In late nineteenth-century Paris, strange things are happening at the Opera House. Legends abound of a mysterious phantom who, raised from infancy by rats, inhabits the subterranean caverns deep beneath the famous building, occasionally emerging above ground to wreak bloody havoc. Enchanted by the voice of the beautiful Christine Daaé, an understudy in the upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet, the phantom quickly brings the singer under his spell, setting himself on a collision course with her would-be suitor, Raoul. As the gala performance of Romeo and Juliet draws near, and Christine falls ever deeper under his influence, the phantom hatches a diabolical plan to secure his young protégeé the starring role – and claim her as his, once and for all.

Based on Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel of the same, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA sees Italian horror maestro Dario Argento (Suspiria, Deep Red) turn his masterful directorial hand to a period piece, whilst still injecting proceedings with all the expected visual flair and gruesome gore. Featuring lead performances from Asia Argento (The Stendhal Syndrome) and Julian Sands (Warlock, Boxing Helena) as the titular villain, alongside expert cinematography from veteran DP Ronnie Taylor (Gandhi) and a lush, orchestral score from Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly), Vinegar Syndrome is thrilled to raise the curtain on Argento’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, newly restored in 4K from its original negative and loaded with a bewitching array of new and archival bonus features.

For previous thoughts on The Phantom of the Opera, please check out my review of the Scorpion Releasing Blu-Ray here.

For additional thoughts on The Phantom of the Opera, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

The Phantom of the Opera debuts on 4K UHD Blu-Ray from Vinegar Syndrome with a 2160p transfer in 1.85:1 derived from a 4K restoration of the 35mm Original Camera Negative in Dolby Vision/HDR. The release is a notable improvement over the latest Blu-Ray released in 2022 by Scorpion Releasing. As with other recent upgrades like The Card Player and The Stendhal Syndrome, the label is ensuring late-period Argento titles are getting the deluxe treatment with the best visual quality possible. The presentation is impressive throughout the runtime with image stability and delineation presenting impeccably.

The picture is more crisp and dialed in than ever, and colors are lovingly saturated in Dolby Vision in a visually striking way that captures the depths of the dinginess of the Phantom’s lair. Skin tones are natural with subtle facial features and makeup on full display in close-up. Black levels are outstanding with nothing in the way of crush. Virtually all print damage has been eradicated, and overall clarity and detail is excellent. This transfer retains the natural film grain of the presentation with everything resolving evenly with no clusters of grain. This presentation is excellent thanks to this fresh master. Fans will be enamored with the overall look of the film.

Audio Quality

This new 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix in both Italian and English that captures the intention of the film as well as the source will allow. A personal pet peeve with a film this recent is the decision to film with actors in different languages and post-dubbing to match the language chosen. No matter which track you choose, there are going to be some characters who are dubbed. This is a side effect of the filming technique and not an issue with the disc.

That being said, the dialogue is strong, coming through clearly without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. The cast seems to weigh more heavily towards speaking in English, so that feels like the preferred track for this one. The music from Ennio Morricone maintains a perfect fidelity as it comes through the room. The environmental effects are delineated nicely from the chatter of the performers during rehearsal to the sounds of rats in the sewer. The track avoids nearly all instances of age-related wear and tear or distortion. This is a track that captures the intent of Argento. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson deliver a really great commentary track in which they discuss the divisive nature of the feature, how this finds Argento functioning in a very different mode, the unique way this film came about, the shot composition of the feature, the different influences from cinema, the performances in the film and more. These two like the film quite a bit more than I did, but it is nice to hear different arguments as to why they think it succeeds.

New Interviews: Vinegar Syndrome conducts an array of new interviews that provide nice insights into the production of the film from both in front of and behind the camera.

- Of Screams and Arias – Interview with Actress Nadia Rinaldi (22:32)

- Acts of Fear – Interview with Actor Gianni Franco (10:59)

- Opera of Wounds – Interview with Special Effects Artist Sergio Stivaletti (19:47)

- Like a Thunder – Interview with Editor Anna Napoli (20:34)

- Behind the Camera – Interview with Camera Operator Marco Pieroni (12:28)

Behind The Red Curtain – Interview with Director/Screenwriter Dario Argento: An 18-minute interview with Argento is provided here in which he discusses his inspiration to make the film, how the Claude Rains version impacted him, the shooting locations, creative compromises he made to keep the budget down, working with rats, the special effects, the performances and more.

In The Phantom Cave – Interview with Set Designer Antonello Geleng: An 18-minute conversation with Geleng in which he talks about the difficulties of sharing the theater space with an active show, how he developed the looks of locations with Argento, how the setting ties into the themes of the film, the lighting of the film, his collaborations with Argento, his feelings towards the film and more.

Welcome To The Opera – Interview with Producer Giuseppe Colombo: An 18-minute interview with Colombo in which he discusses his history with Argento, the development of the project, disagreements surrounding the feature, the sets of the film, the logistical headaches, his thoughts on the film and more.

Alternate English Titles (7:38)

Final Thoughts

The Phantom of the Opera finds horror maestro Dario Argento taking the classic tale and putting his distinct stamp on it. The results are a bit inconsistent, but overall, this is on the stronger side of his later-period output. The casting of Julian Sands is likely the biggest mistake the film makes, but Asia Argento proves to be a transfixing romantic foil. Vinegar Syndrome has released a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a standout A/V presentation and a pleasing array of special features. If you are a completist for Dario Argento, this one holds up well enough within his filmography. Recommended

The Phantom of the Opera is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Vinegar Syndrome has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.