Night 17: ‘Phantom of the Opera’ (1943)
This is part of the ’31 Nights of Horror Classics’ series, which I’ll be doing for Halloween 2017. Every night of this month, I’ll be watching a horror film made before the 90s and I’ll be posting a short review here.
Some are born monsters. Others are turned into them by the unkindness of the world.
The beautiful and talented Christine (Susanna Foster) attracts the attention of three men. One of them is her patron, Erique Claudin (Claude Rains), an older violinist at the end of his career. After being dismissed, having his work stolen from him and being disfigured, he begins haunting the place where he worked throughout most of his life with the intention of helping Christine. For her, he will do anything. Even murdering.
By now, most of us are familiar with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s extremely popular Broadway musical based on Gaston Leroux’s timeless novel. His gloomy and touching adaptation continues to live on year after year. Its songs are well known by all, and it is one of the must-see shows for those visiting New York.
In some respects, the 1943 version is slightly lighter than Webber’s. On one hand, there’s a lot more humor in this interpretation. Particularly thanks to an added romantic triangle between Christine and his two suitors. In moments of tension, they add levity to its very dark themes –after all, it is a film about a murderous, mad man!
Also, the movie chooses to demystify the villain by explaining its origin. As a result, we know when and how the Phantom came to be. This removes the mystery, and makes it a little less intimidating. Except for a very good tension-filled sequence right in the middle -with wonderful music and cinematography, I might add- the Phantom is not quite a menace.
He is, however, an interesting character that you can empathize with. Similarly, Christine is also a worthy lead, and both keep the movie afloat.
The film also succeeds in creating a great atmosphere. Even without all the Broadway stravaganza, it has lush costumes and sets –some of them with an air of German Expressionism- that are a pleasure to look at.
Another achievement is in its themes regarding art and regular life. Christine is warned against the latter, and the warning proves to be true, as the desires of a regular life –like love- drive the Phantom completely mad. Still, there is hope: as stated by one of the characters, the madness will be forgotten, but the oeuvre will live on.
The movie also has a very interesting conclusion. Christine is forced to choose between the two, and in the end she makes a very progressive and bold choice for a female character of that time.
Yet, this version of the story is still a very flawed film.
Visually, it can sometimes look and feel like a TV special, with certain camera movements and stylistic choices that don’t convey the weight of the tale. There are also pacing issues, as the movie focuses for too long on musical numbers that have little to do with the plot. And although I give it credit for using opera instead of popular music, it does make the film halt and drag.
The relationships between the characters also feel too superfluous. The men’s obsession with Christine is rather uncomfortable and oddly possessive. This is particularly true in the case of Claudin’s unexplained interest in Christine. Too little time is spent on their friendship previous to his transformation, making it come off as unhealthy given the developments that follow.
In the end, it’s a good film that makes some very interesting choices worth exploring. It’s not exactly horrifying, but it’s a worthy watch just the same.
Oh, and heed the warning: there are a lot of operatic sequences! If it’s not your thing, you might want to stay away.
Grade: 6/10. Enjoyable.
Scare Factor: none.
Gore/Violence: mostly hinted at.
Nudity/Sexual Situations: none.
Previous Night: ‘The Thing’ (‘82)
Next up: ‘The Horror of Dracula’ (‘58)
