Phantom in the Corridor
Hello to all Phantom of the Opera phans! I bid you welcome to the 2nd installment of my 3 part blog: A Tale of Three Phantoms. Last week as you recall, I introduced you to Michael Crawford, my very first ALW Phantom. If you missed that article, please refer to it by scrolling down the page.
This week, I am excited to tell you about the second Phantom of the three I am profiling, Scottish actor Gerard James Butler. But before I begin…perhaps a disclaimer is in order: I am not here to defend Gerard Butler, either as an actor, a singer, or in his role as the Phantom. Neither am I here to instigate arguments, web-riots or flaming wars. I am simply here to tell my story and to share my experiences and thoughts as to why Gerard Butler’s portrayal of the Phantom has been so instrumental in my love of all things Phantom. I welcome all comments and opinions on this blog so long as they are respectful, so all of you Gerard Butler fans out there, please tell us why YOU love Gerry in this role…(to read entire article, please click the MORE button beneath the Share/Save bar)
As many of you already know, I was a fan of the Phantom of the Opera story long before Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage play or the 2004 film. My Phantom fascination began in childhood, and with each new film interpretation of the story, over the years my appreciation for Phantom continued to grow. Having seen Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage musical in the early 90′s, I was thrilled when it was announced that a film version of ALW’s musical was in production. Like many fans, I began to follow the making of the film’s progress…anticipating the announcement of the cast, who I was certain would include Michael Crawford as the Phantom. And, like many fans, I was somewhat shocked to hear from my BFF that an unknown Scottish actor had been named in the role. Gerard James Butler.
I begin my comments about Gerard Butler with an exact quote from an interview where he was asked which role was more personal for him; the Phantom or Leonidas in 300. This was Gerry’s response:
“So, if you were to compare this to “The Phantom of the Opera,” where I felt like I spent four or five months listening to the saddest notes in my soul and crying all the time, no, “300” has not been like that.”
When the first recorded bits of Gerard singing Music of the Night were released to the public, I clicked on the link wondering if this actor’s vocal’s could hope to measure up to the incomparable Michael Crawford, and after listening to those clips on-line…I found myself undecided. There was a quality about the voice that captivated me, even though it was obvious from the first few bars he sang that Gerard Butler was not a trained singer and did not have Michael’s range or control. Still, I decided to give GB the benefit of the doubt and would wait to make my judgment after seeing the film for myself.
I want to interject a couple thoughts before I go on. I believe that movies, plays and books are an art form, and I also believe that at their best, these mediums can be life altering; that they can inspire and elevate us to think and to achieve things we might not otherwise think and achieve, were we not exposed to their magic. I also believe that sometimes our response to an art form is greatly influenced by our life experiences, and by where we are in our lives when we come in contact with that certain novel or film, stage play or even a painting. In my case, the year that the Phantom of the Opera 2004 film was released, my son had been critically ill since 2003 and was just recovering from one of several surgeries. By the time the film was released, I had been through so much stress and anxiety, that as I watched those first frames of the opera house coloring back to life, I completely surrendered myself the fantasy. I needed an escape. I was desperate for an escape…and I found it.
For two and a half hours, I surrendered to the movie’s lush score, Victorian romanticism and dreamy settings, letting myself forget the pain and fear of seeing my son so ill, and wondering if he would ever recover. To be completely honest, in my first viewing of the 2004 film, I was rather unimpressed by Gerard Butler’s interpretation of the role. Instead of being enamored with the Phantom, I found myself enthralled by Emmy Rossum as a radiant and ethereal Christine Daae…but upon my second viewing a few days later…something happened. As the Phantom led Christine down the candlelit corridor, when he first turns his face toward the camera and you see him for the first time, I literally stopped breathing. That night, it was all about the Phantom as I let go of my disappointment that this Phantom was very different from Michael Crawford’s. He wore a different wig style, a different fashion of costume, his voice was deep, raspy and untrained, and he was very handsome in that mask…perhaps too handsome (of course to me, Michael was devastatingly handsome) Gerard’s Phantom also seemed to lack that certain majesty of MC’s Phantom, and he was very young for the role.
