Use of Colour - Opening of Phantom of the Opera

The opening to the film ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ effectively uses colour, lighting and mise-en-scene to create a brilliant pretext to the events about to take place in the film’s narrative. Immediately from the black and white filter we get the sense of the film being in a different time period, it also indicates to us that the place is old and it also gives us the feeling that something bad has happened there (hints that the story to come may be dark).

This feeling is continued in the actor’s costumes; they are all wearing dark colours which have connotations of mourning and general sadness. This is also again shown in the main woman’s costume as she wears a black vale which again could be synonymous with death and mourning, or just general pain.   

During the beginning parts of the clip the director chooses to shoot some shots through the stairwell area showing us the dilapidated opera house filled with cob webs and broken railings, the shot looks out into vast hall area which shows us how this once grand opera house is now old and deteriorating, which implies to us that this may be an important part of the story.

The lighting in these shots is very low key and it is made to appear as if the light is natural, perhaps from holes in the ceiling which again presents the idea of ruin. It also help to create a dark and somewhat gloomy feel to the place, as if something bad has happened.

Suddenly when the chandelier is revealed the whole place is lit up signalling a new era, it also creates a sense of great theatricalism which is what the whole story is based upon, so it brings you into the film indicating that the main narrative is about to begin. As it slowly begins to rise, the whole of the theatre bursts into vivid colours whipping away all of the cob webs and showing us that we are going back to a time when the opera house was once full of life.

All of the costumes are now bright and elaborate; the main colours of the costumes are gold and red which connotes a sense of grandeur and magnificence. The characters expressions are over exaggerated, showing feelings of great optimism; this shows us the excitement and overjoy felt by the characters. The lighting is also now very bright which is also trying to portrays this feeling of optimism.

This huge contrast from the first part of the clip gives great dramatic irony because although they are making it out to be an amazing grand thing, we know that something bad is going to happen to ruin this, this is what makes this opening truly effective.