the Funniest Dialogue - The Phantom of the Opera (1990) Discussion

[–] aleema_darkrose 19 years ago

"One could get quite hopelessly lost in these woods if one does not know the path... or have a guide who does." -hehe, he sounds funny when he says this. I love it so.

Charles Dance has great lines indeed. His first scene with Burt Lancaster is hilarious, when he's talking about murdering Carlotta and what not. "What kind of horror are you leaving me in?!"

reply

[–] sevenmarie 19 years ago

Or this one...upon hearing Carlotta rehearsing:

"My God! Place really is haunted, WHAT is THAT?"

*~*~*
mmmgary
i my geek

reply

[–] lorilee-1 19 years ago

This one's kind of a whole conversation (in the "forest"):

Erik: "In fact, I call this place my Dreamery. Do you find that apt?"
Christine: "Yes."
Erik: "Apt to what?"
Christine: "Well, apt to what you wish."
Erik: "...Exactly so."

!!!!!!??????!!!!

reply

[–] FloatingOpera7 19 years ago

The Phantom in this version, from a play by Arthur Kopik (?) is portrayed as overly sensitive, whimsical and lovably odd. He is not supposed to really scare anyone. So his lines are very cute and funny. But yes, some of the dialog is very unusual, especially the conversation between Christine and the Phantom in the forest picnic. He manages to sound poetic and funny and witty, but keep in mind this is Charles Dance, a veteran British film actor doing the role.

reply

[–] BellaPrimaDonna 19 years ago

One of my favourite parts is when he approaches Carlotta while shes putting on lipstick and humming the Brindisi from La Traviata and he says that he has something for her and tips the suitcase of rats on her. "RATS FOR A RAT" He is sooo filled of hate towards her but even that basic line has so much malice behind it.

reply

[–] Redstar5288 19 years ago

I know I love the lines in this movie too. You guys have named some good ones.

Some of my favorite moments:

When the violins start up and Phillippe says:
"My feelings for this woman are like... nothing I have ever felt for anyone except her. I have loved her all my life Gerard... all my life... she is my life, she always has been..."

I actually like this line:

"Because he comes to the opera for the wrong reasons, he comes for the beauty of faces rather than the beauty of music."

This is kind of funny:

"I feel a chill descending I think we ought to go it looks like rain."

Hahaha.

reply

[–] PrincessMagical 19 years ago

Yeah actually Charles Dance is my favorite actor of all time and he is the best Phantom ever. I love how he is so romantic. I just totally love this film and it's my fav of all time!!!

I love the whole picnic scene and all those lines by Erik that were already said.

reply

[–] Twisted_Kitty 19 years ago

I just watched this for the first time today.

I wouldn't say it's my favourite, since it's not very accurate, but I LOVED IT!! <3 <3

My poor Erik.....*sniff*

It was all done rather well, nothing was really too cheesy, and I LOVE how Erik's INSANITY was captured. He was so elegant without being over-elegant, and delicate with Christine, and wanted nothing but her happiness.........and was utterly stark raving mad!!!
And yet Christine is like...
*fawns* This man loves meeeee!!

“It’s not true! ...He's not ugly, he's not some kind of monster! I won't let him be ugly, Papa ... I won't let him be!”

[KAY SPOILER]

Okay, Lucianna's ending was kind of lame and overdramatic, I guess...........but oh well. She was an overdramatic girl.
Carlotta probably reminded him of her.

~*Cat*~
All beauty must have its imperfection, all happiness its share of sorrow

reply

[–] blueobsession-1 18 years ago

Hey Cat, whatcha doing over here :D

I agree the lines from the picnic were hilarious. One thing that wasn't mentioned from that part was
Erik: Would you sing for me?
Christine: If you wish.
Erik: Ohhhh, I do, very much
Christine: <Silence>
Erik: I'm sorry, is there something wrong
Christine: If I sing for you will you grant me a favor?

then everrrrrrrr soooooo seriously he goes No...

I died laughing. I know he explains why and all but it was just so unexpected and so serious.

I love him but still he reminds me of C3PO with the way he speaks and is so serious.

Also

My absolute favorite scene is where Christine wakes up in Erik's dreamery and tries to run away and Erik grabs her and says this need not have happened you made this happen I was happy the way things were!
Christine: I'm sorry!
Erik: I'm sure (again soooo seriously, absolutely wonderful and hilarious line!)

I just saw this movie so of course I'm very excited about it. Hopefully this board will wake up and talk to me.

"I don't like the way you said that!...You're trembling. ... You're quite excited....You're lying!...That was a cry, there was a cry!...There is some one in the torture-chamber!... Ah, I understand now!"

reply

[–] eden_echo 18 years ago

Hi blueobsession, I'll talk to you..

Hey, I'm a huge fan of this version as well and the picnic scene is one of my fav scenes in the movie.