But once I got over those differences, I just began to appreciate what Gerard Butler was bringing to the role…and I could see that beneath all the differences I mention above, this Phantom, this actor expressed something special. When people ask me what that something is, I can only describe it as a childlike vulnerability…which made the Phantom’s story in this film so poignant and heartbreaking for me. Gerry’s Phantom was sexy yes; and tragic, powerful and mysterious, and all the things a Phantom should be…but beneath the iconic half-mask and dark charisma, what I saw on the screen was a child/man who wanted love so badly that you knew it would destroy him. He possessed a man’s body and desires, but at his core, because of horrendous abuse and neglect, this Phantom was a boy who never emotionally matured into his true age. And as I continued to watch during that second viewing, it struck me that I was not at all bothered by Gerry’s Phantom’s physical beauty. For me his half-beautiful and half-ugly face served as a metaphor for all humanity, and I saw the sadness of what this man might have been and what he was becoming. As he was seducing Christine into the darkness of music and her sexual awakening, he himself was becoming more corrupted by his own dark and desperate side.
In Music of the Night he was controlled and powerful as he attempted seduction through song, but you could see the impossible hope he harbored that someone would finally love him. His desperation for Christine was palpable You could see his insecurities playing across his features, with one eyebrow lift or a very faint smile…and beneath the simmering sexuality he projected, a nine year old boy was dreaming of being kissed for the first time. And yes…I did love his singing, despite the fact that as a trained singer myself, I recognized his vocal flaws and short comings. Throughout the film, the more I listened to that raw emotional voice, the more I fell in love with its exact opposite qualities from Michael Crawford’s silky and powerful voice, or other trained Broadway actors/singers. His voice was not about the act of singing…it was about the act of feeling.
When it finally came to The Point of no Return (my favorite song in the production) there was just no denying this man’s sexual charisma and the chemistry between Gerry and Emmy. To this day, I have never seen anything on film that comes close to the sensuality and sexually charged energy of the 2004 film version’s Don Juan…which made it even more heartbreaking and tragic when Christine again removed his mask, and we saw again that 9 year old boy who was trying to be a man. That was Gerry’s kind of magic…it was his own story and experiences which informed his interpretation with childlike innocence and vulnerability, and that’s why I adore his Phantom.
The Phantom Who Never Grew Up
At the film’s conclusion when the Phantom sang to his monkey music box, something in me just bonded to that character and that actor, as he sat there with tears rolling down his unmasked face and into his mouth. The second time I saw the film, I remained in the theater for a good 20 minutes, bawling my eyes out as the credits rolled. I saw the film 13 more times in the theater, and soon became a Gerard Butler fan. He gave his Phantom a quality that still haunts and inspires me, and along with Michael Crawford, Gerry Butler’s portrayal of the Phantom is my creative muse for Chanson de l’Ange.
Next week: Phantom #3
Bonnie, That was an amazing review. I understand and can relate to what you’ve expressed here. Except I haven’t seen Michael Crawford’s stage version, and I guess probably can’t now. I’ve only seen very bad clips on TV thus far. I suppose I would feel differently were I “there” listening to the whole thing, but I just didn’t love his voice from the clips I saw.
I was so impressed by the raw feeling and the rugged singing voice of Gerard Butler. He can pull up so much feeling and raw emotion like no other.
But, I too, was not at first completely impressed by Gerry’s phantom. I saw it in ’07 on Broadway and wasn’t sure I wanted to see it in movie form. My daughter and her friend watched it, and I watched at it while I was drawing. I kept looking up when the phantom sang, and remember thinking “who IS that?” His sensual lips were attractive and different, and in those black masked scenes, ALL I could see. He had a vulnerability that was drawing me in. I remember being impressed enough to look and see at the end credits who played the Phantom….Gerard Butler….hmmph. Who?
It wasn’t until years later when I read the “Outlander Series” and became enamored with Scottish culture and my own geneology, that I discovered “who” Gerry was. What a score there. I caught “300″ at the end of it’s run and my daughter told me “HE” was the Phantom!
As I watched for the second and then the 20th time, I was amazed. My kids were amazed. My daughter was seeing it for the 2nd time too, and for some reason, that second time was the killer for us both.
Every time we watched it, when it got to “Music Of the Night” and “Point of No Return” the room would go silent and everyone would stop what they were doing…and just watch. Even my HUSBAND…would stop, captivated to the end of his “spell”. Gerard Butler is “captivating” as the phantom.
Thanks Bonnie, for your review of Gerry’s Phantom…and I now wish I could see Michael Crawford’s Phantom, too.
