Dario Argento's take on this classic tale is pretty weird indeed. I think this is the first time the Phantom isn't disfigured although the poster indicates he is. I certainly don't remember the Phantom being raised by rats. And what's the deal with those guys who are killing the rats. Somebody said Argento was smoking something he shouldn't have. Well, who knows.
Anyway, Dario is my favourite director of all. Films like Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Deep Red, Suspiria, Tenebrae, Phenomena, Opera and The Stendhal Syndrome are all masterpieces as far as I'm concerned. With movies like Opera and Tenebrae, it took several viewings to fully appreciate them and so far I've only watched Phantom once. I somehow doubt I'm gonna fall in love with it later, I simply found this film to be the least in his fabulous filmography.
I'm really not a fan of this period in movies. Opera's give me a headache (unless Argento's 1987 Opera, which is a full throttle suspense film) and I don't think Argento handles romantic subplots all that well. It's just not his cup of tea. To liven things up Argento throws in plenty of gore (one sequence especially which would make gore hound Lucio Fulci proud), and while it's pretty shocking and gruesome, it simply feels like it doesn't belong here. To me, this Phantom is very hard to understand, and his relationship with Christina (Asia) isn't wholly believable. There's not exactly passion to burn between Asia and Julian Sands and they're forbidden love never grabs hold of you. I find it hard to figure out the end, that is, why Christina acts the way she does, I don't want to spoil the ending, it's her reactions that puzzle me. She can't seem to make up her mind.
I'm giving this one a 5. A bit generous, but I'm hoping that when I watch this film a second time I'll appreciate it more.
Spoiler alert
But the love scene with the rats is still beyond me
Anyway, Dario is my favourite director of all. Films like Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Deep Red, Suspiria, Tenebrae, Phenomena, Opera and The Stendhal Syndrome are all masterpieces as far as I'm concerned. With movies like Opera and Tenebrae, it took several viewings to fully appreciate them and so far I've only watched Phantom once. I somehow doubt I'm gonna fall in love with it later, I simply found this film to be the least in his fabulous filmography.
I'm really not a fan of this period in movies. Opera's give me a headache (unless Argento's 1987 Opera, which is a full throttle suspense film) and I don't think Argento handles romantic subplots all that well. It's just not his cup of tea. To liven things up Argento throws in plenty of gore (one sequence especially which would make gore hound Lucio Fulci proud), and while it's pretty shocking and gruesome, it simply feels like it doesn't belong here. To me, this Phantom is very hard to understand, and his relationship with Christina (Asia) isn't wholly believable. There's not exactly passion to burn between Asia and Julian Sands and they're forbidden love never grabs hold of you. I find it hard to figure out the end, that is, why Christina acts the way she does, I don't want to spoil the ending, it's her reactions that puzzle me. She can't seem to make up her mind.
I'm giving this one a 5. A bit generous, but I'm hoping that when I watch this film a second time I'll appreciate it more.
Spoiler alert
But the love scene with the rats is still beyond me