This silent adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera is very boring. The music is hypnoyizing and the lack of dialogue makes it hard to get in to. The story is good, but because the film is silent makes it boring. I can't believe people used to pay to see silent movies; they are garbage.

Lon Chaney was "the Man with the thousand faces". Nevertheless, in this film, we have to wait for forty-five minutes before being able to see his made-up face. Before that, he wears a mask. But it was worth waiting. We have rarely seen such a hideous face. There is ugliness, wickedness, but also despair in this face. This hideous face shows the hideous but tortured soul inside. As we do not always see his face, Lon Chaney uses his hands a lot. These are very expressive and help very much in the story. What about the story? There is a curse which struck the Opera Garnier in Paris. A ghost rules it. This ghost had the diva Carlotta (Mary Fabian) replaced by a young singer: Christine Daaé (Mary Philbin). But since she has been promoted, Mary Daaé has troubles with the Phantom. She has to love him. But she cannot, she loves another man: Raoul de Chagny (Norman Kerry).Once again, Lon Chaney plays a frustrated lover. Erik (the Phantom's name) - and later Alonzo in The Unknown (Tod Browning, 1927) - loves but is not loved back. And when Christine takes off his mask, we understand why. (Her disgust is certainly not faked: in an effort to give us a true effect of Mary's surprise - and disgust -, she discovered his face at this very moment!) One has to say that this face is quite disturbing: it is said that a few spectators fainted when they saw his face. The use of color is also very important in this film. A few filters are used - like in other movies: blue for the night, yellow for the sun... - but here, the ball scene was entirely shot in real colors. And thanks to the work of the great Kevin Brownlow (his name be praised!), we can now see a very good copy of this film and enjoy ninety-four minutes of Lon Chaney: no more fog, nor blur, nor any sign of film deterioration. And the shadows... Sometimes, we could think we are in a 1920s German movie. At first, the Phantom himself (itself?) is a shadow in a dark setting. And this shadow is scary enough to make the dancers flee with fear. We do not know if he really exists. This is one of Lon Chaney's most significant roles. You cannot forget Erik, this evil angel, who is a sort of Mephisto's doppelganger in the Faust which is played in the Opera. Lon Chaney - just like in The Penalty - suffered a lot for this character: his nose bled and he used rubbers and small hooks to create this distorted face. But Chaney will be Chaney! Despite his appearance, Erik is not a ghost. He is very human: he is in love. A desperate lover. Everything in his attitude shows his despair. First, he thinks Christine loves him for what he has done to her. But then he discovers it is not true. She tells him she loves him - to save Raoul - but he realizes it is nothing but a lie. So he has nothing to lose anymore. And his final scene - the only possibility left for such an insane character - is full of despair. And his last laughter rings us a last bell: "Humour is the politeness of despair."

We all know the story. The Phantom haunts the Paris Opera House. He is in love with the beautiful soprano, Christine. Because of his disfigurement, he demands to run the company, putting his "protege" in important roles. He is also in love with her. When he is unhappy, he becomes a killer. He kidnaps Christine and takes her to his place in the sewers. Of course, in 1925, his unmasking caused people to faint in the theater. It is a great moment of suspense topped off by his disfigured face. Even though the copies we have of this are not great, it is still stunning to see that famous scene. Some have criticize the change in plot from Gaston Leroux's novel, but it doesn't matter. Very well done silent masterpiece.

at the end of silent movie era came a true classic and main triumph belongs to Lon Chaney who plays a mad phantom who'd been madly love on an actress of Paris opera house. Phantom haunts in the opera and masters Christine who he wants to be the main prima donna. mystery things happens and Christine gets her chance on stage. Christine's master and the phantom are same character which Christine finds out too late when phantom already been captured her assuming her to be his and only his property. Christines fiancée finds the way to phantoms cave and finally saves her. mad mob catches phantom and kills him. Lon Chaney makes a remarkable role as a mad and lonely phantom who is possessed by Christine wanting her love. rest of the cast in mainly statistics. sadly hero, Norman Kelly, is charmless and I had problems to take his role seriously. the opera gives a fine Gothic atmosphere to the film.