Hooptober Neun (2022) - Film #13
1 Lon Chaney film

This is only the second silent movie I’ve watched. In my review for Nosferatu, I said they simply weren’t for me, and that remains true. However, I had originally thought to say that I just don’t ‘get’ silent films. I think that’s incorrect. I do get it.

Both Nosferatu and The Phantom of the Opera have a leading man that has a completely different energy from the rest of the cast. In Nosferatu, it’s Max Schreck, here, it’s Lon Chaney. Both have the ability to play the unusual, to portray something beyond an unremarkable, human character. This is important in a film of this nature - character traits must be exaggerated, enlarged. This can lead to some really hammy stuff - Christine’s actions just prior to the ‘unmasking’ are a great example here. The subtleties of modern cinema are lost in this type of picture, and unfortunately, that’s something that I really love about more recent films. There are fewer senses to work with in silent filmmaking, and beyond that, difficulties with visual detail and frame rate consistency. All of these factors contribute to the intense respect that I have for filmmakers working in this medium.

Unfortunately, I have been spoiled by the way things are now, and given that I rate films according to my enjoyment rather than an elusive sense of quality, I have awarded a low star rating here. I found the story here more difficult to follow than Nosferatu, although that may be because I was looking for more complexity than was there, believing I had missed something. That said, I feel that Chaney is more magnetic than Schreck, and it makes sense that he would be a major star during this period.

The story is the story. It’s The Phantom of the Opera. It’s not particularly to my taste, and I’m not certain what I’m supposed to feel. Apparently, there was an alternate ending filmed, in which the Phantom
Is redeemed, suggesting that we are supposed to have some of sympathy for the Phantom. Am I supposed to feel sorry for the Phantom because he’s unlucky in love? Because he doesn’t fit the visual norm? The Phantom is an incel, right?

I’m being a little harsh here. This was clearly an impressive piece of film making at the time, and at times, especially when Chaney is in full flow, it’s easy to see why. The bulk of my issues here are simply because I’ve grown used to how films are made now. Honestly though, the skull mask in the masquerade scene is still dope to this day.