for characters such as Iago and Othello to abandon moral reason. Love comes in different forms.
The Phantom of the Opera centers on the Paris Opera House which has over time become the Phantom’s domain. Upon the news that the opera house has been bought and is under new ownership, the Phantom demands that the new owners honor the “agreement” he has established with the previous owners and that the fifth opera box is kept empty for his use and that his salary of 20,000 francs per month is honored. The Phantom also demands that Christine, whom he has secretly been giving singing lessons to, replace Carlotta Giudicelli, the opera company’s prima donna. He also warns that if his demands are not met, that the opera house and the opera company will need to pay the consequences. Though the origins of the Phantom are unknown to the general population of the opera house, Madame Giry knows more about the Phantom than she lets on. It is later discovered that Madame Giry helped the Phantom escape a life of abuse from a freak show and that she hid him at the opera house where she was studying ballet. It was during Christine’s and the Phantom’s singing lessons that he began to fall in love with her and came to be obsessed and protective of her. The return of Christine’s first love, Raoul, threatens to tear Christine an...
Many people go to the movies. The movies are an escape into a fantasy world. Everyone has a different preference on what kind of movie is the best. Romance, horror, action, and comedy are different types of movies. The kind of movie someone goes to see can give clues to what kind of person they are.