Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Love ghosts, 12 Jun 2007
What if Romeo and Juliet hadn't died? What if, instead, Juliet lost her mind and became a beggar, and Romeo became a scarred recluse, hiding in a decrepit opera house?
That's the whole idea behind "The Phantom Lover," a heartrendingly tragic story that is equal parts "Romeo and Juliet" and "Phantom of the Opera." It's crammed with lush sets, sweeping direction, and some truly brilliant acting and operatic vocals -- particularly from Leslie Cheung and Jacqueline Wu.
A troupe of actors arrive at a derelict opera house, and Wei Qing (Lei Huang) starts diddling around with singing scores there -- and suddenly a cloaked figure appears to give him lessons, even helping him when his voice falters onstage. Wei soon learns the story of the operahouse: it was built by a young opera singer, Song Danping (Leslie Cheung) who swept audiences away with his operatic adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet" -- which rankled the local officials.
Even more rankling to them was the love affair that bloomed between Danping, and the upper-class Wan-Yin (Jacqueline Wu). But her father forced her to marry a young man from a wealthy family, despise his cruelty to women. The resulting scandal destroyed their lives -- Danping was supposedly killed when the opera house was burned, and Wan-Yin went mad and was disowned by her family.
Of course, the Phantom Lover is Danping himself. Wei and his troupe determinedly revive Danping's old operas, to the delight of the townspeople. But Wei also becomes wrapped up in the miserable life of Wan-Yin, and forces the reclusive Phantom to emerge from the shadows, to deal with the demons of his ruined life...
It's never entirely clear why Danping allows his one true love to languish in poverty-stricken loneliness, but that's really the only plot hole in this movie. It occasionally slips over the line into melodrama, but most of the time it's saved from that great acting, and an obvious love of the beauty of music and tragic stories -- though this one has a happier ending for some.
The scenes are filled with starlit windows, dark shootings, sweeping operas with lush scenery, brightly coloured clothing, moonlit reunions, and gothic ruins filled with tattered luxury. It's a very sensual movie, and the fact that much of it is filmed in sepia tones doesn't really diminish that -- instead, it makes the powerful, passionate love of the past seem even more intense.
Ronny Yu's direction is full of sweeping shots and sensual lushness, and he emphasizes the beauty of the opera house and Wan-Yi, even when they're both in ruins. But Yu also peppers it with shocking moments, such as when Wan-Yin is savagely beaten and slandered in the streets by her old fiancee, and everyone except Wei is too terrified to move.
The main lovers are the most vibrant characters: Leung is magnificent as the Phantom Lover -- intense, compelling, and sometimes kinda frightening, although the character himself is rather self-absorbed. And Wu is even better as the pitiful, childlike Wan-Yi, who is perpetually locked in the last happy days on her life. Huang is also quite good as a young man who gains strength and confidence, but he's rather overshadowed by Leung and Wu.
"The Phantom Lover" is an intense, tragically romantic movie, with some great acting and magnificent direction. An excellent spin on the typical "Phantom of the Opera" storyline.
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