Movie Review: Phantom of the Opera (1943)
Synopsis: A recently disfigured ex-violinist is wanted for murder and "haunts" a Paris opera house while taking extreme measures to help a young singer he has become obsessed with.
Who's in it? The movie stars Claude Rains, Susanna Foster, Edgar Barrier, Nelson Eddy and Jane Farrar.
Review: I recently watched another movie that had Claude Rains in it and thought to myself "it's been ages since I watched Phantom of the Opera." So, when I had some free time early this morning before heading into the office, I decided to give it a re-watch.
The movie is as good as I remembered.
For the record, I do still prefer the 1925 Lon Chaney silent film version slightly more because Chaney's version of the Phantom was quite a bit creepier. However, this movie is a very close second.
A big part of the reason for this is Rains' overall performance, creating a Phantom character that was about as unlikeable as you could make a movie villain. He murdered people, whether they deserved it or not but, just as important, he had a very weird and creepy obsession over Christine DuBois (Foster), a woman who was half his age.
The love triangle involving Christine's two real suitors, Raoul (Barrier) and Anatole (Eddy) added a little something extra to this movie as well. It was clear she liked the men, but probably not in a romantic way, and as the movie progressed, I did wonder what impact their rivalry would have, and if one (or both) would also become a villain. I also ultimately loved how the movie ended with a choice by Christine that was surprisingly liberated, especially when this movie was made.
I did have a couple complaints about the movie. The first of these is it does tend to drag on at times, especially during song and dance numbers that could easily have been shortened while still reminding viewers this takes place in an opera house.
I also wish the movie would have spent a little extra time explaining the title character's obsession over Christine. While creepy either way, it was unclear if it was because he was in love with her or just loved her more like a daughter. The fact he was secretly helping her before becoming disfigured and running from the police only added to this mystery.
Final Opinion: It could use shorter music scenes and maybe a bit more backstory, but mostly because of Rains' performance, is a fun and entertaining film to watch. I recommend pairing it with the Lon Chaney version if you get an opportunity to.
My Grade: A
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Here are some reviews of other movies from 1943:
Movie Review: Girls in Chains (1943)
Movie Review: Cosmo Jones in the Crime Smasher (1943)
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