The Phantom of the Opera (1990 miniseries)
Encyclopedia
The Phantom of the Opera is a 1990 NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

 two-part drama television miniseries directed by Tony Richardson
Tony Richardson
Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson was an English theatre and film director and producer.-Early life:Richardson was born in Shipley, Yorkshire in 1928, the son of Elsie Evans and Clarence Albert Richardson, a chemist...

 and stars Charles Dance
Charles Dance
Walter Charles Dance, OBE is an English actor, screenwriter and director. Dance typically plays assertive bureaucrats or villains. His most famous roles are Guy Perron in The Jewel in the Crown , Dr Clemens, the doctor of penitentiary Fury 161, who becomes Ellen Ripley's confidante in Alien 3 ,...

 in the title role. It is adapted from Arthur Kopit's book for his then-unproduced stage musical Phantom
Phantom (musical)
Phantom is a musical with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Arthur Kopit. Based on Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera, the musical was first presented in Houston, Texas in 1991....

, which is based loosely on Gaston Leroux
Gaston Leroux
Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux was a French journalist and author of detective fiction.In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel The Phantom of the Opera , which has been made into several film and stage productions of the same name, notably the 1925 film starring Lon...

's novel
The Phantom of the Opera
Le Fantôme de l'Opéra is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialisation in "Le Gaulois" from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910...

.

Plot

The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera
Le Fantôme de l'Opéra is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialisation in "Le Gaulois" from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910...

 (Charles Dance
Charles Dance
Walter Charles Dance, OBE is an English actor, screenwriter and director. Dance typically plays assertive bureaucrats or villains. His most famous roles are Guy Perron in The Jewel in the Crown , Dr Clemens, the doctor of penitentiary Fury 161, who becomes Ellen Ripley's confidante in Alien 3 ,...

) is a disfigured musical genius named Erik who lives below Opéra Garnier in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

. He has a large part in managing each performance through his friend Gerard Carriere (Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...

). The Phantom's life changes when Gerard is dismissed and the opera hires a new manager, Choleti. Choleti's wife Carlotta is a spoiled woman with a bad personality and terrible voice to match; it is obvious that Choleti bought his way into the managership to further his wife's career. The Phantom instantly dislikes them both.

Choleti and Carlotta refuse to listen to warnings about the ghost who haunts the opera house, even when Joseph Buquet, Carlotta's wardrobe man, goes down below and does not return (his is later found to have been killed). Gerard had made up the legend of the Opera Ghost to protect Erik.

Christine Daae
Christine Daaé
Christine Daaé is the main female character in Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera , the young singer with whom the main character Erik, the Phantom of the Opera falls in love.- Character history :...

 (Teri Polo
Teri Polo
Theresa Elizabeth "Teri" Polo is an American actress known for her role of Pam Focker in the movie Meet the Parents and its two sequels, Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers...

) comes to the Paris Opera House in search of voice lessons that Phillipe, the Comte de Chagny promised her, learning that she is not the first pretty face that Phillipe made that promise to. Carlotta initially dismisses her, but upon learning that Christine "has a patron who is powerful" states that Christine can work in the costume department. Christine has no home, but Jean-Claude, the doorman, lets her stay in a storage room in the Opera House.

That night, Christine wanders onto the stage and sings to the empty theater. The Phantom falls in love with her voice. Hiding in the orchestra pit, he tells her that her voice is miraculous but untrained, and with a proper voice tutor her voice could reach its full potential. He offers to be her teacher, but must remain anonymous; that is why he wears a mask. Erik tutors Christine and falls deeper in love with her.

The Comte de Chagny finds out that Christine has been working in the costume department. He apologizes and invites her to the Bistro. With Erik's encouragement, Christine attends the Bistro and sings. Everyone is awestruck by her voice. After the Bistro, Phillipe and Christine start to bond. The Count realizes Christine was his childhood sweetheart from long ago. They already have the budding love from their earlier time together, and this only strengthens it.

Because the Phantom has been sabotaging Carlotta's performances, she says she will not sing until he is killed. Finding out that Christine has been living in the Opera, Carlotta confronts her and tricks Christine into telling her about her Maestro, especially that he "wears a mask". When Carlotta tells her husband that Christine's teacher is the Phantom, Choleti gives Christine the female lead of the opera Faust; he is working with the police to capture the Phantom. Before the show, Carlotta tricks Christine into drinking a beverage that temporarily weakens her voice. The audience starts booing, and Erik is enraged. He cuts through the ropes holding the chandelier, causing it to fall upon the audience. He abducts Christine and leads her underground, singing her to sleep with a soft melody that Christine sang earlier.

Returning to the opera house, the Phantom discovers Carlotta was behind Christine's voice problems. In revenge he empties a box full of rats over her, causing her to go insane. As Christine sleeps, Erik builds traps for anyone who comes down below. Gerard comes down and pleads with him to let Christine go, but Erik refuses. Gerard goes to Christine and tells her the story of Erik's past and of Erik's mother, a singer named Belladora. He admits to Christine that he is her Maestro's father. She refuses to leave without talking to Erik first. Gerard leaves after telling Christine that she is making a mistake.

