The Phantom - comparing the book to the movie

[Loki]

Ach! Again no posts to honour such a fantastic author.

I read The Phantom of the Opera in two days, not to say that's much, but I loved it so much that as soon as I had finished it - you guessed. I went right back to the beginning and started all over.

Again, he combines fact and fantasy in such a masterful way that it is hard to see which is which. The sweeping story, the suspense, the magnificent cultural setting were what made it special to me. Also, the special effects he uses at various times makes the book...so stunning.

But now, the movie. Who has seen it? Yes, I mean the new, Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical.

I must admit I was awfully disappointed. They included not half the dialogue in the book and almsost all sense of suspense and drama was lost. It was just a caricature of the real work.

Of course, it's true that it was a musical, and that they spent most of their time singing so they lost the intricacies of the plot. But that is no excuse! The Sound of Music, for example, is also a musical, and they spent a fair deal of time talking. For me, The Phantom was basically just all singing, and boring singing. Two straight hours of broadway singing does not appeal to my taste.

I'm starting a poll; what did you think about the movie? Does it parallel the book? Could any movie parallel the book?

Loki

[Phangirl7]

I thought the 2004 movie was awesome! Of course, it doesn't follow the book, it's not based on the book, it's based on the musical and the singing is the best part!
P.G.7.

[eyes_of_blue]

I am not a huge fan of the movie. I am not really a fan of the movie at all. I have watched it twice and that was more than enough for me. I have not read the book in a few years, but I really liked it. It was so interesting and the character of the phantom had such depth. I think his story is interesting and so poorly told in the movie.
It is my belief the reason for the huge differences between the book and the movie is that the book is a somewhat dark tale of a very intelligent and disturbed man, while the movie is a love story.

[lillottezobel]

I personally think it is similar to the book in a few ways, but the plot of the book is too intense for any adaptation to be expected to cover. I also personally like the songs; take them one at a time, and they can be better than the songs in CATS.

[lillottezobel]

i ALSO read the book over-and over-and over--it was the only book I read for over a week, and I always read it on weekends.