The Phantom of the Opera (1998 film)
Encyclopedia
The Phantom of the Opera (Italian
title: Il Fantasma dell'opera) is a 1998 Italian horror film
directed by Dario Argento
, adapted from the novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra
by Gaston Leroux
. However, there are many differences between the book and the movie.
), a misanthrope who kills anyone who ventures into his underground chambers, just as rats are killed who venture above ground.
The Phantom, who is not disfigured and hence does not wear a mask, falls in love with Christine Daaé (Asia Argento
), an opera singer just beginning her career. He speaks to her using telepathy
, and the two begin a romantic relationship. Unlike in other versions, however, he does not teach her to sing.
Meanwhile, the aristocratic Baron Raoul De Chagny (Andrea Di Stefano), has fallen in love with Christine, though at first Christine offers him only platonic relationship. Later, she ruminates that she may be in love with both men.
After making love, the Phantom forces Christine to stay in his subterranean chambers as he goes to secure the role of Juliet for her by bringing down the chandelier. Christine grows angry with him and his controlling ways. She tells him she hates him, and when he returns, she refuses the role he has secured for her, and he basically rapes her. Afterward, while he is playing with his rats, she escapes.
She flees into the arms of Raoul, and they ascend to the roof, where the Phantom hears them confessing their love for each other. The next night, as Christine sings, the Phantom swoops down and steals her away into his chambers. Raoul et al. give chase, and Raoul shoots the Phantom. Mortally wounded, the Phantom's main concern becomes Christine's safety, as he fears that the police will kill her now that they know she's his mistress. The Phantom shows Christine and Raoul a waterway out of the underground tunnels, and then fights off the police as Raoul rows a hysterical Christine to safety.
and featured the "Air des clochettes" from Lakmé by Léo Delibes
and the Overture from Charles Gounod
's Faust
.
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
title: Il Fantasma dell'opera) is a 1998 Italian horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Dario Argento
Dario Argento
Dario Argento is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the horror film genre, particularly in the subgenre known as giallo, and for his influence on modern horror and slasher movies....
, adapted from the novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra
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...
by 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...
. However, there are many differences between the book and the movie.
Plot
In Paris 1877, rats save an abandoned baby in a basket and raise him in the underground of the Opéra de Paris. This child becomes The Phantom of the Opera (Julian SandsJulian Sands
Julian M. Sands is an English actor, known for his roles in the Best Picture nominee The Killing Fields, the cult film Warlock, A Room with a View, Arachnophobia, Vatel, the television series 24 and as Jor-El in the television series Smallville.-Career:Sands began his film career appearing in...
), a misanthrope who kills anyone who ventures into his underground chambers, just as rats are killed who venture above ground.
The Phantom, who is not disfigured and hence does not wear a mask, falls in love with Christine Daaé (Asia Argento
Asia Argento
Aria Asia Anna Maria Vittoria Rossa Argento is an Italian actress, singer, model and director.-Family and early life:...
), an opera singer just beginning her career. He speaks to her using telepathy
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
, and the two begin a romantic relationship. Unlike in other versions, however, he does not teach her to sing.
Meanwhile, the aristocratic Baron Raoul De Chagny (Andrea Di Stefano), has fallen in love with Christine, though at first Christine offers him only platonic relationship. Later, she ruminates that she may be in love with both men.
After making love, the Phantom forces Christine to stay in his subterranean chambers as he goes to secure the role of Juliet for her by bringing down the chandelier. Christine grows angry with him and his controlling ways. She tells him she hates him, and when he returns, she refuses the role he has secured for her, and he basically rapes her. Afterward, while he is playing with his rats, she escapes.
She flees into the arms of Raoul, and they ascend to the roof, where the Phantom hears them confessing their love for each other. The next night, as Christine sings, the Phantom swoops down and steals her away into his chambers. Raoul et al. give chase, and Raoul shoots the Phantom. Mortally wounded, the Phantom's main concern becomes Christine's safety, as he fears that the police will kill her now that they know she's his mistress. The Phantom shows Christine and Raoul a waterway out of the underground tunnels, and then fights off the police as Raoul rows a hysterical Christine to safety.
