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Rating:  - A very sweet version
This is a very sweet romantic little film. It bears very little resemblance to the book, but none the less it is a must see for a serious phan. I found Claude Rains very sympathetic and a rather cuddley phantom. The "Raouls" provided some very amusing comic relief, although I personally think that two Raouls is too much! The phantom's make-up is not very impressive, but it's a rather tame film when compared with some other versions. The music is done nicely and the acting is, for the most part, quite good. I reccomend this film.
Rating: - Weird but good
This film is loosely based on the POTO novel. It's not very much like the book, but it's still very enjoyable. The acting is top notch and it's visually stunning. I recommend this film to most anyone that likes old movies or POTO
Rating:  - Didn't Follow the Book A Lot
Ok, it was a pretty good movie, but it didn't follow the book a lot. I noticed a mistake too (I'm not picky, I just love finding mistakes in movies)! When the Phantom is sawing the chain holding the chandiler, after a while, he moves to the other side of the link, then it shows the performance again, and when it shows him sawing again, he's sawing on the side he was originally on. It sounds a little confusing. Claude Raines didn't get enough screen time, I think, and the other characters got plenty of time. It didn't seem fair.
Rating: - Phantom of the Opera (1943)
If you are not familiar with Claude Rains, then you are in for a treat. He was one of the most under-rated stars of his day. If he had more screen time, this would be a 5 star movie. Worth it for the eye-popping cinematography alone.
Rating: - Good, But Not Very Faithful to Leroux
If you watch this movie on its own, it is pretty good. But if you are expecting Leroux, you will probably be disappointed. The story itself is good. Rains commands a generous amount of sympathy, and he does fill us with a fair amount of terror. (Especially when he threatens Christina's rival.) The 3 man quarrle over Christina is done well and has a cute end. Some of the music is very good, but unfortunately, the story seems to take a back seat to it. The photography and images are well done. The acting for the most part is good, but for some reason the Persian is deleted. My biggest complaint is that the phantom's lamentable suicide (because he knows Christina can never love him) is turned into an accidental death. The major shift from the Phantom's terror to tragic sorrow is one of the most important things in this story. I understand that when people make movies of books, some things are changed around, but I can not really understand why they would change something so crucial. If you are willing to watch this without worrying about Leroux's intentions, you may be pleasantly surprised and entertained. But if you want to see what Leroux wrote, this is not the version to see.
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