Il fantasma dell'opera (1998)

User Rating:

4.1/10   

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Gaston Leroux (novel)
Gérard Brach (writer) ...

Release Date:

20 November 1998 (Italy)

Genre:

Horror | Romance

Plot:

Gory remake of the Gaston Leroux classic story, only this time, the phantom is not disfigured, but a man who was raised by rats deep under the Paris Opera House.

Plot Keywords:

Phantom | Opera | Rat | Paris | Death

Cast

Julian Sands	...	The Phantom
Asia Argento	...	Christine Daaé
Andrea Di Stefano	...	Baron Raoul De Chagny
Nadia Rinaldi	...	Carlotta Altieri
Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni	...	Honorine
István Bubik	...	Ignace, the rat-catcher
Lucia Guzzardi	...	Madame Giry
Aldo Massasso	...	Pourdieu
Zoltan Barabas	...	Poligny
Gianni Franco	...	Montluc
David D'Ingeo	...	Alfred
Kitty Kéri	...	Paulette
John Pedeferri	...	Dr. Princard
Leonardo Treviglio	...	Jerome De Chagny
Massimo Sarchielli	...	Joseph Buquet

Also Known As:

Dario Argento's The Phantom of the Opera (UK) (video title)
Phantom of the Opera (USA) (video box title)
The Phantom of the Opera (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence/gore and sexuality.

Runtime:

99 min | Italy:106 min (director's cut)

Country:

Italy | Hungary

Language:

Italian | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Sweden:15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Italy:VM14 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Cine 2000

Trivia:

Rumour has it that Dario Argento's original cut of the film ran almost an hour longer and that the version which was finally released, has been heavily re-cut and changed by the producers to assure the film's appeal to wider audiences.

Quotes:

The Phantom: The role is yours
Christine Daae: I don't want it
The Phantom: I said that it's yours
Christine Daae: I said, I don't want it. Tell me how many life did it costs, huh
The Phantom: You shall sing Julliete and I shall be there with you.
Christine Daae: I hate you!
The Phantom: Yes. Well, hate and love are one.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

Soundtrack:

Faust: Overture

Guilty Pleasure

It is not the best movie ever made but it is watchable, mainly due to Morricone's Music and the opera selections. Asia Argento plays the main heroine, young talented opera singer Christine. I don't think she was bad and her face is unbelievably beautiful - she reminds Olivia Hussey of "Romeo and Juliet" (1968) and Uma Thurman if Uma ever decides to dye her hair dark. Production values, costumes, special effects, decorations, and the singing voices are very good. I noticed that I laughed a lot during the film - perhaps Argento made a dark comedy of the familiar story?

I did not like Julien Sands as a non-masked Phantom. He looks a lot like the creatures that raised him.

The film has an orgy scene that is so funny it could've came directly from "Caligula"

Overall - I had a lot of fun, and and can call it one of my guilty pleasures.