The Phantom of the Opera

Trivia: In one of the 1919 flashback scenes, Raoul looks out of the car window at a Swarovski jewelry store. The Swarovski crystal company made the chandelier for the film, valued at over $1.3 million.

Trivia: The candles that light instantly as they emerge from the water in the Phantom's Lair were not computer effects - special air-sensitive candles were used. Luckily, the scene was captured well in the first take, as when they tried to re-shoot the scene the candles wouldn't work again.

Trivia: Christine's attire during her performance of 'Think of Me' for Hannibal is copied from the most famous painting of Emperess Elisabeth of Austria, also known as Sissi.

Sereenie

Trivia: The song during the credits is sung by Minnie Driver who played La Carlotta. Hers were the only vocals dubbed during the movie.

The Phantom of the Opera trivia picture

Trivia: In Carlotta's dressing room there is a large portrait of Carlotta holding Andrew Lloyd Webber's head on a plate.

Trivia: Since the camera angles during "All I Ask of You" are sweeping, the kiss between Christine and Raoul had to be shot many, many times. Emmy Rossum had to ice her lips between takes to keep them from swelling.

Trivia: Ramin Karimloo is the first actor to have played all three of Christine's loves: her father in this film, and both Raoul and the Phantom in the stage version. Karimloo will originate the role of the Phantom in the stage musical sequel, "Love Never Dies".

Jedd Jong

The Phantom of the Opera trivia picture

Trivia: Ramin Karimloo's entire part is a picture of him in character and a single shot, lasting less than thirty seconds, of Gustave on his deathbed.

Cubs Fan ★

Trivia: This movie was originally going to be made in 1990 with Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford in the leading roles, the same actors who played the parts originally on stage. However Brightman's divorce from composer/producer Andrew Lloyd Webber put an end to the project.

Trivia: In the stage version, the chandelier crash occurs after "All I Ask of You". However, in the film it is pushed back to after "The Point of No Return". This change was reflected in the Las Vegas version of the stage show.

Jedd Jong

The Phantom of the Opera trivia picture

Trivia: When Christine removes the Phantom's mask, he pushes her down on the floor. Right after he says 'Curse you,' the camera goes back to her: she is half laughing. (00:45:30)

Sereenie

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: She's not laughing, it's shock and fear, she doesn't know how to react.

Trivia: When Andrew Lloyd Webber originally approached Michael Crawford in 1984 about starring in the show, and after reading the novel, Crawford made an assumption that Webber wanted him to play Raoul, and spent a year studying Nelson Eddy's performance in the 1943 film. It wasn't until he was at his audition that Crawford learned Steve Barton had been cast as Raoul a week earlier, and that Webber wanted him to play the Phantom.

Cubs Fan ★

Trivia: The fire that burns down the opera house after the chandelier crashes was an actual fire. Joel Schumacher, wanting realism, destroyed the opera house set to film that scene.

Jedd Jong

Trivia: During 'Masquerade', the camera sweeps up the steps to a group of people in cat masks, who strike a pose similar to a pose often used in promotional material for the musical 'Cats, ' also by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

More for The Phantom of the Opera

Mistakes

The Phantom of the Opera mistake picture

Deliberate mistake: As Christine approaches the Phantom in his lair (just after he has abducted her), we see that she is wearing very dark black eye-shadow. Back in the dressing room after coming off stage, as she talks to Raoul, we saw her face in close up and she was not wearing any eye-shadow at all, even though the Phantom leads her through the mirror just after she has managed to slip on a robe over her undergarments and she has not yet changed to go out to supper (Raoul says she is to be ready in 2 minutes). Her hair becomes 'bigger' and wilder, too. The change in her appearance is a reference to her descending (voluntarily, I might add - he didn't drag her through that mirror) into the Phantom's dark existence and to her sexual awakening. (00:28:45 - 00:37:10)

More mistakes in The Phantom of the Opera

Quotes

Christine Daae: Angel of Music, you've deceived me. I gave you my mind blindly.

More quotes from The Phantom of the Opera

Questions

Question: In the final scene, when we see the rose and ring that the Phantom have left on Christine's grave, we also see that she died two years before the scene takes place. Why did the Phantom wait two years to leave the ring on the grave? Was he previously unaware of Christine's death?

Answer: I like to think that he would always place a rose there, possibly every week or so, and they never had the ring on them. And he knew When Raoul would be there, so he placed them when he knew he would be alone with her. As for the two years later, since the phantom "knew" when Raoul came... he especially put that ring there. Just to let Raoul know about his love for Christine and the fact he is still living. He knew Raoul would visit then, and knew what to do. (This is only a theory I have proposed. As for a genuine answer... I am not aware of one.) Hope this maybe helped.

Answer: It may have been Christine's birthday, or anniversary of sort.

More questions & answers from The Phantom of the Opera