It’s tough, because I’ve never found any of the Phantom adaptations I’ve seen particularly compelling. While the Webber musical has some great individual songs I think the overall musical is plodding–ditto the Schumacher film version starring Emmy Rossum. This silent version, starring Lon Chaney, apparently hews closer to Leroux’s original novel: so much so that the use of intertitles as a method of conveying exposition really swallows the film. It’s just SO much. The film does a good job of creating a creepy atmosphere through its production design, but ultimately it feels like one long setup to get to the iconic unmasking scene. Having seen the image for years, its shock value was diminished and the rest of the movie felt a little pointless.
Shout by Tony BatesVIP 2BlockedParent2022-12-29T00:59:55Z
It’s tough, because I’ve never found any of the Phantom adaptations I’ve seen particularly compelling. While the Webber musical has some great individual songs I think the overall musical is plodding–ditto the Schumacher film version starring Emmy Rossum. This silent version, starring Lon Chaney, apparently hews closer to Leroux’s original novel: so much so that the use of intertitles as a method of conveying exposition really swallows the film. It’s just SO much. The film does a good job of creating a creepy atmosphere through its production design, but ultimately it feels like one long setup to get to the iconic unmasking scene. Having seen the image for years, its shock value was diminished and the rest of the movie felt a little pointless.