Phantom of the Opera (BD)(2011)

Review by Mari Lynne Rupp



When I first saw the original version of the film adaption for Phantom of the Opera, I rented it from our local library on vhs. There was no sound, no musical track, just static, and the glorious technicolour scene from the Bal Masque. It thrilled me, astounded me, and creeped me out a little. Lon Chaney outdid himself with that role, and Mary Philbin was astounding as the innocent dancer, Christine Daae. Chaney designed the make up himself, which was used and modelled in subsequent Phantom of the Opera movies, and the scene on top of the Opera house the colour for the phantom's cloak was purported to be coloured still by still by hand. All efforts by all cast and crew to give us the masterpiece which has withstood the test of time, through colour movies and talkies alike.
Now, after viewing the restored blu-ray, it was a visionary feast, enhanced with the original score paired with it, written by Gabriel Thibaudeau of Montreal. Thibaudeau gives us some beautiful haunting melodies to go with the melodramatic storyline, as well as some beautiful arias during the opera moments which complement the film perfectly.
Even without sound, this film was riveting but with the score, it was perfect. The blu-ray inculdes special features such as the original film script, gallery, original theatrical trailer (DO check that out!) and interview with the composer himself. It's not a terribly faithful adaption to the book, but it's certainly a must-see film, whether you're a phantom phan or not. This is a wonderful compliment to the Universal Monsters Gallery.
10/10