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.

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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)

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Quotes

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

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Questions

Question: What does the Phantom eat and what does he spend his salary on? Presumably he can't just go to the shops etc with his mask on. If he doesn't leave the opera house where does he learn his skills like driving a carriage, who does he practice sword fighting with? Wouldn't his health suffer if he spends decades living in this damp cold rat infested place wading through lakes all the time? He even complains about it being cold himself at one point. Surely if it snowing outside his lair can't be warm but he's not wearing much.

Answer: First, it is established in the movie that he is dependant on Madame Giry and it is presumed she does his shopping for him. As for learning skills, it is established he is a genius and one can assume he is very well read. Additionally, for single handed skills, like driving a carriage, he can possibly go out at night to learn them. As for his living conditions, the human body adapts well to continuous conditions, it is how the people in Siberia can tolerate lower temperatures better than those who live close to the equator. Lastly, one can easily assume he has other (warmer) clothes that he wears off camera.

OneHappyHusky

There is a character simply known as 'the Persian' He has known the Phantom his whole life and would have taught him horse driving. In the book, the Phantom has a life before the opera house where he would have learned fencing and torture. Also, the phantom knows all the secret passages. When it's cold he leaves his lair and lives someplace warmer.

You're totally right but also, in addition to your mention of The Persian, in the book it is he that is the Phantom's only "friend" or whatever but in the movie there is no Persian exactly but the two Characters Madam Giry and The Persian from The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston L. Are both combined as one, to be know as Madame Giry in the 2004 flim.

debbi.ee

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