The Phantom of the Opera (1990 miniseries)

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The Phantom Of The Opera is a 1990 television miniseries based loosely on Gaston Leroux's novel and directed by Tony Richardson.

Contents

[edit] Story

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The Phantom of the Opera (Charles Dance) is a disfigured musical genius who lives below the Paris Opera House. He is a huge part in managing each performance through his friend Gerard Carrier. Then the Phantom's life turns upside down when he finds his only friend, Gerard Carrier, is being dismissed and the opera has a new manager named Cholet. Cholet's wife Carlotta, is a spoiled woman with a bad personality and a terrible voice to match. The Phantom takes an instant disliking for them both. Chollet and Carlotta refuse to listen to everyone who warns them about the mysterious ghost who lurks around the opera house. Gerard says,"All you need to know, is don't go down below." Gerard had made the legend of the Opera Ghost grow to could protect Erik.

Christine Daae (Teri Polo) comes to the Paris Opera House in search for voice lessons that the Count de Chagny promised her. Unfortunately Gerard, the voice teacher, was dismissed. Carlotta said that Christine can work in the costume department because she is supposedly unfit for the stage. Since Christine had no home, a doorman lets her stay in an old storage room in the Opera House.

Later that night, the Phantom hears Christine singing, he falls in love with her enchanting voice. He told her that her voice was miraculous but he explained that with a proper voice tutor, her voice could reach its full potential. He offers to be her voice teacher, but she has to keep him anonymous. He tells her that is the reason he wears a mask. Erik titors Christine in an abandoned music room. He quickly falls in love with her.

The Count de Chagny returns and see's that Christine has been working in the costume department. He apologizes for that and invites her to come to the Bistro. Christine is hesitant and asks her Mistro if she should attend. The Phantom says she should go and it would provide many opportunities. She attends at the Bistro and sings and everyone is in awe by her voice. After the Bistro, Phillipe and Christine start to bond. The Count then realises Christine was his Childhod sweetheart ages ago. They then fall in love.

Since the Phantom sabbatoged Carlotta's performances, she says she won't sing again until he is killed. Cholet then gives Christine the lead of the Opera,Faust. Before the show, Carlotta tricks Christine into drinking so called "herbs" to relieve her nerves. Christine then tries to sing and nothing comes out. The audience starts booing and the phantom is furious at them. Christine starts to cry. Erik is terribly angered by the audience. He chops down the ropes holding the chandlier and it crashes apon the audience. He then grabs Christine in the middle of all the terror and leads her underground. He rows her on a boat to a little house. He lays her upon the bed and he sings her to sleep. That is the first we get to hear Erik sing.

As Christine is asleep,Erik builds traps for anyone who comes down there. He could if he wanted to, blow up the entire Opera House. Gerard comes underneath the Opera House and pleads with him to let her go. The Phantom refuses. Erik explains, "She is an angel and its hell up there, I would not send an angel to hell. I may be hideous but I am not hideous enough to do that". Erik gets frustrated Gerard would want him to send her back. He tells Gerard to go away.Gerard then goes to Christine and warns her. He then tells her the story of Erik's past and of his mother. He admitts to Christine that he was his father. She refuses to go back without talking to Erik first.

Gerard leaves, only after telling Christine that she is making a big mistake. The next day, Erik takes Christine on a picnic underground. She asks Erik to take off his mask. After a lot of convincing he shows her his face. WE don't get to see his face, but by the look of Christine we know it is horrid. She then faints. Erik then weeps bitterly and goes in a fit of rage, believing Christine doesn't love him anymore. She wakes up and tries to escape. Erik then puts her in a cage.

Christine escapes and runs for safety above ground where Raoul and Gerard take her far away from the Opera House. She is then terribly miserable and feels guilty for abandoning Erik. She had a dream that Erik was dying and she then begs The Count to take her back. The count agrees and Christine sings at that night's show "Faust". Erik hears her and comes up to box 5 to hear her. He then begins to sing the male part in Faust and the audience turns toward box 5. Christine and the Phantom sing to each other with such passion and the audience is in awe. At the end of the song, the audience roars with applaud. The police shoots Erik and he jumps on stage and kidnaps Christine. He carries her to the roof. He is cornered with police standing all around. Gerard takes out his gun and shoots Erik. He had to or else the police would have done something worse to Erik. Erik falls off the rouf and Christine runs to him.Erik is cradeled in his father Gerard's lap. Christine takes off his mask and kisses him on his head. Erik, with the purest of love in his heart for her, breathes his last breathe. Christine weeping slowly leaves with the Count. The end

[edit] Cast


[edit] 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 all other versions of the story, the Phantom's mother loathes him.
  • The miniseries is based on the stage play by Arthur L Kopit.
  • It is the only Phantom of the Opera movie to actually film on location in Paris.
  • 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).

[edit] Reviews

The miniseries met with mixed reviews.

[edit] External links

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