Bonnie, what a terrific review. This movie has haunted me since the day I saw it. I, too, knew of the entire story and didn’t really have much interest in seeing the movie UNTIL Yahoo began playing the musical ads upon the release of the POTO DVD. I knew I had to see it, but not because of The Phantom or Gerry Butler. I didn’t even know who Gerry Butler was and I knew the Phantom really only as Lon Chaney Sr. I was originally in it for Raoul, the handsome, kind, ‘knight in shining armor’. When I finally saw the video, I am really sad to say I never saw POTO on the big screen, I was mesmerized and totally drawn into the movie from the 1st scenes at the auction. I knew right away that my heart strings were going to be tugged in all directions. And tugged, pulled and twisted they were! I had known who Michael Crawford was but had never heard him sing so I had nothing to compare Gerry’s voice with. I am glad. I fell in love with his gravely, rock voice that portrayed intense anger, despair, sadness, loneliness, and a whole range of other emotions. This is also how I viewed Gerry’s performance. HE was mesmerizing. HE was haunting. With a curl of his wrist and fingers, as in MOTN, I was hypnotized. He put his heart and soul into this character. HE became Erik, The Phantom of the Opera. Sure, his Phantom was very handsome and sexy, the deformity not nearly as ugly as it is described in the books or seen in earlier movies or the stage play. But, still, you can see the blackness of his soul and it is because of Gerry’s performance. The end scene is really too much for me to handle. I can hardly watch the movie all the way thru anymore. You can see the hope in his eyes when Christine comes back to give him the ring. The fact is, she is just not ready for what he wanted to offer her…. even though they did have that very sexually charged song together PONR. I think I had read someplace that Patrick Wilson had yet to meet Gerry during the filming and PONR was the 1st scene he had filmed. I think what we see in the movie the true emotions as he sees Gerry/Phantom and Emmy/Christine together for the 1st time.
The next day after I saw the movie I went to the internet and discovered who the Phantom really was and I have been enjoying Gerry’s career ever since. I have also become hooked on POTO sequels and have many books in my book case that I think would make better sequels than Phantom of Manhattan. To be honest, I am confused as to ALW’s choice for that book to be a follow up to POTO. Anyways, thank you for your fair review. It has brought back memories of when I first discovered The Phantom and Gerry for the 1st time! Wendy
You know how I feel. I watched it again last night, and no matter how long it’s been or how many times I watch it, I cry. I know how Erik feels. I know the isolation, the abandonment, the unrequited love. I also think the fact that Gerry put so much of himself into that role makes the movie so much more relateable.
He’s an amazing actor and an even more amazing man. No one else is the Phantom for me. He IS Erik.
LIke you, Bonnie, PONR is my most favorite song and Gerry is my favorite Phantom. I, like the first Bonnie have never seen Michael Crawford except in the half so-so clips, but I am sorry that ALW never made a complete recording of this play so we could buy it and enjoy it. And like Wendy, I have not had the blessing of seeing it on the big screen either. If I had a bucket list, that would be #1 on it.
Like you, I was mesmerized when He led Christine down the hall and turned our way. Our loud I remarked, “Who is that gorgeous man?” I too, seeing it in 2008 for the first time had never heard of Gerard Butler.I too am a music major, piano is my forte, and I do know good singing. Gerry was not perfect. but it was his mesmerizing charisma, his heart and feeling for the Phantom that grabbed me from the start. When she took his mask off the second time, I was shocked that she would do it AGAIN!!! I also don’t see the flack about his makeup being not gruesome enough. It definitely protrays deformity and I was also thankful that they left those sexy lips ALONE and did not put the horrible make-up of the plays on them. It would have been a terrible tragedy. I cried and cried through 4 watchings of the movie until I could finally watch it without sobbing my heart out. However, sometimes I would lay in bed at night, and my heart would ache for that poor unloved man and I wold find myself crying once more. I have known rejection, and that is why I felt his hurt so keenly. My laying in bed, dreaming of someone finding him and loving him grew into my book, “The Phantom’s Redemption.” I so wanted him to find someone special to love him and understand him.
He had a way about him that so perfectly portrayed the man/boy as you put it and also the agony of his hatred for his mutilated face. Seeing the half that was beautiful must have been agony for him, seeing what could have been. Gerry caught that perfectly.
If his voice is not perfect, it still caught me up in the passion, the expression and the feeling which he put into it. I also like a baritone in the role far more than a tenor. Phantom is dark in ways, and a baritone voice fits better IMHO.
