The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
Starring: Gerard Butler (The Phantom), Emmy Rossum (Christine), Patrick Wilson (Viscount Raoul de Chagny), Minnie Driver (Carlotta), and Miranda Richardson (Madame Giry)
"The phantom of the opera is there, inside my mind."
The year is 1919, and the Paris Opera House is holding an auction. Raoul, the Viscount of Chagny, is now an old man who is wheelchair ridden. While at the auction, he purchases a music box, which is very prominent to the story. He also comes across Madame Giry, who is much older. The next thing for auction is a chandelier in pieces but newly wired and with electricity. The old, dirty, black and white version of the Paris Opera House is now restored and the setting turns to color, with a grander setting.
We now go back in time to 1870, a time when the opera house was flourishing. The two new owners, Richard Firmin and Gilles Andre, who are completely baffled about the opera house. They are soon introduced to Madame Giry, who introduces them to Christine, a young singer who is extremely talented yet doesn't have a big part in the productions. Raoul is introduced to the cast members, and Christine recognizes him as an old crush of hers back in the day. However, Raoul does not notice her. During a rehearsal, a backdrop falls from the ceiling, nearly hitting the main soloist, Carlotta, who is pretty rude. She of course marches away, and Christine gets the main part: to sing what Carlotta sang horribly-"Think of Me". Madame Giry finds a letter, which fell from where the backdrop once stood-and it is signed "Opera Ghost", who is feared by all and lives in the opera house somewhere. Firmin and Andre are pleased with Christine's performance and replace her with Carlotta. Raoul recognizes Christine and sets out to find her. Christine is in her room, and her friend Meg asks her how she got to sing so well. Christine tells her it is the "Angel of Music", who is in fact the Phantom. Raoul soon discovers Christina later in the night and asks her to go into town with him. Christine refuses, saying that the Angel is strict. Raoul sets out anyways, and the Phantom locks up Christine and sings to her. He reveals himself through a mirror to her, and she is wowed by his white mask. Christine and the Phantom set off, and Raoul is meanwhile banging on the door, thinking that she has been kidnapped. The Phantom takes Christine to his hideout, located under the opera house, which is located on a rocky piece of land in the middle of water. The Phantom wants Christine to love him as he does her, and shows Christine something he created, showing Christine in a wedding dress. She faints, and later when she awakes, she tries to get the Phantom to take off his mask. The Phantom is furious when she takes it off, and says she should stay in his lair forever-but eventually decides to take her back to the opera house. Later, at the opera house, Firmin and Andre are freaking out because Christine is gone and they don't have a lead. But the Phantom sends them letters, assuring them that Christine is back at the opera house. Christine is replaced with Carlotta and the Phantom is angered by this. He then disables Carlotta's voice so Christine can have the role. While Christine is getting ready for the big production, Joseph Buquet is seen by the Phantom and hung for all to see. This terrifies everyone, and she and Raoul run to the roof, where he assures her he loves her and will never leave her. This leaves the Phantom in a state of shock and sadness, since Christine does not love him.
3 months later, the opera house is back and better than ever, with no reappearances of the Phantom since the Carlotta fiasco. A Masquerade takes place, and the Phantom shows up, presenting them with an opera: Don Juan. He expects it to go his way or else. Christine later goes to her father's grave, and the Phantom meets up with her. Raoul appears and fights off the Phantom with a sword fight.
On the night of the premiere of Don Juan, there is a nervous feeling in the air. Raoul, Firmin, and Andre set a trap in case the Phantom makes an appearance. Don Juan begins, and while Piangi is preparing to sing, he is killed by the Phantom. The Phantom appears on stage, and Christine and the Phantom sing together, Christine professing her love for the Phantom. Raoul is torn upon hearing this. The Phantom takes off his mask and reveals his distorted face, and then escapes to his lair with Christine, the opera house left in flames. Raoul follows with the help of Madame Giry, hoping to rescue Christine from the wrath of the Phantom. Raoul is left halfway by Madame Giry to his own devices. After nearly drowning, he arrives at the lair. Raoul is tied up, and the Phantom gives Christine the ultimate decision to make: she can stay with him and Raoul is free, or she goes back to Raoul and he is killed, yet she is free. Christine decides to stay with the Phantom. The Phantom realizes he has acted so horribly so they couldn't possibly be together. In the end, he decides to free Christine and Raoul. Christine and the Phantom are both saddened, and Christine reluctantly leaves in the boat with Raoul. She takes one last look at the Phantom sadly before disappearing from his life forever. Heartbroken, the Phantom destroys all his mirrors and escapes before a mob shows up. In the end, only his mask is found.