Erik takes Christine on a picnic underground. She asks Erik to take off his mask. After he shows her his face, she faints. Believing Christine does not love him anymore, Erik goes into a fit of rage, destroying everything in sight. When Christine tries to escape, Erik locks her in a cage.

After Christine escapes, Phillipe and Gerard take her far from the Opera House. After having a dream that Erik is dying, she begs Phillipe to take her back. The Comte agrees and he and Christine approach the manager about singing that night. Choleti secretly arranges to have police planted throughout the opera house.

Gerard has gone below and found Erik among the remains of his lair. It is apparent that he is ill. Gerard talks to Erik about Christine, and lets him know that she did not mean to hurt him. The conversation turns to Erik's mother and, eventually, his face. He moves to take the mask off and show Gerard when the older man reveals that he has already seen Erik's face. He tells Erik that he knew his mother and loved her, and ultimately reveals that he is Erik's father. Erik responds with, "I wondered when you'd say". Erik tells Gerard that he is dying and wants to be buried deep so he cannot be put on display. Gerard promises before leaving Erik, though he is loath to do so.

Christine sings at that night's performance of Faust Erik hears her, and forces himself up to box 5 to hear her. He begins singing Faust's part and the audience's attention turns toward him in shock. Christine and the Phantom sing to each other with such passion that the audience is awed.

The police shoot at Erik and he jumps on stage, kidnapping Christine. He carries her to the roof, fighting off police. The Comte pursues them, but in the ensuing struggle is knocked off the roof and dangles above the street. Erik begins breaking the Comte's grip, but at Christine's pleading pulls him to safety. Erik finds that he is cornered, with police determined to take him alive. Gerard has gone to his old offices and retrieved a gun. Upholding his promise, Gerard shoots his son. Erik falls from the roof and Christine runs to him. While cradled in his father's lap, Christine takes off Erik's mask, kissing him on the forehead. Erik dies with his father and Christine at his side. Christine replaces Erik's mask and is led away by the Comte.

Cast

  • Erik Carriere, aka "The Phantom of The Opera": Charles Dance
    Charles Dance
    Walter Charles Dance, OBE is an English actor, screenwriter and director. Dance typically plays assertive bureaucrats or villains. His most famous roles are Guy Perron in The Jewel in the Crown , Dr Clemens, the doctor of penitentiary Fury 161, who becomes Ellen Ripley's confidante in Alien 3 ,...

  • Christine Daae: Teri Polo
    Teri Polo
    Theresa Elizabeth "Teri" Polo is an American actress known for her role of Pam Focker in the movie Meet the Parents and its two sequels, Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers...

  • Phillipe Comte de Chagny: Adam Storke
    Adam Storke
    Adam J. Storke is an American actor who has starred in television and film. He is best known for playing Julia Roberts' love interest in the 1988 hit film Mystic Pizza and as Larry Underwood in the 1994 hit Stephen King mini series The Stand.-Biography:Storke was born in New York City, New York,...

  • Gerard Carriere: Burt Lancaster
    Burt Lancaster
    Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...

  • Choleti: Ian Richardson
    Ian Richardson
    Ian William Richardson CBE was a Scottish actor best known for his portrayal of the Machiavellian Tory politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's House of Cards trilogy. He was also a leading Shakespearean stage actor....

  • Carlotta: Andréa Ferréol
    Andréa Ferréol
    Andréa Ferréol is a French actress, officer of the Ordre national du Mérite .Her debut is in the 1973 film La Grande bouffe, which made a big scandal at the Cannes Film Festival....

  • Inspector Ledoux: Jean-Pierre Cassel
    Jean-Pierre Cassel
    Jean-Pierre Cassel was a French actor.-Life and career:Cassel was born Jean-Pierre Crochon in Paris, the son of Louise-Marguerite , an opera singer, and Georges Crochon, a doctor. Cassel was discovered by Gene Kelly as he tap danced on stage, and later cast in the 1957 film The Happy Road...

  • Jean Claude: Jean Rougerie
  • Joseph Buquet: André Chaumeau
  • Madame Giry: Marie-Thérèse Orain
  • Young Carriere: Philippe Ré

Differences from other adaptations

  • The Phantom in this adaptation is kinder and gentler than in the book and other adaptations, in which he is usually portrayed as evil and malicious.
  • In this version, Christine looked a lot like the Phantom's mother, who died giving him life and who loved him. In many other versions of the story, the Phantom's mother loathes him.
  • It is the only Phantom of the Opera movie to actually film on location in Paris.
  • The manager in this version is named Choleti. In other versions, there are two managers: Moncharmin and Richard, or Andre and Firmin
  • In this version, Carlotta is Choleti's wife, but still the jealous, self-centered diva as she is in other versions
  • Raoul's character has been changed to that of his older brother, who dies in the book.
  • This is the first film in which the Phantom's face is never seen without his mask (of which he has several).
  • Christine is portrayed as having been a serving girl at Raoul (or Phillipe in this version)'s estate when they were both children. She and her father were sent away by what appears to be Phillipe's grandmother when she and Phillipe started becoming friends.