The saddest points for me was when she unmasked him the second time and he stood there looking at her for what seemed like eternity, as if asking, “Why did you do it again?WHY!!!!” Then in the rooftop scene as he sees the growing love of Christine for Raoul and sees her slipping from his grasp. Crushing the rejected rose, he cried and his emotions were so effective that you could actually at one point see his nose running. Lastly, the part when she returns for a minute and he looks at her and says, “Christine, I love you.” and his voice cracks a bit on the word “love”-just perfect. And then the sudden look of hope as she draws near-maybe she has changed her mind. The final realization, he is alone, singing in front of the monkey box, I just sobbed my heart out. And the final heart wrenching “It’s over now, the music of the night.” OMG! emotion heaped upon emotion. No wonder they say that he sat there exhausted, tears running down his face after the final filming-just worn out from the emotion he had put into it.
His voice showed me that had he had early training, he might have been a totally magnificent singer, ala Howard Keel. Too bad his mother did not give him voice lessons. But to see what he accomplished in spite of it is just wonderful.
Like Lisa says, He IS the Phantom. There is no other Erik for me either. This has become the favorite movie of all time for me, and I doubt I will ever find another worthy to replace it.
Anne
Awesome article Bonnie, I was blown away by Gerry’s portrayal of the Phantom. I have seen it on stage four times and Gerard Butler by far is the sexiest. I believe a line in the play is, “His eyes which will burn you.” This line seemed written for Gerry because of his smoldering presence. Out of all the Phantoms Gerry’s performance left me wondering why Christine didn’t choose him in the end.
Bonnie, Wendy, Lisa, Anne and Dianne…
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment on my blog. I love hearing how Gerry’s Phantom affected people, and I love reading your insightful comments. There are some things I would change about the film if I could. # 1, I would have required that Gerry quit smoking while he was training his voice and filming. There is no doubt that he has raw talent as a singer, but the smoking certainly limited his range and breath control. # 2: I would have made the facial deformity more graphic. It was just too mild and IMO, a more graphic disfigurement would NOT have hurt the film or the Phantom’s sexiness at all. #3: I would have given Gerry some of the same hand movements and body choreography that Michael Crawford used in PONR. Especially when he crawled his hands up his inner thighs while sitting on the bench!
Of course then, thousands of women in movie theaters throughout the world would have spontaneously reinacted a certain scene from When Harry Met Sally! LOL!
I first saw “Phantom of the Opera” in London in June of 2004. John Owen Jones, a tenor, was the Phantom. I was simply blown away and immediately after leaving the theater, purchased the original soundtrack at Virgin Records in Piccadilly Circus. I listened to it incessantly and really liked Michael Crawford’s protrayal of the Phantom.
I also became obsessed with “Phantom” and picked up a copy of both Susan Kay’s book and also the dreaded “Phantom of Manhattan” (thought the whole thing was pretty drecky and the ending horrible). I searched the web and came across the Really Useful Group’s website and discovered that the movie was going to be released later that year. On the RUG website, the cast was mentioned and I remember asking my son, “who’s this Gerard Butler guy?” He knew right away who he was: Terry Sheridan from the Lara Croft Tomb Raider movie. We of course had a copy of the DVD (typical teenage boy crush on Lara and all). I watched and enjoyed Gerry’s performance.
Based on that, I was really looking forward to seeing Gerry protray the Phantom. I was stationed in Germany at the time and decided to go to London for a week before Christmas in 2004. The film had debuted in London by then and on a cold and rainy Sunday afternoon I went and saw it.
While Gerry’s singing style was nothing like Michael Crawford’s, I loved his performance. I had the same feelings as you, Bonnie. I saw Gerry’s Phantom as so totally vulnerable, a boy in man’s body trying so desparately to make Christine love him. I can remember thinking how very young he looked in the MOTN sequence.
When he looked in Christine’s eyes and then suddenly turned her around to put her back against his chest, I thought “he looks scared to death that she wants/is going to kiss him, and he doesn’t know what to do or how to handle that”.
Gerry’s Phantom wore his heart on his sleeve and the emotions he displayed were so much more palpable than in the stage play where the Phantom is on stage for only about 18 minutes and really doesn’t get to express much more emotion than anger most of the time–MOTN being the notable exception.
In the final lair scene when he sat there singing to the monkey music box with tears streaming down his face, I shed tears, too. I never got teary-eyed at any of the stage performances I had seen prior to this. I had to sit through the ending credits as well to get my composure back before leaving the theater.