It is 1919. Raoul is wheelchaired to Christine's grave and leaves the music box he got at the auction there. He notices that a rose (the Phantom's trademark) and the ring he gave Christine earlier in the movie are there. Saddened, Raoul realizes that Christine truly loved the Phantom.
My Review:
At first, I didn't know what to expect out of this movie. I thought it would be complicated and hard to understand. But once the movie started, it was already good. It's easy to understand, and just a great movie all around, especially if you like musicals. The music in this was incredibly excellent, as was the singing. Now, I'm not sure which is my favorite: The Phantom of the Opera or Les Miserables!
Final Rating: 4.5/5 stars |
| MACBETH
Pic 1:The name of the opera comes up before it begins. Pic 2:Macbeth, with King Duncan's blood on his hands, being comforted and urged on by Lady Macbeth. Pic 3:Rene Pape, the opera singer who played as Banquo in the version of the opera this review is about. Note:Credit goes to the Metropolitan Opera for pic 2. I support the Met myself. If you want to support it, click here to go to their website.
Review by:Brunnhilde
After seeing the Metropolitan Opera's fantastic, new production of Giuseppe Verdi's opera Macbeth live in HD in my local movie theater on October 11, I decided to post this review of it. The great cast included Zelijko Lucic as Macbeth, Anna Netrebko as Lady Macbeth, Rene Pape as Banquo, and Joseph Calleja as Macduff. Fabio Luisi was the conductor. The opera is based on the well-known Shakespeare play Macbeth. Here is synopsis for this epic opera:
Nearby a battle, many witches come together and tell each other tales about the evils they have done and are intending to do when two generals, Macbeth and his friend Banquo, arrive. The witches tell Macbeth and Banquo about their destinies-Macbeth shall first become Thane of Glamis (which he will become through inheritance), then Thane of Cawdor, and after that a king. Banquo is told that he himself will not be a king, but his descendants will be given the throne. The witches disappear, and a messenger arrives, who tells Macbeth that he has been named Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth and Banquo are amazed, since some of what the witches said just became true. Macbeth tells the messenger that the previous Thane of Cawdor is alive, and therefore Macbeth himself cannot hold that title, but the messenger lets him know that the old Thane of Cawdor had been executed for being condemned as a traitor. While Macbeth wonders how he can become the king and ambition begins to drive him to thoughts of bloodshed in order to obtain the throne, Banquo, disliking the witches, thinks about whether the forces of Hell tell the truth in order to lead one to destruction. Meanwhile, in Macbeth's castle, Lady Macbeth receives a letter from her husband, which tells her what just happened, and she makes plans to kill the king and obtain the throne. As soon as Macbeth arrives at the castle, Lady Macbeth persuades him to kill the king, who is going to stay at their castle that night. Eventually King Duncan arrives, night falls, and the king and his servants go to sleep. Meanwhile, Macbeth and his wife stay awake. Lady Macbeth gives Macbeth a knife, and after arguing with himself on whether or not to do it, he kills the king. He returns to Lady Macbeth, having become horrified with himself at what he has done, and Lady Macbeth bloodies her hands too, having planned to make the servants bloodstained so they look guilty. After she bloodies up the servants, they meet at the king's room to find a crowd of frightened, horrified people, for Macduff, who had an appointment with the king, found King Duncan dead. Banquo is also there and bears witness to the death. The crowd (including Macbeth and his wife) curse whoever assassinated the king.
Later on, Macbeth has become the king. The king's son, Prince Malcolm, has fled from the country because people suspect him of being the murderer. Meanwhile, Macbeth becomes worried about the witches' prophecy that Banquo would form a line of future kings that come after Macbeth, and he tells his wife that he will have Banquo killed during a banquet he is going to hold tonight. Later, outside the castle, Banquo and his son, having been invited, are heading to the banquet, only to be met by assassins hired to kill them. Banquo fights the assassins, yelling for his son to flee, and is killed. However, Banquo's son escapes. At the banquet, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are having a good time and eating, drinking, and dancing with their guests, but soon one of the assassins enters and secretly tells Macbeth that Banquo is dead, but his son escaped. Macbeth is pleased that most of his plan worked, but when he goes back to the others to resume the party he is met by Banquo's ghost. A horrified Macbeth begins to rant about the phantom, which frightens the guests, but Lady Macbeth manages to calm him down, making the spirit disappear. However, only a few moments pass before Banquo's ghost reappears and Macbeth is driven crazy by it yet again. Macduff, believing that Macbeth is cursed and not wanting to be ruled by him, decides to leave the country, while the rest of the guests, now horrified, quickly leave the banquet, causing it to end in a shorter amount of time than expected.
