Phantom of the Paradise (1974): De Palma’s Phantasmagorical Rock-Opera-Horror (Review)

Despite starting his directing career in the 60s with a string of Robert De Niro collaborations, Brian de Palma is of a class of genre directors who rose to prominence in the 1970s and 80s that have become known for a specific type of film. That specific film is a violent and twisty thriller; think Hitchock with more blood, sex and violence. Or crime, violent crime. The Scarface and Carrie director is currently subject to a retrospective from Arrow Video. With that light being shone on some of his most outlandish and forgotten works are being pulled from relative obscurity, the latest to see the light of day is the director’s incredibly off-brand off-piste rock musical, Phantom of the Paradise.

An oddball mix of Phantom of the Opera, Dorian Gray and a general Faustian vibe, Phantom of the Paradise depicts the rise and fall of two men – Swan (Paul Williams) and Winslow (William Finley). Swan is a savant of the music scene, creating styles and genres through his Death label, achievements which have seen him awarded with the most unassailable of egos. The one thing he doesn’t have is a centrepiece to that glittering career. He’s setting up the Paradise club for that very reason. Auditioning for the privilege of opening this club is Winslow, a brilliant composer who has developed a rock opera based on Faust. Winslow’s music may be the perfect match, but his image doesn’t fit Swan’s vision and it’s in that conflict that Winslow is beaten, maimed, imprisoned and mutilated. Wearing a mask and cape, Winslow becomes the Phantom of the Paradise murdering anybody who plays a role in devaluing his cantata.

To see Brian de Palma pen a film that is not too dissimilar to Rocky Horror musical shows a director having fun with his work; unfortunately, that fascinatingly odd vibe doesn’t carry throughout. The musical numbers by Paul Williams (who wrote Rainbow Connection) are fantastic in all its forms and they’re staged with all the zest and passion that would make for a wonderful stage show. The glam-rock numbers sang by Beef are as entertaining as those carried by the voice of Jessica Harper. Why would I bother to watch a feature-length movie packed full with songs that I cannot stand, that has always been my issue with the musical as a movie genre. However, I can comfortably say that the way the Phantom of the Paradise sashays from musical genre to musical genre kept this cynic very happy.

Past the musical numbers, the film is caught between the same divide that eventually defined the director’s career. Stuttering between the de Palma that defined a generation and the bland echoes of former glories he now touts. Phantom of the Paradise is as frustrating a film as De Palma is a frustrating director. When the film is at its best, which is usually during one of the musical numbers, De Palma is having fun producing what can only be described as phantasmagorical delight. And like I said, the passages surrounding those scenes can only be described as bland, lacking any real swagger which becomes all the more pronounced in a film such as this.

Focus is the issue here, Paul Williams does fine work behind the scenes; it’s the script around it that causes the problems. Phantom of the Opera is one of the finest stories in horror literature, as evidenced by how often it has been adapted. Unfortunately, in introducing other literary inspirations the magic gets lost. Phantom of the Paradise jumps between its own tricks and opera’s like it’s trying to navigate a treacherous path of hot coals, jumping from one foot to the other. In navigating this path, there is a scene that should be a cathartic release in the last act only it is borderline unwatchable thanks to the camera not being able to keep up with events. An unusual outcome for a director so heavily instead in the value of experimenting with camera technique.

Managing to be both a camp musical and Faust is not something many directors would imagine let alone dare to make, so it’s no surprise its become such a cult oddity. The film and its conglomeration of contrasted ideas deserve better than that. If such a no-expense-spared release sees it reappraised, that can only be a great outcome. Unfortunately, for me, the way it stumbles in that aforementioned climactic scene, not only through how poorly it has been shot but also in the way that it literally explains everything taking away all the mystery will be a fall from grace with what could potentially be a new favourite for many.

Thanks for reading our review of Phantom of the Paradise

For more Movie talk, check out our podcast CINEMA ECLECTICA