The Phantom of the Opera is a 1925 silent film directed by Rupert Julian and based on Gaston Leroux’s novel of the same name.
It tells the story of Erik, a talented but horribly disfigured musician who lives hidden in the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera House.
Willing to do anything to ensure the success of the young singer Christine, secretly in love with her.
Considered a classic of the silent era, primarily remembered for Lon Chaney’s famous makeup in the lead role, a makeup he devised himself, still very unsettling today.
Several adaptations of Leroux’s novel have been made, including Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous musical and Brian De Palma’s glam-rock reinterpretation in his “Phantom of the Paradise.”
Finally,
Lastly, let’s talk about the most interesting person in this film, the one who, thanks to his talent and artistry, managed to write an important chapter in cinema history, Lon Chaney, stage name of Leonidas Frank Chaney.
This man was one of the most famous character actors of all time and is especially known for his silent films and particularly for the horror films he starred in, although in reality there aren’t that many considering Chaney appeared in a total of 160 films.
He had an amazing facial expression acquired both through his theatrical work, where he managed to play multiple roles due to lack of personnel, and to communicate with his deaf-mute parents.
In theater, besides being an actor, he handled other tasks, one of which was makeup, which he mastered with great skill.
He entered the world of cinema in 1912, appearing in some westerns and directing a few films, but it was in 1918 that his “monster career” began, playing roles of deformed and monstrous characters. The makeup used for these creatures was Chaney’s own work, which he perfected over time.
Thanks to this, he was nicknamed “The Man of a Thousand Faces.” It wasn’t just his incredible makeup skills that made him famous, but also the way he portrayed these beings.
The Phantom of the Opera is an excellent example of how words are unnecessary when creating an atmosphere that conveys fear and unease.