I saw the movie in London again before I left and then several times in Stuttgart (they had a theater that showed movies in the original language). Once I had heard Gerry’s version of the Phantom, I found that I much preferred a baritone in the role as well. One of my favorite Phantoms is Peter Hoffmann, the original German Phantom–I have a copy of the original German soundtrack.
I loved the PONR sequence in the movie, more so than the stage versions. I’m glad that you posted the You Tube of MIchael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. In the original version, Christine doesn’t discover she’s singing with the Phantom and then try as hard as possible to get away from him the way the scene is currently played.
In the movie version Christine immediately knew who she was singing with and her reaction to that helped to make the scene as sensual and sexy as it was.
I had too become a fan of the Phantom long before Gerard Butler. Even the non-musical Phantom’s adaptations had won me over, those starring Herbert Lom and that of Charles Dance. In 1993, having to deal with the debts of my father’s estate, I felt sad and heartbroken that I couldn’t go and finally see the play on the Place Des Arts stage. Later on, a friend told me Michael Crawford hadn’t been able to be there, it was Canadian Colm Wilkinson who had taken over the part and that he has even better than Michael Crawford. I would have to take her word for it as I never head Mr. Wilkinson’s singing. I finally resigned myself to buying the London recording of the musical hall with Michael Crawford as the Phantom and Sarah Brightman as Christine. For me, it was mostly Sarah’s singing that made me listen to the tape as the only song I actually enjoyed with Michael was The Phantom of the Opera. In that Michael is probably more fearful and threatening a Phantom than Gerard Butler’s Phantom. I will admit that Michael is a very good actor in that part as I finally saw some of his portrayal on the extras of the movie DVD. When I first saw the trailer for Phantom of the Opera, I was under the impression that Antonio Banderas was going to be the Phantom and the Phantom didn’t look like Antonio. There was something familiar about his eyes but I couldn’t quite remember where I’ve seen those eyes before. It only came back 3 years later (in Canada, the movie opened on December 27, 2004) at TIFF for the premiere of B&G. I fell under the spell of the musical the first time I saw the movie but when I went back to see it for the second time, it was definitely the Phantom who got me under his spell. I so wanted him and Christine to go against the natural ending of the story and be together. To this day, whenever I watch the movie and listen to Gerry’s beautiful Scottish accent very present in both Music of the Night and The Point of No Return, I get delicious little shivers down my spine, shivers I only get from listening to great singers. Recently even Susan Boyle did that to me with her I dreamed a dream.
I’ll never forget where I saw Phantom for the first time. I always smile when I drive by the Burger King where my mom and I had lunch before driving across the street to the dollar theater to see POTO.
I am known as, “She Who Hates Musicals.” Therefore my mom was suprised when I told her that I’d go see it with her(she loves musicals). I remember seeing the trailer for it and being intrigued by it. The day we went to see it, I remember it being slow and being bored by it. I also thought that when Erik was leading Christine down the stairs towards his lair, that he was going to rape her. I really didn’t know much about the story at the time. So, I didn’t give it that much thought to it afterward.
Fast-forward a couple of months later and it was on HBO. It was a Friday night and nothing was on so I decided to watch it again. I don’t know what happened but the movie just dawned on me. I just suddenly got it. And by the end of it, I was crying along with Erik. I felt so bad for him and I understood his pain. Having been teased and ridiculed in junior high, I got where Erik was coming from. After the second viewing, I became obsessed with it. I watched it or at it every day. I would turn it on in the morning when I got ready for work and again when I got home at night. When HBO finally stopped showing it, I ran out and bought my own copy. And I also happened to find the movie soundtrack. I was in HEAVEN! I fell in love with Gerry’s voice and that cd lived in my car cd player for months! And I remember hearing MOTN for the first time without seeing it on the screen. I had just pulled into a parking space at my apartment and I leaned my head back and closed my eyes just to listen to Gerry’s voice. Let me tell you; after listening to him sing like that, I needed a cigarette! Well, chocolate actually, but you get my point. I had never in my life been turned on by a man’s voice! I never wanted to stop listening it!
