

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is the story of a disfigured, angry man who lives beneath a Paris opera house and terrorizes its cast and crew so that his student, a young woman named Christine, can have a chance to sing the lead part.

All of the dramatic, visual and musical motifs come beautifully together in the inspirational ending. That said, the movie retains the redemptive, Christian allegory of the original, and even adds to it. Whether or not you like the movie may depend to a large degree on whether you already like the source material or enjoy musical theater. The acting and singing are excellent, though perhaps not quite as good as that of the original cast. It retains much of the bravado, spectacle, depth, and gorgeous, haunting melodies of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s popular Broadway show. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is the most sumptuous, most beautiful movie of the year. Their budding relationship pains the Phantom, who himself is in love with Christine. The Phantom gets his way, but the acclaim that Christine receives from her singing brings the attention of Raoul, a rich young nobleman. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is the musical story of a disfigured, angry man who lives beneath a Paris opera house and terrorizes its cast and crew so that his student, a young woman named Christine, can have a chance to sing the lead part.
