Thanks to the dedication of thousands of creatives, the story has taken on new meaning in every version, remaining a timeless classic while growing and changing with its audience.
One hundred and fifteen years ago, the gothic horror and mystery novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, written by Gaston Leroux, was introduced to the world, and in these years, the story has become nothing short of a classic. Through various adaptations, the story of the disfigured “Phantom of the Opera”, Erik, and his protege Christine Daae, have captured the attention of audiences worldwide.
Fifteen years after the release of the novel, The Phantom of the Opera was first adapted to film. On its 100th Anniversary, I've decided to write about the journey of this story over the past century.
Directed by Rupert Julian, the American production of The Phantom of the Opera was a revolutionary step in the history of silent cinema. It remains the most faithful adaptation of the French novel, and thus the most brutal. The first time an audience witnessed the true horror of the Phantom's face was in this adaptation. Though the premise of the film relies on his disfigurement, the effects used on lead actor Lon Chaney were so horrifying to audiences of 1925 that it was recommended that smelling salts be brought to the cinema in case of fainting. In later, more romanticised versions of the story, the Phantom is meant to be disfigured, but almost beautiful in its disfiguration. Unique and horrifying, eye-catching and disturbing. However, here, in this first adaptation, the Phantom was meant to invoke pure horror and disgust in audiences. This makes the empathy eventually shown by Christine even more moving and generous. In its time, The Phantom of the Opera (1925) was not the critical success that many believe it deserves to be. Modern audiences praise the film as one of the greatest horror films of all time, while upon release, it was understood to be technically grand but lacking in story.
There are multiple film adaptations of the novel that came after the 1925 original; however, none reach quite the same level of modern acclaim. These include Phantom of the Opera (1943), the first “talkie” to tackle the classic tale. Filmed in Technicolour and relatively loosely adapted, the film went on to win the Oscar for Art Direction and Cinematography. Here, we can begin to see the trend of loose adaptations and the taking of creative liberties, resulting in more audience success with the telling of the Phantom's story, while die-hard fans remain loyal to the 1925 rendition.
After the Oscar-winning 1943 feature, the Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musical is perhaps the most popular adaptation. Since debuting on the West End in London in 1984, the original musical went on to become the longest-running show in Broadway history, playing over 10,000 shows in 183 cities and 41 countries. The musical rewrites the tale, completely eradicating the narrator and most mystery elements and instead focusing on the love triangle between Christine, the Phantom, and her childhood love Raoul. The music draws directly from the text of the novel, bringing life to the music of the night that had been living in the minds of audiences since 1925.
After multiple Tony wins and decades on stage, the musical was adapted into a film in 2004 by Joel Schumacher. Though the film was announced only three years after the Broadway debut, production was a long, arduous journey.
The 2004 film is certainly the most divisive and also the most popular rendition. A grand and fantastical romance musical appeals to the widest audience, and though it may not have won the heart of critics, the film won the hearts of theatre fans worldwide.
Over its one hundred and fifteen years of history, Le Fantôme de l'Opéra has undergone countless changes through its many adaptations. Its audience grew greatly with the release of the 1925 film, the catalyst for bringing new life to this story. Thanks to the dedication of thousands of creatives, the story has taken on new meaning in every version, remaining a timeless classic while growing and changing with its audience.
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