Phantom of the Opera movie
Sun, 26 Dec 2004, 10:33 pmWalter Plinge82 posts in thread
Phantom of the Opera movie
Sun, 26 Dec 2004, 10:33 pmWhat I can say is that the movie is fairly directed. The music is marvellous but apparently its been casted with worst singers ever. Overall the phantom is the worst singer with the most unmusical voice i've ever heard in my life. There is nothing scary about his voice, except that he occasionally try to sound like a toad which isnt working for me. The christine role sounds like another version of sarah brightman, those who try to substitute acting and musicality with divaism. I dont see why the phantom accuse the diva carlotta for being bad in acting although she is moderately very good for me except the fact that she have to use that wagnerian slide up. There is nothing interesting about the vocal color of the singers. All of them sounds like puppies singing dead songs. It sounds more like karaoke rather than a good singing. I could tolerate christine and raoul but not the phantom; he is a crime.
It's very irritating to see how they abuse such musical masterpiece. I expect the movie to be at least comparable to normal local musicals but its far worse than that. I doubt if actually christine would actually be heard if she sang that aria in a real theater. It is total humiliation for opera singers that the movie uses such incompetent singer to compare with opera singers. I think even thought it is a musical; they should at least put at least a bit of operatic voice in christine because she is an opera singers in the story for goodness sake. Her voice is dead and lack of expression; its just beautiful and doesnt not resonate. The music is touching thanx to the composer of the music, but relying on the musicality of the composer is but showing the sign of a dead performer. THe least for human to be is to be a singing machine. 'such thing is the most cruel thing one can ever do' Felix Mendelssohn.
It's very irritating to see how they abuse such musical masterpiece. I expect the movie to be at least comparable to normal local musicals but its far worse than that. I doubt if actually christine would actually be heard if she sang that aria in a real theater. It is total humiliation for opera singers that the movie uses such incompetent singer to compare with opera singers. I think even thought it is a musical; they should at least put at least a bit of operatic voice in christine because she is an opera singers in the story for goodness sake. Her voice is dead and lack of expression; its just beautiful and doesnt not resonate. The music is touching thanx to the composer of the music, but relying on the musicality of the composer is but showing the sign of a dead performer. THe least for human to be is to be a singing machine. 'such thing is the most cruel thing one can ever do' Felix Mendelssohn.
Re: Phantom of the Opera movie
Tue, 11 Jan 2005, 04:13 pmWalter Plinge
Hello!
I too have stumbled upon this site after a 'Phantom' google search!
All the opinions expressed here are great... I've enjoyed reading them all, so thanks.
I, like most of you, found the film to be incredibly beautiful. I really appreciated the balance Schumacher created between the light and vibrant scenes such as Masquerade, and the dark and gothic looking scenes beneath the opera house. Amongst these, the rooftop and cemetary 'snowing' scenes were glorious... without doubt, the world which Schumacher created for his characters is a richly textured feast for the eyes... loved it!
However, with the studio throwing $70 million US at the project how couldn't the film be a visual masterpiece?
The acting and singing - I agree, the two should very much go hand in hand in a movie such as this. When it comes to the Phantom's performance, I thought Gerard Butler was very good at incorporating the two. Gerard's Phantom was very raw in comarison to Michael Crawlford's... and in many instances I found him growling out his lines... but somehow, it worked. He did make me feel for him... and what he lacked in vocal ability, he more than made up for in conveying both the haunting sorrow and deep love of the Phantom ... not to mention his sex appeal!
I agree with Paul Treasure in regards to Minnie Driver's performance as La Carlotta... I had my doubts quelled there! ... but, Minnie... that awfully boring song they got you to sing over the closing credits!! Was that the best they could come up with? Ah well... I spose you would have felt out of the loop had you sung nothing at all...
Onto Emmy Rossum...
I won't bother talking much about her acting while she was not singing... all the role really called for was to stand open mouthed in bewilderment, and never let the audience forget you have a heaving bossom. And... she did this well!
Emmy embodied Christine physically, and I thoroughly enjoyed her singing. Her voice is exceptional, crystal clear, a good range... and yes, she IS expressive. Listening to Emmy sing on the soundtrack cd alone, during the 'Point of No Return' it does sound as if Emmy is seconds away from jumping the Phantom!