Cast
- Julian SandsJulian SandsJulian M. Sands is an English actor, known for his roles in the Best Picture nominee The Killing Fields, the cult film Warlock, A Room with a View, Arachnophobia, Vatel, the television series 24 and as Jor-El in the television series Smallville.-Career:Sands began his film career appearing in...
as The Phantom - Asia ArgentoAsia ArgentoAria Asia Anna Maria Vittoria Rossa Argento is an Italian actress, singer, model and director.-Family and early life:...
as Christine DaaéChristine DaaéChristine 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 :... - Andrea Di StefanoAndrea Di StefanoAndrea Di Stefano is an Italian actor.Born in Rome, he moved to New York City to study acting at the Actor's Studio. In the U.S. he played in Smile, an independent movie directed by Andrew Hunt....
as Raoul, Viscount de Chagny - Nadia Rinaldi as Carlotta Altieri
- Coralina Cataldi-TassoniCoralina Cataldi-TassoniCoralina Cataldi-Tassoni is an American actress, musician, and artist.-Early life:She was born in Manhattan; she and her parents moved to Rome, Italy when she was four years old...
as Honorine - István Bubik as Ignace, the rat-catcher
- Lucia Guzzardi as Madame GiryMadame GiryMadame Giry is a character in the Gaston Leroux novel, The Phantom of the Opera. She is a fairly intermediate character in the novel, although her role is much increased in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical...
- Aldo Massasso as Pourdieu
- Zoltan Barabas as Poligny
- Gianni Franco as Montluc
- David D'Ingeo as Alfred
- Kitty Kéri as Paulette
- John Pedeferri as Dr. Princard
- Leonardo Treviglio as Jerome De Chagny
- Massimo Sarchielli as Joseph BuquetJoseph BuquetJoseph Buquet is a fictional character in The Phantom of the Opera.He is the chief stagehand for the theatre who claims to have seen the Opera Ghost. He is the one to first describe Erik, saying, "He is extraordinarily thin and his dress-coat hangs on a skeleton frame. His eyes are so deep that...
- Luis Molteni as Nicolaud
- Enzo Cardogna as Marcel
- Itala Békés as Carlotta's Mother
- Claudia Kemones as Hermine
- Csilla Ward as Liza
- Reka Pozsgay as Marthe
- Ferenc Deák B. as Edgar DegasEdgar DegasEdgar Degas[p] , born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, was a French artist famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism although he rejected the term, and preferred to be called a realist...
- Rozso Ludvigh as Gounod
- David Drucker as Kiki
- Zsolt Anger as Waiter
- Gábor Harsai as Marc
- Balázs Tardy as Longuet
- Dénes Ujlaky as Papin
- Sandor Bese as Dwarf
- Iván Dengyel as Martin
- György Szakaly as Ballet Master
- Ferenc Ratkai as Polidori
- Ilona Podporina as Rose
- Frigyes Hallósi as Friend
- Istvan Szöczey as FaustFaustFaust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...
- Robert Szabo Bente as PoetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
1 - Zoltán Rajkai as PoetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
2 - Tania Nagel as Mother
- Rodrigo Crespo as Father
- Zsolt Derecskei as RomeoRomeo MontagueRomeo is one of the fictional protagonists in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is the son of old Montague and his wife, who secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet...
- Tibor Nemes as MephistoMephistoMephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition.Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to:* Mephisto , a high-speed human-powered vehicle...
- Lásló Pethö as PianistPianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
- Daniel Zdroa as PianistPianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
- Bela Nemeth as PianistPianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
Soundtrack
The score was composed by Ennio MorriconeEnnio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
and featured the "Air des clochettes" from Lakmé by Léo Delibes
Léo Delibes
Clément Philibert Léo Delibes was a French composer of ballets, operas, and other works for the stage...
and the Overture from Charles Gounod
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod was a French composer, known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.-Biography:...
's Faust
Faust (opera)
Faust is a drame lyrique in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
.
See also
- Pertosa CavesPertosa CavesThe Pertosa Caves are a karst show cave system located in the municipality of Pertosa, in the province of Salerno, Campania, Italy.-Overview:...
- Phantom of the Opera London