The Phantom of the Opera Opening Evaluation

-->

At the start of the first scene in The Phantom of the Opera, there is a long shot of the setting. It is in black and white, and the weather is dark and cloudy, which shows the bleakness of the area, and makes it feel depressing.

Another shot in this scene is of a man getting out of a vehicle, and the camera shot is focused on his feet, so it highlights the fact that this man is disabled. This also fits in with the depressing tone of the scene. We then see him in his wheelchair going into a building, and the shot moves up to a sign hanging in front of the building, which is stating that there is an auction there. The sign is blowing in the wind, and there are also leaves blowing everywhere, which gives the scene a cold and eerie feeling.

Going into the building, we can see that it is an old theatre. The shot is through the balcony, down onto the man, so we can see the dust and cobwebs. Not only does this show that the theatre is old, but that there is something unsettling about it. It also reflects the character we have seen, as it has aged, and looks tired and bleak. This could make the audience think that this building and the old man had a history together, and that they are some how connected. The lighting is dark, which gives the building a sense of mystery, but it could also imply that is has a dark past.

We see an old woman at the auction too, and when she looks towards the man, the shot is close up to her face. This highlights and emphasises the reaction she has when she notices the man, which tells the audience that she knows him, and that she is surprised to see him. This also fits in with the other point that the man and the theatre have history together, as the audience may now think that this woman is involved too. The same close up shot is made when the man notices the woman, this confirms the fact that they know each other, as he looks shocked and surprised to see her too.

At one point there is a toy up for auction, and the camera focuses on it for a few seconds. This shows that this toy is significant to the story; otherwise the shot wouldn’t have focused on it for so long. We then have a close up shot of each of the characters faces who clearly recognise this toy, so the audience can now associate the theatre, characters, and toy together, and they know that each of these things will now be a part of the film.

When the chandelier is unveiled, there is a bright light shining out of it, which shines onto each of the characters faces. This lights them up, even though the room still seems bleak in black and white, which emphasises their reaction. There is also a gust of wind when the sheet is taken off of the chandelier, which has a different effect to when the wind was blowing outside. This is a lot stronger, and doesn’t seem natural, so it shows the audience that this chandelier is important. The camera shots zoom in on each of the characters faces, to show their shock, and it also shows the audience that they recognise the chandelier, showing that they used to go to this theatre. It also makes it very dramatic so the audience are almost as taken by surprise as the characters are. 

The chandelier then starts to move upwards towards the ceiling, and the camera moves with it. As it moves up, wind blows over the chairs and statues, and colour is suddenly added to them, and they are so longer grey and bleak, but vibrant red and gold. We not only associate these colours with the theatre, but with warmth, happiness, and wealth. This creates a different mood and atmosphere. The lighting is also brighter which highlights the colours in the theatre.