NOVEL ADAPTATION:

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

NOVEL (1991) TO FILM (2004)

Fransisca Marta (20150600011)

Nenes R. Arifin (20150600030)
 1991 NOVEL
Written by Gaston Leroux, a
French journalist and author of
detective fiction.
SYNOPSIS 2004 FILM
The story takes place in the Opera Produced and co-written by
House, Paris, in the 19th century. Lloyd Webber and directed by
It is a story about “a phantom” who has Joel Schumacher.
to wear a mask to hide his hideous
face and his tragic story with the
female protagonist, Christine Daae,
an opera singer.
2
 Relating To The Audiences

Perception & Interpretation

IN THE NOVEL: more freedom.
IN THE FILM: restricted to what is
shown and displayed on the screen.
Communication
IN THE NOVEL: descriptive
paragraphs.
IN THE FILM: dialogues, songs.
Media
IN THE NOVEL: paper, texts.
IN THE FILM: moving images,
screen.

3
 Relating to the Plots & Characters
IN THE NOVEL
• The novel started with researches and the
author’s notes on the Phantom of the opera and
legends of the Phantom Ghost, followed by the
explanations of him.
• The Phantom is named Erik.
• Raoul has a temper problem and is a bit of
stalker.
• Madame Giry is a ballet teacher and The
Phantom’s messenger.
• The novel ends with The Phantom’s death.
IN THE FILM
• The film started with an auction making the
whole movie like a flashback.
• The Phantom is just referred as “The Phantom”.
• Raoul can be the biggest sweetheart and very
adorable. He also can hold his own against the
Phantom and is very much in love with Christine.
• Madame Giry is a mother figure to Christine
and knows more about the Phantom than anyone
in the opera house.
• The film ends with The Phantom’s
disappearance.
4
Visualization of the Main
Character in the Novel
 "You must know that I am made entirely of death,
from head to foot, and that it's a corpse that loves
you, and will never leave you! Never!"
 The Phantom is described as someone whose appearance
has corpse-like face, hole where a nose should be, sunken
yellow eyes that glow, sparse, lank, black hair, "lipless
mouth“.

5
Visualization of the Main Character in the
Film
Not that disgusting or hideous, probably can be
described as someone whose half of face is covered in
burn scars; still somehow managed to look handsome.

6
 Emphasis on The
Phantom’s Talent in the
Novel
The voice without a body went on singing;
and certainly Raoul had never in his life heard
anything more absolutely and heroically
sweet, more gloriously insidious, more
delicate, more powerful, in short, more
irresistibly triumphant. (Chapter 9)

“I cannot tell you the effect which that music

had upon me. It seemed to command me,
personally, to come, to stand up and come to
it. It retreated and I followed. ... And,
suddenly, I was outside the room without
knowing how!” (Chapter 12, Christine)

“But this invention was so perfect that, as I

leaned out of the boat, I was impelled less by
a desire to discover its trick than to enjoy its
charm; … there is nothing he loves so much,
after astonishing people, as to prove all the
really miraculous ingenuity of his mind.”
(Chapter 21, The Persian)
Emphasis on The Phantom’s Talent in the Film

MADAME GIRY CHRISTINE DAAE

“I hid him from the world and its cruelties. He “The Angel of Music.”
has known of nothing else of life since then
except the Opera House. It was his playground
and now his artistic domain. He’s a genius. He’s
an architect, and designer, and he’s a composer
and a magician! A genius, Monsieur!”
8
 Descriptions of The
Phantom’s Real Feelings in
the Novel
“I never express myself like other people. But I am very
tired of it! . . . I’m sick and tired of having a forest and a
torture-chamber in my house and of living like a
01 mountebank, in a house with a false bottom! . . . I’m
tired of it! I want to have a nice, quiet flat, with ordinary
doors and windows and a wife inside it, like anybody
“I tore off my mask so as not to lose one of her tears . . . and
else!”
she did not run away! . . . And she did not die! . . . She remained
02 alive, weeping over me, with me. We cried together! I have
tasted all the happiness the world can offer!”

“Then I made her understand that, where she was concerned,

I was only a poor dog, ready to die for her . . . but that she
03 could marry the young man when she pleased, because she
had cried with me and mingled her tears with mine! . . .”

“Christine was the only one who had ever shown me

04 kindness. She didn’t run when she saw my horrible

face. She had looked past my mask and into my
heart.”

9
Descriptions of The Phantom’s Real Feelings in the Film

“Stranger than you dreamt it,

Can you even bear to look, or
bear to think of me? This
lonesome gargoyle who burns
in hell, but secretly yearns for
heaven, secretly, secretly, but
Christine… Fear can turn to
love, you’ll learn to see, To
find the man behind the
monster this… repulsive
carcass who seems a beast but
secretly dreams of beauty,
secretly, secretly…” – The
Phantom
“But his voice filled my spirit with a strange, sweet sound. In that night there was music in
my mind… And through music my soul began to soar! And I heard as I’d never heard before.
Yet in his eyes, all sadness of the world. Those pleading eyes, that born threaten and
adore…” – Christine Daae

10
Ending Conclusion – Easier
Understanding
He wanted to be just like everyone else.
Poor, unhappy Erik! With an ordinary face, he
would have been considered a talented and
famous genius.
- Phantom of the Opera Classic Starts Version, Chapter 30

11
Things Not Mentioned in the Film (Social Issues)
Philippe de Chagny’s Background
… Thanks to powerful influence, he had
just been appointed a member of the
official expedition on boardC the Requin, ...
(Chapter 2)
Carlotta’s envy for Christine
Carlotta had never forgiven Christine for
the triumph which she had achieved when
taking her place at a moment’s notice.
From that time, she worked with all her
might to “smother” her rival, enlisting the
services of influential friends to persuade
the managers not to give Christine an
opportunity for a fresh triumph. … (Chapter
7)
M. Moncharmin on Becoming the Opera
Manager
M. Moncharmin did not know a note of
music, but he called the minister of
education and fine arts by his Christian
name, … (Chapter 4)
Christine to Raoul about Marrying Him
“... Whatever happened, your position in
society forbade me to contemplate the
possibility of ever marrying you; ...”
(Chapter 12)
12
 Biggest
Significance
• In the 1991 novel, the story emphasizes on
the tragic life of the main character.
• In the 2004 film, the story emphasizes on
the tragic love of the main character.

13
 WHY?

Year of Publication
Novel (1991): still heavy with social
issues and scenes that happened in real
life (i.e. the Chandelier scene).
Film (2004): influenced on post-
modernism era (music, filming set, etc.)

Purpose
Novel (1991): to address social issues
Target Audience
especially discrimination, alienation and
social class. Novel (1991): people in general
Film (2004): for entertainment purpose. Film (2004): people who enjoy musical
film

14
THANK YOU!