So fast forward again and about a year or 2 later; I was bored again on a March Friday night. So, I flipped through the on-screen guide to see who was going to be on the late night shows. I saw that Gerry was going to be on Leno. And I thought, “Oh good. That’s the Phantom guy. I want to see what he looks like without the mask and make-up. Boy was I in for the shock of a lifetime! When he walked out on the stage, my jaw fell in my lap and my eyes fell out and rolled across the floor. My first thought was, “I want to marry him!” LOL! And I didn’t even care who he was! So he sits down and starts to talk. And out comes the most beautiful accent I’ve ever heard. I flipped! HE’S SCOTTISH!!!!! OMFG!!!! And I fell in love right then and there. He was promoting 300 and I knew I was going to go see it the next morning. I hopped out of bed Sat. morning and found that it was playing at the same dollar theater that POTO had been at. It had already been out for several months by then.
After seeing 300, I immediately Googled Gerry and looked him up on IMDB. As it turned out, I had seen 3 other movies of Gerry’s without even knowing it. I had seen D2K, TR:COL, and Timeline and had no idea that Gerry was in them! So, I put his big movies on my Netflix list and became a fan.
As for POTO, I finally got a copy of the 2 disc version and watched the extras with Michael Crawford. I HATED HIM!!! I though he was just TERRIBLE. His voice was way too high and there was absolutely no emotion or passion in his voice whatsoever. He sounded as if he was singing MOTN just to sing it. At least Gerry put his heart and soul into it. Gerry made me feel that song. MC failed miserably. I’ve even seen a video of Antonio Banderas singing w/ Sarah Brightman. He wasn’t any good either. So having heard a couple of other guys sing MOTN, I absolutely refuse to see POTO on stage. Gerry is the only Phantom for me. I also realized that in the stage version, Erik isn’t very nice and you don’t really want Christine to choose him over Raoul. But in the movie, Christine is a complete moron. I would’ve chosen Erik in a heartbeat. Raoul is a sissy and Erik is more of a man than Raoul could ever be.
I can only hope to God that ALW hurries up and makes a movie out of the sequal before Gerry gets too old. If it’s made into a movie and Gerry isn’t in it; you can count me out. Period. Dot. The End.
Hahahahah! Amanda, tell us how you REALLY feel about Michael Crawford’s Phantom! LOL! I enjoyed reading about your Phantom memories. Amazing how Gerry sort of blazes into your life and then just stays there. Thanks for sharing your experience with us all!
I first saw ALW’s stage musical in 1994. I wasn’t all that impressed by the Phantom actor in that show and wasn’t blown away by POTO, but I was intrigued. I read Leroux and a lot of other things and became more and more interested–saw Davis Gaines as the Phantom in NYC and *was* blown away.
I read so much about this actor named Michael Crawford, that I got interested in him, bought his recordings, finally saw him in EFX in Las Vegas, Dance of the Vampires in NYC, The Woman in White in London, and several live concerts. I never had a chance to see him play the Phantom, but I did see him sing some of the songs in concert.
He’s a wonderful performer, but if you prefer baritones who don’t sing very well, you are not likely to enjoy his singing. I’ve seen several other stage Phantoms, and enjoyed all but one.
Quite a few fans of Gerry Butler and the movie have seen the stage production and enjoyed a new dimension of POTO, but if some fans want to stick to the movie, your loss.
I didn’t much like the movie. I saw it twice in a theater. Among other things, they changed the character/nature of the Phantom and omitted his backstory of having travelled the world, becoming an architect, a ventriloquist, a composer, etc. —And although the cast looked very good, I wasn’t thrilled by the leads’ singing.
There have been a number of excellent baritone stage Phantom, by the way, but they all were both good actors and singers.
I’m afraid Gerry is already too old for any movie of LND. He’s 40 isn’t he? The man playing the Phantom in London is, I believe, 32. They like to go young. Now you know how the Crawford fans felt when they cast young in the movie.
I really hope that LND doesn’t get as far as a movie. It’s bad enough knowing what they have done to the characters—Christine sneaking off to have sex with the Phantom the night before her wedding, the Phantom going back on his resolve in the Final Lair to cause Christine no more pain by further pursing her, and little Meg growing up to be a killer–without having these thing further spread across the world in a film. I own the CDs and like a lot of the music. My wish would be for an orchestral suite similar to the one they did for POTO.
my personal thoughts about Gerard butler…asan actor…hell (explitive) yeah as the phantom, hell (explitive) no. his acting, looks and portrayal of the phantom was excellent, but his singing (and this is coming from a half decent singer) was not for the phantom. i might easily pay to see him as a front man for a hard rock band or something to that degree cause he can sing quite well, but i think his vocal ability was not nearly on par for the previous phantoms. but like i said…if he formed a band and sang for it… i think he’d do well
I have seen the play, the movie and the MC concerts and have been known to carry a tune without the help of a bucket. I am only telling you this because it seems to be some prerequisite to giving an opinion. I was a GB fan before POTO. I was a POTO fan before GB was born! The story always touched my heart and I believe I’ve seen every english language version ever made and I own most of them. None of this prepared me for GB’s Phantom. I was mesmerized from the 1st moment he stepped onto the screen.
