Continuity mistake: At the very beginning of the movie when Andre and Firmin first arrive in their coach in front of the opera house, you can see one footman (wearing red) running to meet them from some distance to escort them inside. The camera angle changes and now, that fotman turned into two, standing and even waiting at the coach. (00:05:55)
Continuity mistake: When Messieurs Lefèvre, André and Firmin interrupt the rehearsal, just as the conductor is saying, "Monsieur Lefèvre, I am rehearsing," André and Firmin get a lot closer to Lefèvre between shots. (00:08:45)
Continuity mistake: When the new owners of the opera are being introduced, one dancing girl says to another while looking at the new owners, "They must be rich." You can see Christine and Meg in the background. However, when they introduce Raoul, you see Christine and Meg climbing the stair to get to the stage and the "They must be rich" girls coming up behind them. (00:09:40)
Continuity mistake: As Carlotta is finishing the Hannibal song, she looks with contempt at André and Firmin and puts her hands on her hips, but in the next shot, her hands are by her sides. (00:11:45)
Continuity mistake: As Carlotta is saying "I hope he is as excited by the dancing girls as your new managers", she holds her hand up with one finger in the air, but in the next shot, her hand is near her waist with no fingers protruding. (00:12:15)
Continuity mistake: During the scene where Meg is looking for Christine backstage, we see her pass Firmin and Andre. Behind her Raoul approaches the managers and they turn to greet him. In the next shot they are turned round flirting with the chorus girls, Raoul is nowhere to be seen, and Meg passes behind them again. (00:22:00)
Continuity mistake: After "Think of Me", Meg is pushing through the crowd backstage, searching for Christine and she finally makes her way out of the crowd. Their actions repeat in a shot from a different angle. The next shot is a close up of Andre sharing a cigar with a woman and in the background, you can see Meg pushing through the crowd again, even though she already passed Andre. (00:22:00)
Continuity mistake: After Think of Me, when Christine is in the chapel, it shows her light a match on a candle, then use the lit match to light the candle next to it. In the following shot, the camera shows all of the candles on that stand-only one is lit. (00:22:25)
Continuity mistake: As the Phantom and Christine approach the Phantom's lair for the first time in the boat, we see 2 sets of candle holders each with 3 layers of candles rise out of the water. When the approach scene finishes, there are 2 layers of candles lit on the left hand set of holders. However, on the long shot the 2nd row of candles are not lit, and light up shortly after. (00:33:55)
Continuity mistake: When the Phantom approaches Christine while singing "Only then can you belong to me" he places his hands on her face slowly moving them down her neck. When it cuts his hands are suddenly moving over her shoulders. His hands couldn't have moved that fast. (00:37:20)
Continuity mistake: When the Phantom in "Music of the Night" goes to show Christine the wax figure of herself there is a tall lit candle behind him. When she faints he moves in front of it to catch her and when he then moves away the candle is out - the only way the flame could have been put out was if Christine's hair had smothered it (which would of course have set her hair alight). (00:39:40)
Continuity mistake: After Christine removes the Phantom's mask for the first time, he looks at himself in a mirror: his 'bad side' (the right one) shows no sign of deformity. (00:45:30)
Continuity mistake: After the the auction, the old Madame Giry bows her head at Raoul. In the following shot, we can see her reflection in Raoul's window, bowing her head once more. Furthermore, Raoul's car leaves before her head is back in the up position. (00:47:50)
Continuity mistake: As Christine and Raoul race up the stairs of the Opera House, her hair is loose. By the time they come out onto the rooftop, it's partially pulled back in an elaborate fashion. She's never off screen long enough to have done that. (01:05:35 - 01:07:05)
Continuity mistake: On the Opera House's rooftop, the lining of the Phantom's cape goes from light-coloured to black before and after he jumps on the statue. It has nothing to do with lighting, and his waistshirt proves it: much darker than the cape's original lining, it makes it obvious the cape's turned dark since the waistshirt looks paler against it. (01:15:55)
Continuity mistake: During the Masquerade, there is a close-up of two of the dancers, who sing "But who can name the face?" while standing next to each other, without moving. Next shot, they are several feet apart and the lady is dancing towards where the male dancer is standing. (01:18:50)
Continuity mistake: In the graveyard, when Christine walks down the main alley, her arms are hanging by her sides, but in the next shot, she is holding her bouquet in front of her hips. (01:36:40)
Continuity mistake: When Christine approaches her family mausoleum, behind her you can see an above-ground tomb that has chains around the top cover. There is something on top of the cover that looks like a bouquet of flowers covered in snow, and there is not a lot of snow on the tomb. Later, when Raoul and the Phantom are fighting and the Phantom slashes Raoul's arm. Raoul falls backward onto this same tomb, and when we see him from above, rising, the chains on his side are missing, and there is suddenly lots more snow all over the tomb. The bouqet (or whatever it is) is missing. However, in the next shot that shows the same tomb, now there is much less snow, the bouquet is back, and one-half of the side chains have reappeared. You can see the continuity by the tree at the head of the tomb, and the triangular wreath laid at the head of the tomb. (01:39:05 - 01:40:45)
Continuity mistake: At the end of the first part of Don Juan Triumphant, Carlotta throws her right arm towards her back right, holding a fan. In the next shot, her right arm is at her side and her left arm is pointing forward to her left. (01:47:20)
Continuity mistake: When Christine reaches the centre of the stage during her first appearance in Don Juan Triumphant, her arms are at her sides and she holds the basket in her right hand. The next shot, she is holding the basket in front of her, with both hands. (01:48:40)
Answer: During "Point of No Return, " the Phantom shares a stage with the very vulnerable Christine. He is still masked, though it is a mask other than his trademark white face covering. The Phantom is well known as a murderer and an escape artist. This is the the equivalent of a hostage situation. To rush the stage might risk lives, and everyone in the know is proceeding with caution. During the song, we do get glimpses of police moving about, and Raoul and others looking concerned, subtly signaling one another and considering their next move. The stage crew seems confused. The dancers go on with the show. And law enforcement officers await the right moment to advance. It also gives us the opportunity to enjoy a dramatic musical number that rushing the stage would interrupt.
Michael Albert