The sad part is when she sees his face, she faints, he goes mad, she get's away, and he becomes sick and he's dying, and literally from heartbreak I think, love being denied to him and he finally realizes that Christine really did love him in her own way when she kissed him on his face before he died. It's sad and very compelling.

ANIMAL LOVERS UNITE

reply

[–] DramaQueenKate 17 years ago

"Erik: Would you sing for me?
Christine: If you wish.
Erik: Ohhhh, I do, very much
Christine: <Silence>
Erik: I'm sorry, is there something wrong
Christine: If I sing for you will you grant me a favor?

then everrrrrrrr soooooo seriously he goes No...

I died laughing. I know he explains why and all but it was just so unexpected and so serious."

yeah, i burst into uncontrollable laughter when I first saw that. it's so deadpan.

reply

[–] eden_echo 18 years ago

Charles Dance is absolutely awesome, but his lines! they're so odd, and so, so hilarious.

Well I think Erik always had a snappy way of talking sometimes.. He was serious yet I believe there was that twisted sense of humor somewhere, you gotta love it!!

ANIMAL LOVERS UNITE

reply

[–] Jal8919536 17 years ago

A BIG reason as to why there's much humorous dialogue is because Tony Richardson, the director, is pulling all the stops he pulled from his Best Picture Oscar-winner "Tom Jones" a romantic-comedy also with music composed by John Addison. Watch this film with his "POTO" and compare for similiarities. ;)

reply

[–] VeirsTallis 15 years ago

There's a part where Lancaster is trying to convince Phillipe not to go down to the cellars because that's where a deranged killer lives. Phillipe asks, "But how do you know this?" and Lancaster says, "Er, just...do." AKA "I'm not going through the backstory again."

reply

[–] runswithscissors86 15 years ago

SPOILERS............

There's one scene near the end where Erik is lying there sick, and he's talking with Carriere.

Erik: "At first I thought of being buried in my lagoon, but no, I'd float up and scare some poor child upstream."
Carriere: "I will bury you."
Erik: "Make it deep."
Carriere: "No one will find you."
Erik: "It's my face I'm worried about."

Well, DUH. That line of Erik's just bugs me every time. What else would he be worried about...his receding hairline, or something? What a stupid comment.

____________________
Screws fall out all the time, the world is an imperfect place.

reply

[–] chss-1 15 years ago

Mine is this:
Christine: "Did you see what happened to Carlotta?"
Erik: "No, what?"
Christine: "Her debut was a disaster,"
Erik: "Oh, that's too bad..."

I could just imagine the smirk on his face when he said that.

reply

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] glr-beltran 14 years ago

In fact,that line about the lambs is from a poem by William Blake,who,according to Yeston musical,was Erik´s favourite poet.

reply

[–] booksandcoffee 14 years ago

Cholet: I don't believe in ghosts!
He is hit with a chunk of marble.
Cholet: Aaaah!

reply

[–] yesterdaysnotover 14 years ago

"This is poison, not soup! You are drinking it because you want to a-keel yourself, not to enjoy your meal!"

"I'm sorry, I'm just not used to killing people. It threw me off a bit."

"Memories like spies, the salt betrays my eyes again." -Turpentine, Brandi Carlile

reply

[–] LunaRaven 13 years ago

Erik: My God! This place really is haunted. WHAT is THAT?

Erik: I know what to do about it. I'll kill them both
Gerard: Erik!
Erik: I'm TEASING--probably the only one I need to kill is her

Carlotta: Darling tell me the truth--how do I look?
Cholet: You look-a like spring!
Carlotta: Ah!
Cholet: No better! You look like-a young spring.Like a spring
that is not yet even spring--like spring that is about to become
spring--that is winter!
Carlotta: Ahh!
Cholet: no no no no--is not winter, is a spring. Definitely spring.

Christine: Did you see what happened to Carlotta?
Erik: No, what?
Christine: Her debut was a disaster.
Erik: Oh--that's too bad!

Christine: Maestro, there is one thing you have not told me--where do you live?
Erik: When you sing I live in the heavens and when you don't, down below.(the way
Charles Dance said this was hilarious. His socially awkward pick-up lines are so adorable)

Carlotta: No one can sing Bel Canto without lessons--God doesn't allow it!

Erik: Hat you think? Formal touch? Yes, I think so too. And of course a walking cane. And to complete our little outing *taps a picnic basic with his cane* voila.

“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something.”

reply

[–] flamehallow 13 years ago

Erik: She can't sing.
Gerard: Well, obviously she doesn't know that.
Erik: Well...someone should tell her!

reply

[–] tehlers-66369 7 years ago

I have recently found that out. I wonder why they took out the references to Blake being Erik's favorite poet in the miniseries? It's interesting about Blake. He was a rather unusual man. He had visions throughout his life, in some of which he claimed to see God. Many of his contemporaries considered him insane.

reply

[–] 7 years ago

[deleted]