The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

First, a few words about silent films:
Considering the advances in film technology over the past century or so, it can be difficult to appreciate the simpler form of silent film.  I find it helps to remember the context of the time period.  Back in the 1920s, the art of film was in its infancy.  Directors had no true idea what would work for any given audience, and so films were made to appeal to the broadest audience possible.  In addition, film was able to transport audiences and give them experiences that were simply not possible with other mediums like books.  This means that by today's standards, silent films often have shots that seem to linger far too long, or performers who appear to be constantly overacting with their facial expressions.  However, if you can look past these things, and allow yourself to be absorbed with the story, you may begin to discover some of the foundations of great filmmaking.  As 2011's The Artist taught us, there was a reason motion pictures became popular, even without the use of sound.

The Phantom of the Opera, based on the classic novel by Gaston Leroux, concerns a mysterious patron of the Paris Opera House.  He begins to make strange demands of the casting of the operas, and things take a sinister turn when his demands are not met, and people end up dead.  Many believe the opera house is cursed or haunted, but these mysterious happenings are the work of a man known only as 'the Phantom' (Lon Chaney).  He takes a special interest in the singer Christine Daae (Mary Philbin), and lures her into his lair underneath the opera house.  There, she discovers that the Phantom wants to have her star in an opera he has composed.  However, she also makes the discovery that he is hideously deformed.  The Phantom allows her to leave one last time, but only on the condition she leaves her lover, the Vicomte  Raoul De Chagny (Norman Kerry).  Christine refuses his demands, and as a result is kidnapped and held hostage by the Phantom.  What follows is a daring rescue mission organized by Raoul along with the French police and opera staff to stop the Phantom's plans before he destroys the opera house.
This film makes great use of large sets, giving the story an appropriately grand feeling.  The costuming is also excellent, particularly in the masked ball scene.  You get a true feel of the decadence of the era shown onscreen.
Unlike the more sentimental Andrew Lloyd Webber version, this film pulls no punches concerning the grotesque nature of the Phantom.  In fact, Mary Philbin's Christine appears to be thoroughly horrified by the Phantom even before his unmasking.  The makeup is, of course, one of the biggest talking points of this film.  While he went uncredited for it, it is now accepted knowledge that Lon Chaney created his own makeup for this film.  The skull-like face is still considered one of the most accurate depictions of the Phantom as described in the book.
One of the most important legacies of The Phantom of the Opera lies with its star, Lon Chaney.  He would go on to earn the nickname 'the man of a thousand faces' for his groundbreaking work and performances with makeup.  In later years his son, Lon Chaney Jr., would bring to life such classic horror characters as the wolfman.  In addition, this film was the beginning of what would become known as the 'Universal Monsters' franchise, one of the most enduring and historically important collections of horror films today.  It's unsure if Universal will return to the Paris opera house anytime soon, but with the relaunch of the franchise in the near future, it's quite possible we'll see a new generation's Lon Chaney on screen soon enough.