allyball-63124 This is definitely the most underrated and unique version of Phantom of the Opera I've seen yet! Charles Dance's portrayal as the Phantom is very gentle and kind but debatably more mentally unstable than any other versions of the character. A lot of new plot points and characters were also added. I'll state a few less spoilery ones here: there is only one manager and he and Carlotta are married, there is no Raoul in this version, instead his brother, Philippe is used as Christine's love interest, and the Phantom's unmasked face is never seen by the audience. So as you can tell, the story is very unique, however it's also a bit slow. The entire first part is almost entirely exposition and character development, not that there's anything wrong with any of that, but the story really doesn't get started until the end of part one. So yeah, in my personal opinion, the pacing could be a bit better but it's not awful and both parts are still very engaging. However, my main problem doesn't lie with the pacing, rather the editing. Since this was made for TV, I can assume it had a fairly small budget so take this next bit with a grain of salt. The way this is cut and edited, is honestly quite confusing and weird. One second, it will be focusing on one scene and then the next it cuts to another character in a completely different setting for about five second and then do the same thing again and again for a whole scene. It was very distracting. However, there are a lot of things to still enjoy aside from Charles Dance's fantastic portrayal and how unique the story is. I also must give credit to the romance in this movie. First of all, this version shows Christine and Phillipe's childhood friendship, which makes their romance all the more believable. Well okay, Philippe was a bit shallow at first but he soon became a much more likable character who I feel truly loved Christine. I will also admit that this is one of the only versions where I actually felt that Christine truly loved the Phantom and wanted to be with him because they actually take time out of the story to have the two interact with each other and thus learn more about each other and eventually fall in love. Despite all that though, they do still make the Phantom, well, the Phantom! So that gives true weight to the decision Christine makes, even though most of us who know Phantom of the Opera know who she's going to chose. Another thing I'd like to address is the fact that this is the only Phantom of the Opera movie to date to be filmed on location in Paris, France. That's kind of sad for the other versions but very admirable for this one. I also love the musical style. It was a nice call having classic opera music. I also have to admit that I got really emotional at the end of part two to the point where tears were shed. I won't spoil what happens but when I first watched it, this was the first version I'd seen where that happened so it not only surprised me, but greatly saddened me. Overall, everything about this version is unique and I appreciate it a lot for that. It has some problems but none that keep it from being great.

Lebossufantome Every person I know who has seen this film has cried through the second half. It is based off of the Yeston musical, 'Phantom'. Even though it is strange for the disfigured Erik to have loving parents, it is a surprisingly effective point that matches the story perfectly, and does not subtract from the total outcome. The actors are perfectly matched with parts, and they never seem out of place. The score from several operas really bring it together. On it's own, it is very easily one of the best. It is different enough from the musical it is based on (as well as the book for that matter) to be on it's own, but still retains all of the power that you get from both. You hardly realize you are sitting there watching for hours at a time.

FloatingOpera7 I never saw this on TV. In 1990, I was exactly 10 years old, and must have missed this two part TV movie. It won an Emmy or Golden Globe for best TV drama. Director Tony Richardson (of Tom Jones fame) makes a brilliant adaptation of the play by Arthur L. Kopit. Charles Dance stars as the tragic Phantom Of The Opera, Erik, whose father Gerard Carriere (played by Burt Lancaster) manages the theatre and conceals his hideously deformed son underground. There have been some alterations to the versions most people are familiar with- either the Lon Cheney version of 1926 or the more recent Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. These changes include the omission of Raoul, Vicomte De Chagny and calling him Phillipe. The Phantom's father is a new character, taking the role that Madame Giry was supposed to fill. She had saved the troubled Phantom and hidden him under the theatre and been a "parent" figure to him. Teri Polo plays Christine Daee, the ingenue of the Paris Opera and the Phantom's student and true love. More than any other film, the relationship between Christine and the Phantom as mentor/muse..student and teacher is most emphasized. The love story is therefore even more emotional and profound. In the end, we can't help but cry when watch how a father is forced to kill his own son, who is also ready to die and even asking for the death blow, high atop the Paris Opera dome/rooftop, surrounded by men ready to fire.This has its moments. The visuals and cinematography are top-notch, effectively creating the 19th century Paris Opera environment- complete with the world of ballerinas, costume makers, patrons, singers and managers. Andrea Ferreol as the bitchy, jealous and totally corrupt La Carlotta is quite a good performance. The Phantom is portrayed as a sympathetic and tragic figure, not a terror of the opera, which is closest to the original concept of author Gaston Leroux. This is the same kind of Phantom we get in the Lloyd Webber musical. This is not that version, mind you, and is strictly a drama. The use of authentic operas (Norma, La Traviata and Faust) which were indeed staged at the Paris Opera is advantageous. There are several moments of humor- especially in the scenes in which La Carlotta's singing is foiled by schemes devised by the Phantom i.e. itching powder during her entrance aria as Norma and the glue on the cup she raises in the toast song in Traviata. True, some of the dialogue, especially in the later portions, gets too simple, stilted and wooden. But the strength of this movie is the chemistry between Teri Polo's Christine Daee and Charles Dance as the Phantom. Beautiful film, not to be missed. If you like anything Phantom, this film is one to watch. The music is gorgeous, the costumes, the cinematography and the acting.

angelsgrl Having not been familiar with Phantom of the Opera when I first saw this at age 10, I fell in love with the delicious storytelling and compelling characters. Charles Dance is superb as Eric- the perfect antihero that you just have to sympathize for. Needless to say, everytime I see Terri Polo in a film, I always think back to when I saw her in this miniseries...she did a brilliant job as such a young actress. While I have heard many praise ALW's version of this tale, I believe this version highly excels many expectations of those who are just suckers for romance and intrigue.