The Phantom of the Opera [1990]

The Phantom of the Opera [1990]:
01). Erik Carriere, The Phantom… Charles Dance.
02). Christine Daee… Teri Polo.
03). Gerard Carriere… Burt Lancaster.
04). Philippe de Chagny… Adam Storke.

This is probably one of my favorite Phantom movies of all time! This movie introduced me to Charles Dance and Teri Polo. Most people know of Teri Polo from Meet the Parents, but I knew her long before because of her role as Christine. Another great thing about this movie is that it is the only Phantom movie to actually be filmed at the Palais Garnier! This is also one of the few movies that have been approved by the Leroux estate. It also has a stage production as well done by Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit, which I highly recommend seeing at some point.
We start out with Christine showing up at the opera hoping to get singing lessons. She is obviously poor, and has no money. She was sent there by the Comte de Chagny, Philippe. She is told that the old manager, Gerard Carriere has just been let go.
Gerard Carriere the old manager of the opera tries to convince the new managers of a Phantom of the Opera residing in the opera. The new manager doesn’t believe him, but is still frightened by a falling statue. Gerard then goes down to the cellars and tells Erik of the fact that he has been let go.
One of the things I love about this movie is that Erik is so sarcastic in it. This Erik is also a much nicer Erik. But, the story seems to make up for it, by giving us Carlotta, who is completely tone deaf. She does not know this nor does her husband who is the manager. Erik notices immediately and threatens (in a joke) to have her killed.
Later Erik overhears Christine singing. She is living in the opera and has been made a costume girl to Carlotta. Erik watches her singing on stage from box 5. It is one of the beautiful scenes in this movie.
Erik watches Christine as she does her job as a costume girl. When the day ends he speaks to her from the orchestra pit while she is on stage. He offers to give her singing lessons but he will wear a mask to hide his face because he doesn’t want her to know who he is. Too bad the Leroux Erik didn’t do this. It may have made things easier.
He gives her the lessons and she improves during it. Carlotta has her Paris debut, which goes horribly wrong due to itching powder in her wig, thanks to Erik. The scene is rather comical actually. During her second performance he “glues” the glass she needs to the tray and that ends up being comically and she is laughed off of the stage. I also noticed the shoes she wears is the same pair Christine wears in the stage production during the Music of the Night scene.
Next Philippe shows up at the opera returning home from business early to find out if Christine showed up. He finds out she is a costume girl. He is also greeted by many other women of the Opera as well. He announces hosting a the company at the bistro that night and invites Christine to show up.
Christine tells Erik about it, and he insists that she goes to sing since they are not holding auditions it is the best way for them to hear her. He provides her with a beautiful dress to wear. When she shows up and sings Carlotta joins her, much to Erik’s annoyance. Erik is listening in from outside. This is actually one of my favorite scenes. The dueling diva’s is something that is really fun to watch, especially Carlotta giving up and leaving Christine to sing.
Philippe introduces Christine to Gerard Carriere and he tells her she reminds him of someone he once knew. Christine then leaves the Bistro with Philippe and Erik watches from the shadows; instead of looking menacing he looks heartbroken.
He then waits for Christine in the ballet hall. Carlotta waits for Christine in the room she was staying in. Christine goes to the Bois with Philippe and he asks were he knows her from. She reminds him that she and her father were servants at his old home.
When Philippe returns her to the Opera she goes to the ballet hall and sees that Erik is no longer there waiting for her. She rests her head on the piano sad for having left him there alone. She returns to her room were Carlotta questions her about her teacher. Christine gives just enough information for Carlotta to realize who it is.
Cholet (the manager) visits Christine and tells her that he is giving her the role as Marguerite in Faust. Later Christine tells Erik about it. He is proud, but still hurt. Christine apologizes about not having meant him and say that she was with Carlotta celebrating. She then immediately admits to lying and says that she is sorry and hugs him for helping her. Erik doesn’t seem to know how to react.
When Christine is getting ready for her performance Carlotta visits her acting as a friend, she gives Christine something to drink to calm her nerves, and instead is poisons her making her loose her voice on stage. When she gets boo-ed. Erik cuts a rope and drops a chandelier onto the auditorium. This ends part one of the mini-series.
One of the things I find interesting in this one is the relationship between Erik and Christine. Since they are face to face so to speak, they are able to develop the relationship better. So you can see why he falls for her quickly and why she cares for him. It is also interesting that Carlotta seems to serve as the bad guy in this as well as the comic relief. I also find it interesting that this movie they seem to get the ages of the characters right as well. Charles Dance was about 50 when he made this and Teri Polo about 20. So the ages seems appropriate to the characters. I liked that little touch. Not much else can be said so onto part two.
Erik has taken Christine off-stage and is taking her with him to his lair. Gerard and Philippe are looking for her. The scene of Erik taking Christine across the lake is rather nice. I also notice how he moves his cloak. They got the details so perfect it really does seems like he is an experienced cloak wearer. The detail on how he moves the cloak at certain times is the way you move a cloak that you use often and do not wish for it to get dirty or damaged. Or they way he is un-shocked by it getting hung up on the punting pole as well.
Christine falls asleep and he carries her to a bed so she can sleep, he sings a lullaby to her (Laissez-moi if anyone knows it). There are policeman now searching for Christine as well. They overhear Erik singing to her and continue searches. Soon they must give up and start returning to the opera, a policeman goes missing. They find his body hanging and one of them grabs a rope to brace himself and something (sorry not sure what) swing down and kills him as well.
Erik goes back up to the opera and learns that Carlotta poisoned her and then goes to Carlotta and dumps a suitcase full of rats on her saying: “Rats for a rat”. This is actually rather nice of him considering many other incarnations of Erik would have done much worse.
Christine wakes up and looks around the lair. She finds a dress there and changes out of her costume into the dress. Erik provides such nice clothing. He has phenomenal taste. She also finds a portrait of a woman there, which highly resembles her. She also finds a doll without a head. This makes no sense to me whatsoever!
Gerard then goes down to the lake and tries to convince Erik to let Christine go back up to the opera. Erik refuses. The feel of this confrontation really reminds me of the feel of the confrontation between Erik and Daroga in the original. Erik states that if they come down after him his defenses will be up. He is preparing barrels of explosive to protect himself from this happening.
Erik continues his work and Gerard goes and visits Christine. He tells her Erik’s name, and why he wears a mask, and that he is Erik’s father. He also explains that her looks and voice remind both him and Erik of Belladova, Erik’s mother. Now, opposite to many other versions of this story Erik’s mother loved him greatly and thought his face beautiful, instead of the normal story. This is why he reacts this way to Christine, now there beautiful relationship is actually kind of creepy. I wish they didn’t add this fact into it. In the original he loves Christine because of her voice, her beauty, and her soul. End of story. Gerard also explains that he has known nothing outside living in the cellars of the opera his whole life. Nor does he know that Gerard is his father. He tries to get Christine to leave with him, but she refuses. She believes that she too can look on him with love.
Gerard leaves and Christine goes to find Erik. He is in a room playing the flute. Now they chose the flute in this version because Charles Dance himself plays the flute. When Christine enters the room he stops and puts on his mask. He then takes her on a picnic in a room he created to look like a forest he calls it his “dreamery”. Can someone please explain this conversation, if they can understand it because I can’t?