Meanwhile, in a cave, the witches are making evil brews in their cauldron when Macbeth arrives. He asks them about his future yet again, and the witches cast a spell that causes three spirits to appear before Macbeth that tell him about what is to come. The first tells him to beware of Macduff, the second says that he is invincible to any man "born of woman," and the third lets him know that until the Birnam Wood marches towards him, Macbeth cannot be defeated. Macbeth is delighted with the third, believing that nothing can ever make a forest march forward into battle, but his happiness quickly disappears when Banquo's ghost arrives, holding a mirror that shows many of his descendants who will be future kings of Scotland. Macbeth falls down, unconscious, and later wakes up back in the castle. Lady Macbeth arrives, and Macbeth tells her what happened. The two then decide to find and kill Banquo's son, as well as Macduff (but they are unaware that he has left the country) and his family.
Later, people who have fled Scotland are in poverty. Macduff is among them. He receives a letter that tells him that Macbeth had his family killed, and is determined to get revenge. Malcolm and the English army arrive to fight Scotland, and Macduff forms an alliance with them. They head to Birnam Wood, camoflauge themselves with the branches and foliage. The army, Prince Malcolm, and Macduff then head towards Macbeth's castle. Meanwhile, a servant and a doctor watch Lady Macbeth as she sleeps. She talks in her sleep and rubs her hands, raving about how they are covered in blood, the deaths of Banquo, Macduff's family, and the king, and how nothing can clean her hands or conceal the smell of blood on them. The doctor and servant are horrified. Nearby in the castle, Macbeth spots the English army, Malcolm, some Scottish rebels, and Macduff coming from the Birnam Wood. He soon learns that his wife had just died and, having rejected love and life, doesn't care about it. He soon brings together his own army and fights the enemy. He has a one-on-one battle with Macduff, and tells him that no man born of woman can stop him, but Macduff retorts, revealing that he wasn't naturally born-he was cut out of his mother. Macduff kills Macbeth, and the English army and the Scottish rebels win the battle. Malcolm becomes the king, Macduff is seen forevermore as a hero, and there is a huge celebration. Meanwhile, Macduff and Malcolm spot Banquo's son nearby, unaware that they are seeing the future king of Scotland.
My Review
A can admit that this is one of my newest favorite Verdi operas. I saw a different version of it a long time ago, and I didn't really understand the story nor like it very much, but now that I'm older and I saw the Metropolitan Opera's version, I found that I like this opera a lot. (Note that this review is mainly about the Met's version of Macbeth.) I haven't read the play, so I can't compare this with the original Shakespeare version very well, but I like the music very much and how interesting and dark it is compared to most of other music from Verdi's operas, and I can definitely praise the cast for their amazing performance. In terms of the singers, my favorite in this production would be Anna Netrebko-while bringing out the "inner evil" of Lady Macbeth, she sang REALLY well and did a great job hitting the high notes. In terms of characters, I found surprisingly that I probably like Banquo the best, because although he died in only act two, he was a decent person, didn't deserve to die, and he seemed to sort of "revolve" around the whole opera, since it was foretold that his descendants would become the future kings of Scotland and such. Also, during the intermission, the Met showed a funny short made by "Toiletpaper" productions that was only one to two minutes long, and at the end of it mentioned never to say the name "Macbeth." I also noticed that once, in a hilarious sitcom I used to watch, there was an episode with some superstitious actors who would be horrified whenever someone said the name "Macbeth." I guess similarly to Verdi's La forza del destino, which has had several instances of someone dying on stage in real life during its performances, Macbeth could be considered a "cursed" opera, but I don't really mind, since I'm not superstitious. Another thing I want to mention is that the opera did keep a few of the most famous quotes from the play that I myself know of, one of them being said by Macbeth after learning of his wife's death and that the English army was coming for him. In that quote, Macbeth said that life "is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." Although here and there I find that quote a bit hard to understand, I found it interesting and decided to bring it up in this review. I believe that, in chess, it means a very powerful and dangerous-looking move that really does nothing at all. In life, however, I only know what some of the meaning is, and it is very hard to explain it in words, but I'll try to: In my opinion it means that the seemingly important tales of life are really nothing more than the "tales told by an idiot," and that in the end we all return to the dust where we came from, and aren't of any real significance (note that my definition may be inaccurate). Anyway, overall, this is a very good, intense opera.
Final Rating:8 1/2 out of 10 stars |
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