|
|
|
I was watching the silent Lon Chaney version of "The Phantom of the Opera" earlier on TCM, and I began to do some pondering about the many Phantom movies.
When someone thinks of The Phantom of the Opera, often there are two iconic images that will come to mind. One is the famous unmasking of Lon Chaney, rightfully recognized as one of the very iconic images of not only horror, but of cinema itself. His face makeup is taken from the original novel's description of Erik, as someone with a horrible deformity from birth that gives him a terrifying corpse-like appearance.
The second iconic image is one of a man wearing a white mask that covers only part of his face, with the part of the face that is still showing looking perfectly normal. This has nothing to do with Leroux's original novel. Rather, this originates from the 1943 film version starring Claude Rains as the Phantom, the first American film version since Chaney's. In this film, it is said that Erique (this film's spelling of the name) was a gifted musician and a normal man, until he was scarred with acid, at which point he lost his sanity and began hiding out in the opera house. The story of...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Illustration from Kay novel. He certainly looks depressed.
|
This article shall pertain to the 'holy trinity' of Phantom. The Leroux, Kay, and Andrew Lloyd Webber versions. The basic idea is to look at each individual portrayal of the Phantom and ascertain approximately the extent of his mental deterioration and psychosis. I will also discuss the probable causes and catalysts for these behaviours.
This is by no means a full psychoanalysis, and in the long run is only meant to calm me down with some logical thinking after a very bad week. I.E. you don't have to like it or agree with it.
I shall begin with Leroux since that is the original perception of the Phantom. Here we have a man who has been completely ostracized by society at large from a very early age. We can see examples of several neurosis very plainly in his mannerisms. First and foremost, he appears to suffer from a degree of bipolar disorder, or manic depression. This can be noted by periods of frenzied activity giving way to desperate melancholy. At the manager's farewell banquet as well as at the end of the novel both in his own home and in the daroga's flat he is quite lucid. However we can find many examples in the rest of the novel where he behaves quite...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Remind you of anyone?
|
The Haunted Mansion ride at Disney has always been one of my favourite things, and Phantom tops the list at #1 fave thing. And a while back I started noticing really heavy similarities between the two things and I found many of them interesting. I thought I would share these observations here, so that others might enjoy the coincidences, or homages if you'd care to take it that way.
We will begin in the Foyer. Above the fireplace hangs a portrait where a young gentleman (presumably Master Gracey) hangs. It is here that the unseen guide for the attraction first makes his presence known.
"When hinges creak in doorless chambers, and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls. Whenever candle lights flicker where the air is deathly still. That is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight!"
During this speech the portrait over the fireplace changes to that of a corpse, readily resembling Erik from the novel. Though that could be said of most skeletons. The only comparison I can make of this room is that of the 'ghost host' establishing himself as an unseen presence as Erik did so many times in the opera. However,...
|
|
Invite friend
Join this Club
write article
