'It's time to admit The Phantom of the Opera is actually a great film'

It's been 20 years since The Phantom of the Opera was adapted for the screen by Joel Schumacher which makes it the perfect time to look back at his inspired take on Andrew Lloyd Webber's iconic play, even if it wasn't seen that way at the time.

The 2004 movie was first green-lit back in 1989 but it was not until 2002 that Schumacher and Lloyd Webber began production in earnest. Several names had been associated with the production in that time, including Antonio Banderas and original West End stars Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman, but when it finally came around the creative team landed on Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson to portray The Phantom, Christine Daaé and Raoul de Chagny respectively.

What Schumacher created with them is a lavish gothic romance, a musical adaptation that understood the assignment and perfectly encapsulated what makes Lloyd Webber's original production so timeless. It still stands as one of the great film adaptations of a stage musical around in terms of scale, costuming and production.

The Phantom of the Opera is elaborate and gorgeously thought out, full of stunning costumes from Alexandra Byrne and intricate choreography created by Peter Darling, Lisa Stevens and Gillian Lynne. Performances of ensemble songs like Masquerade or Primadonna are grandiose, amplifying the beauty of the stage play just the right amount.

The musical numbers are glorious to behold because of Schumacher's vision for them, as well as the stunning work of the creative teams he brought on.

There is the unique way in which the film recreates its eponymous song The Phantom of the Opera, for example. It emphasises the dream-like state Christine experiences as she descends into the depths of the Paris Opera House by having sconces move and featuring ghostly illusions. By the time the candelabras rise from the depths of river near the Phantom's lair we're as hypnotised by him as Christine is.

The Point of No Return is also exquisitely staged, with Christine and the Phantom stalking each other across a narrow stage to highlight the dangerous game of cat and mouse they're playing as well as the undeniable tension that remains between them despite Christine's love for Raoul.

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There is a sumptuous, sensual feeling across the whole movie that perfectly epitomises the conflict that Christine faces with the love triangle at the heart of the story. Without the mixture of gothic horror and swoon-worthy romance that Schumacher highlights it wouldn't be as spellbinding.

While it accurately adapts the musical it also expands upon the narrative, such as the Phantom's origins and how he came to live in the Paris Opera House. This is the kind of change Schumacher makes that makes the film feel unique but still mirrors Lloyd Webber's take on the classic Gaston Leroux novel.

Of course there is also the music, Rossum's operatic singing at only 16 is impressive to say the last while Wilson's Broadway experience was certainly on display as Raoul. When The Phantom of the Opera originally came out there was a lot of grumbling around the cast, namely the decision to cast Butler as the Phantom when he had no prior professional singing experience.

The actor was offered the role after Schumacher saw him in Dracula 2000, the director didn't even know if he could sing and it turned out that he would have to learn to do so for the role.

For some viewers Butler didn't feel like the right choice for The Phantom because of his singing, but the actor brings so much more than that to the part. To quote Lloyd Webber the Phantom is supposed to be "a bit rough, a bit dangerous [and] not a conventional singer", and Butler certainly fit that bill.

There is a certain dark charm to his Phantom, he's vulnerable in subtle ways that make it easy for audiences to empathise with him rather than see him as a monster, like he is depicted in the 1930 film adaptation of Leroux's novel. This is part of the beauty of the Phantom as Lloyd Webber depicted him, and why Butler wasn't the wrong choice to play him — true, he could have benefitted from training as a professional singer but he still works wonderfully well for the movie.

Much of the critic response at the time seem unreasonable in hindsight. As the film came out in the wake of Schumacher's box office flop Batman Forever many critics compared it — rather unfairly — to that, while others criticised Lloyd Webber's original score which is hardly something that the film could be faulted for as an accurate adaptation of it.

The Phantom of the Opera is a wonderful reimagining of the iconic musical, it adds enough to stand on its own but also captures the romantic, spellbinding narrative Lloyd Webber created. At the very least, its leagues above another adaptation of one of his musicals that we could name.

20 years on Schumacher's film is still as spellbinding as it was the first time it came out, and it's about time more people acknowledge that it is a great film.

The Phantom of the Opera is available to buy and rent on the Sky store.