Gerry is one of my less favorite Phantoms – I have no THE favorite, except perhaps the Real Deal Leroux-Erik – but I enjoyed the movie very much. Yes, Gerry is too young, he should be uglier, etc. but I actually enjoyed his singing – I feel MC had a bit too high voice – and his acting was not bad, either. As visually and musically sumptuous Gothic romance it is one of my favorite versions.
I guess we each have our favorites! I choose not to choose “the ONE’
Wow I’m glad its not just me.
I went to see the stage show in London last weekend having never seen the film, but watched the film the following day, more to immerse myself in the music again..but I can’t get the film and the portrayal of the Phantom from my mind.
I always thought the Phantom to be an older man, say 40s? And darker in character, certainly in the current stage show in London he is portrayed with more of a commanding hold over christine as opposed to the sense of sensual, sexual but innocence and sadness tinged with a darker side that the film portrays. My humble opinion.
The scene that’s sticking in my mind is the initial first sighting as previously mentioned when he takes her hand tenderly and leads her down the candlelit corridor, turning to her and away again as if telling her its okay, but kind of seeking her approval also that what’s happening is really happening? Swooooooon. And of course PONR..such sexual tension building then crashing.
I really don’t think I have been so affected by a movie, and that’s probably in part to do as much with the music and how that carries me away as with the huge lady crush I have developed on Mr butler (I’m married, I’m a mum, I’m in my 30s).
The movie is simply sublime…pure escapism. And until I get to see the show again, I will revel in its audio-visual glory again and again.
Oh, darlin’, you are in VERY good company! The POTO movie starring Gerard Butler, is a very different creature from the stage play. I love both, but the film captivated me, and Gerry’s portrayal is just as you described it! Very nice hearing from you!
I’ve come to decide there are two kinds of people when it comes to Phantom: those who get it, and those who don’t. Among phans, there are subcategories: those who can’t stand Gerry, and those ready to throw themselves at his feet and worship the ground he stands on. Guess where I’d place?
I first found the sheet music to All I Ask Of You when I was fourteen and remember being intrigued by this gorgeous song (so imagine my disappointment when I learned it was a duet between Christine and Raoul). I read Leroux’s book when I was sixteen and remember crying my eyes out for Erik…which I still do. I was just so drawn in to this story of a man so desperate to be loved he very nearly destroyed the thing he loved the most and I couldn’t help but feel his pain, being forced to hide the best of himself because no one could see past the ugliness.
I made it my mission to track down anything to do with this character who’d already done so much to change my life when I found the movie. Needless to say, it was money I could never regret spending. It looked so stunning and sumptuous, it sounded even more amazing than I’d imagined it would from the libretto, but it was Gerry that really stole my heart. First viewing, I couldn’t do anything but stare at him. He was just mesmerizing! Leading Emmy down the corridor, the entirety of Music of the Night, coming down the stairs as Red Death, the entirety of The Point of No Return, and every time he twirled that (deleted) cape…I could go on and on. Second viewing, I was able to focus on his voice, and while I could hear the flaws (please, Gerry, stop smoking before you kill yourself!), it was the intense, raw emotion that got to me. I’d heard Michael Crawford sing the role before, but I’d never *really* gotten the passion or the rage or the vulnerability before I heard Gerard Butler. Would you believe I still get something new out of his performance every time I watch the movie? It’s not at all like the bipolar Erik of the book, jumping from one extreme to the next. There’s subtlety, nuance, heartbreak, and, as you so aptly put it, a little boy trying so hard to be a man. I cry buckets every time I see him sing along to the music box.
And would you also believe that since that first viewing, I’ve become quite the Gerry fan girl? It’s so hard not to start drooling whenever he’s on screen, and he seems like a genuinely beautiful person! And God help me, I can’t resist the accent!