Here, Rossum has been criticised because her singing wouldn't pass in a real Opera... but that's the beauty of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Opera fans in general despise his work... and the majority of the millions who have seen the Phantom live on stage... are not Opera fans!
The point is... to the untrained ear, Rossum's singing is both beautiful and strong. And clearly Lloyd made this movie for the mainstream.
Listening to Sarah Brightman on the original recording, sure, you hear a powerful voice. But some of her notes are so operatic you can't even make out the words! In seeing the movie, I found I could make out words I never knew before - and these were imperative to following the story and understanding how the characters were feeling. So what if it's opera-lite... I can appreciate it in my ignorance!
It was the little things that bugged me during the film.
The way the little black mask that the Phantom wore at the end would not have even half covered his deformity.
While singing the Point of No Return, Christine was wearing this lacey black pirate-looking number which kept slipping down her shoulders... yet somewhere in between sliding down the pole with the Phantom, and him ripping her down to his dungeon, she found the time to change into that white wedding dress. Go Christine!
Otherwise... a thrill to the eyes and the ears! Very entertaining and one of my favourites this summer.
For those of you about to go and buy the soundtrack. Wait till Monday 17th January... on this date they are releasing the 2 disk version with a hardcover book! Looks quite good.
Take care all!
Chris::
I too have stumbled upon this site after a 'Phantom' google search!
All the opinions expressed here are great... I've enjoyed reading them all, so thanks.
I, like most of you, found the film to be incredibly beautiful. I really appreciated the balance Schumacher created between the light and vibrant scenes such as Masquerade, and the dark and gothic looking scenes beneath the opera house. Amongst these, the rooftop and cemetary 'snowing' scenes were glorious... without doubt, the world which Schumacher created for his characters is a richly textured feast for the eyes... loved it!
However, with the studio throwing $70 million US at the project how couldn't the film be a visual masterpiece?
The acting and singing - I agree, the two should very much go hand in hand in a movie such as this. When it comes to the Phantom's performance, I thought Gerard Butler was very good at incorporating the two. Gerard's Phantom was very raw in comarison to Michael Crawlford's... and in many instances I found him growling out his lines... but somehow, it worked. He did make me feel for him... and what he lacked in vocal ability, he more than made up for in conveying both the haunting sorrow and deep love of the Phantom ... not to mention his sex appeal!
I agree with Paul Treasure in regards to Minnie Driver's performance as La Carlotta... I had my doubts quelled there! ... but, Minnie... that awfully boring song they got you to sing over the closing credits!! Was that the best they could come up with? Ah well... I spose you would have felt out of the loop had you sung nothing at all...
Onto Emmy Rossum...
I won't bother talking much about her acting while she was not singing... all the role really called for was to stand open mouthed in bewilderment, and never let the audience forget you have a heaving bossom. And... she did this well!
Emmy embodied Christine physically, and I thoroughly enjoyed her singing. Her voice is exceptional, crystal clear, a good range... and yes, she IS expressive. Listening to Emmy sing on the soundtrack cd alone, during the 'Point of No Return' it does sound as if Emmy is seconds away from jumping the Phantom!
Here, Rossum has been criticised because her singing wouldn't pass in a real Opera... but that's the beauty of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Opera fans in general despise his work... and the majority of the millions who have seen the Phantom live on stage... are not Opera fans!
The point is... to the untrained ear, Rossum's singing is both beautiful and strong. And clearly Lloyd made this movie for the mainstream.
Listening to Sarah Brightman on the original recording, sure, you hear a powerful voice. But some of her notes are so operatic you can't even make out the words! In seeing the movie, I found I could make out words I never knew before - and these were imperative to following the story and understanding how the characters were feeling. So what if it's opera-lite... I can appreciate it in my ignorance!
It was the little things that bugged me during the film.
The way the little black mask that the Phantom wore at the end would not have even half covered his deformity.
While singing the Point of No Return, Christine was wearing this lacey black pirate-looking number which kept slipping down her shoulders... yet somewhere in between sliding down the pole with the Phantom, and him ripping her down to his dungeon, she found the time to change into that white wedding dress. Go Christine!
Otherwise... a thrill to the eyes and the ears! Very entertaining and one of my favourites this summer.
For those of you about to go and buy the soundtrack. Wait till Monday 17th January... on this date they are releasing the 2 disk version with a hardcover book! Looks quite good.
Take care all!
Chris::
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