I have seen the stageplay back in London, UK, 1996. I still remember it as one of the best stageplay I’ve ever seen. So, for those who never seen “The Phantom of the Opera” on stage and want to know how it looks like or want to remember the feeling of watching it on stage, this movie is highly recommended. For those who are expecting to see a “normal movie” might be dissapointed, after all this movie is a cinematical stage, it’s like “Evita“. Afterall both are Andrew Lloyd Weber‘s brainchild.
The movie itself is definetely a stage. The set, the act, the music are all stage oriented. The acting may not very highly qualified but face it, this movie is not just about acting, it’s about presenting the old media, the stage, in the not-so-new media, the screen. And I must said that this movie translate the stage beautifully.
The story itself is still the same as ever, even the dialog are based on the stageplay which itself based on the 1911 novel with the same name written by Gaston Leroux. Read the novel if you find the time, you’ll find love, obsession and tragedy mixed beautifully into one intricated story.
Back to the movie itself. It was beautifully made, I have to admit that seeing Joel Schumacher in the director list made me flinch for a bit. This man is famous for action movie and don’t have any musical movie in his repertoir but I put my faith in the man who made the screenplay, Andrew Lloyd Weber himself. It also got some negative review from some reviewer, professional or amateur. It turned out that my pessimistic was not proven. I can see why those people seeing this movie negatively because as I said, they were expecting to see a “normal movie” instead of “stage translation”.
So, if you are eager to see what is the fuss about “The Phantom of the Opera” is all about, go watch the movie. But I have to warn you that this movie is not everyone’s cup of tea. You either love it or hate it. To end the review, I will give you the lyric of one of the best song from the movie, made popular by Sarah Brightman in the original play in Broadway.
Think of Me
Think of me,
Think of me fondly,
When we’ve said goodbye.
Remember me once in a while
Please promise me you’ll try.
When you find that, once again,
You long to take your heart
Back and be free
If you ever find a moment,
Spare a thought for me…
We never said our love was evergreen,
Or as unchanging as the sea
But if you can still remember,
Stop and think of me…
Think of all the things
We’ve shared and seen –
Don’t think about the way
Things might have been…
Think of me,
Think of me waking, silent and resigned.
Imagine me, trying too hard
To put you from my mind.
Recall those days,
Look back on all those times,
Think of the things we’ll never do –
There will never be a day,
When I won