Reception

The miniseries won two Emmy Awards out of five nominations in 1990 for Outstanding Art Direction and Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Special. It was also nominated for two Golden Globe Awards in 1991 for Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television and Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...

).

Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

critic Ken Tucker gave the film a score of A- and said Arthur Kopit and director Tony Richardson "make the romance between the Phantom and Christine both touching and frightening, and the casting of Burt Lancaster as Carriere, the manager of the opera company, gives the story weight and great charm...The Phantom of the Opera has a few old-fashioned but genuinely scary moments...It's as if Richardson went back to look at old horror movies by such filmmakers as Val Lewton
Val Lewton
Val Lewton was an American film producer and screenwriter, best known for a string of low-budget horror films he produced for RKO Pictures in the 1940s.-Early life:...

 and James Whale
James Whale
James Whale was an English film director, theatre director and actor. He is best remembered for his work in the horror film genre, having directed such classics as Frankenstein , The Old Dark House , The Invisible Man and Bride of Frankenstein...

 to figure out how they got their spooky but never gruesome effects; if so, he learned well. The production is marred by Adam Storke
Adam Storke
Adam J. Storke is an American actor who has starred in television and film. He is best known for playing Julia Roberts' love interest in the 1988 hit film Mystic Pizza and as Larry Underwood in the 1994 hit Stephen King mini series The Stand.-Biography:Storke was born in New York City, New York,...

's bland Count de Chagny; it's impossible to believe that Christine would prefer this petulant pretty-boy over Dance's funky-faced Phantom. But all in all, The Phantom of the Opera is a real achievement: It's rare enough for a costume drama to show up on TV these days; the fact that this is a good one is amazing." People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...

critic David Hiltbrand gave the film a score of B+ and said "Director Tony Richardson has mounted a sumptuous, stately version of this oft-told epic melodrama, far surpassing the previous TV version with Maximilian Schell
Maximilian Schell
Maximilian Schell is an Austrian-born Swiss actor who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Judgment at Nuremberg in 1961...

 and Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...

 in 1983. But Lon Chaney
Lon Chaney
Chaney is an American surname of French origin, and may refer to:* Charles "Bubba" Chaney , Louisiana politician* Chris Chaney, US musician* Darrel Chaney, US baseball player* Don Chaney, US basketballer* Esty Chaney , US baseballer...

 must be spinning in his grave, seeing what a rakish romantic his ghoulish Phantom has become over the years." Hiltbrand praised that Burt Lancaster "lends his usual air of refined dignity, and Charles Dance makes an elegant Phantom. But the real zest is provided by Ian Richardson
Ian Richardson
Ian William Richardson CBE was a Scottish actor best known for his portrayal of the Machiavellian Tory politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's House of Cards trilogy. He was also a leading Shakespearean stage actor....

 and Andrea Ferreol
Andréa Ferréol
Andréa Ferréol is a French actress, officer of the Ordre national du Mérite .Her debut is in the 1973 film La Grande bouffe, which made a big scandal at the Cannes Film Festival....

, who bring great comic verve to the roles of the pompous popinjay of an opera director and his deluded diva of a wife." The Deseret News critic Joseph Walker said, "Kopit's script maintains his vision throughout, expertly mixing moods ranging from the ridiculous ("I'm not used to killing people," says the Phantom after a rare violent episode. "It throws me off.") to the sublime. And the production values throughout are first rate..." Walker also added that Charles Dance is a "superb Phantom - brooding and mysterious, and yet somehow approachable. Polo makes the most of her big TV break, creating a flesh and blood heroine who is utterly believable...The rest of the cast is similarly effective, especially Ferreol who practically steals the show with her broad comic Carlotta.TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...

gave the film four out of five stars and said Charles Dance is an "excellent Phantom" and "excellent support from Richardson and Lancaster."The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

critic John J. O'Connor was puzzled how the recluse Phantom became "cultivated and talented" and criticized Adam Storke's performance and the "international menu of accents." However, he stated "the physical production is gloriously lavish...And the director Tony Richardson deftly captures the fairy-tale aspects of the story," describing the film as a "variation on Beauty and the Beast, with echoes of Cinderella and enchanted forests." He also stated that "most of the performances transcend the accent difficulties. Mr. Dance is elegant, Mr. Lancaster dignified and Miss Polo, not yet 20 years old, strikingly beautiful. The show is just about stolen, however, by Ian Richardson and Andrea Ferreo...," and concluded "Phantom adds up to an odd but fascinating prime-time diversion."

External links

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