Erik: I call this place my dreamery, do find that apt?
Christine: Yes.
Erik: Well apt to what?
Christine: Well apt to what you wish.
Erik: Rightly so.

What the hell was that about! It makes no sense that I can figure out! Are they trying to say that Erik’s sheltered life made him incapable of speaking properly! Someone please explain this to me! I will try to move on now.
Christine talks Erik into showing her his face. He finally agrees and removes his mask, but she is unable to look at him and she faints, he begins crying then screaming and begins to destroy his home. This is probably more heartbreaking than any other version because he willingly shows her his face, she gains that trust in him, and then destroys it.
When she wakes she tries to run away but he grabs her instead. She eventually escapes and he chases her through the labyrinth. But she gets away and finds Philippe and Gerard talking to each other in the rotunda room. Philippe and Gerard take her away from the opera.
They take her to Philippe’s home, where she confesses what happened to them and her regret at leaving Erik alone, and her wishes to return. Gerard leaves to visit Erik and Philippe watches over Christine.
She convinces him to let her return to sing for Erik once more. She uses this to let Erik know that she is sorry. Cholet uses this opportunity to try and catch the Phantom.
Gerard finally tells Erik that he is his father. Erik seems to have already known this. Erik is now dying and wishes to be buried deep so no one can find him. He tells Gerard to come back in a day and that he wishes to die alone. Now, one thing that I liked is that the mannerisms of Charles Dance and Burt Lancaster are very similar in this movie. They way a father and son should be. When you watch this movie knowing that they are father and son it is easy to pick up on.
Gerard returns to the opera and listens to Christine singing. Her voice echoes in the cellars where Erik is able to hear her. He slowly makes his way up towards the auditorium. It takes him the length of the third act to the final trio in Faust to do so.
When he gets there it is the Prison Scene and Christine finally sees him in the box and sings to him “Yes, it is I that love you.” He returns singing to her Faust’s part. Everyone is shocked but they continue until the end of the song. This scene is probably the most beautiful scene in all the phantom movies combined! I can watch just this scene alone over and over again. I must give credit to both Charles Dance and Teri Polo for being able to pull this off so well, also to the people actually singing these parts Michelle LaGrange singing the role of Christine/ Marguerite and Gerard Garino singing the role of Erik/ Faust.
When the scene ends the policeman shoot at Erik, who jumps out of box 5 and onto the stage he grabs Christine and takes her up to the roof. Everyone follows. Erik and Philippe fight up on the roof and Philippe is almost knocked off. Christine begs Erik for Philippe’s life and Erik pulls him back up. He is now surrounded and they wish to take him alive. Erik turns to Gerard and nods at him, Gerard points a gun at him and shoots. Erik falls to the second level of the roof and Christine runs to him crying. She removes his mask and kisses him on the forehead. Erik then dies in Gerard’s arms. Philippe and Christine walk away with Christine’s head resting on Philippe’s shoulders. The end.
It is very difficult to explain this version of the story because it is a mini-series there is so much to it. One of the things I did not mention yet. It how each character is affected throughout the movie. Philippe being one of the major ones, at the beginning of the story he is obviously a bachelor and likes to drink and party (I also get this from the stage production in which he is called the “champagne king”) but once Christine is in his life, he settles down and his love for her is all that matters to him. He also is perfectly willing to risk his life and change it for her.
The person I feel sorry for the most in all this is Gerard Carriere who has to kill his own son to save him. Otherwise Erik would have been put on display. In a situation like that death is the only choice to save someone. There are so many other details in this movie it would take forever to explain. So I recommend that you find and watch this movie! If you don’t know anything else of the story of Phantom other than Andrew Lloyd Webber’s version and wish to find another I recommend starting with this one. This Erik is far more likable then the Andrew Lloyd Webber version as well. Another thing about the Charles Dance Erik is that he is the only one that I know of that can successfully pull off a puffy white shirt. I don’t know what it is, but he can.
Next I will be going out of order again and watching the Phantom of the Paradise. I just got my hands on a copy and have not seen it before. I hear the music is good. After that I have only one other left and it is my favorite version of the movies. Surprisingly.