Lon Chaney: Phantom of the Opera

Lon Chaney: Phantom of the Opera
Customer Review: KINO is the best way to go for silent films, but this movie stands well on its own...
I find the one problem with this dvd is the color tinting - I understand that it may have been done simply to provide some definition when some of the scenes had too much black in them. It's to be expected in a silent film, but I got spoiled on KINO's new updates on silent films that are always top notch and of excellent quality. Still, that is not to say that this film is lacking. If you like silent films, then you must have this film in your collection. Lon Chaney gives a performance never to be forgotten, and this film hits all the right notes for what you would expect in a silent film. The suspense builds, the score is beautiful, and what I love about the film is it sticks, for the most part, to the original storyline of the book - with the inclusion of Faust and all. The score even goes so far as to include the arias from Faust that were mentioned in the book, which only adds to the acting of this movie. Unfortunately, the female lead (who I have seen in many other movies, where she has done incredibly well) seems to flounder a bit in this role. But if you were to see her in "The Man Who Laughs", you would not believe it was the same person. In short, despite minor flaws, this is a must-see for silent movie buffs and general film buffs alike.
Customer Review: Who needs dialogue?
The 1924 silent classic stands tall among the bevy of imitators. The combination of music, shadows and color tinting of a black & white film work to render any dialogue an impediment to this film. Lon Chaney's hideous face and his body language are more than enough to keep any viewer on the edge of their seat. Simply stated, the film is worth watching again and again so as to better understand all the theatrics apart from dialogue that make a film a classic. Hitchcock realized this as many of his films went minutes without a spoken word. Take a hint producer's of today. If we want to be read to, we'll listen to audio books. If we want to see actors act, we will watch The Phantom of the Opera, 1924