Brian De Palma is universally famous for many works, most of which can be attributed to the thriller genre.

In 1974, after the success of "The Two Sisters" of the year previous, De Palma tries his hand at creating a horror-tinged musical, probably the first in the history of cinema ("Rocky Horror Picture Show" is from the following year) and the one of greatest artistic quality.

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The story is a clever mix of Leroux's “The Phantom of the Opera”, Hugo's “Notre-Dame de Paris” and Goethe's “Faust”, all reworked in a concept-rock key.<1 >

All the participating actors, from the ghost Winslow (William Finley) to the villain Swan (Paul Williams), from the muse Phoenix (Jessica Harper) to the rock star Beef (Gerrit Graham) are in a state of grace and allow the film to be elevated to excellent levels.

With De Palma's mastery of the camera and the soundtrack by Paul Williams (a professional composer, here also in the new role of an actor ) the film is very close to the Masterpiece.

There is everything in this work: pain, suffering, loneliness, love, betrayal, horror, anger, revenge…

Among the music (all of excellent workmanship) emerge:

• the painful glimpses of the Phantom in  “Phantom's Theme< 29>”
   (Half asleep I hear a voice, Is it only in my mind?
  Or is it someone calling me? Someone I failed and left behind?
  To work it out I let them in,
  All the good guys and the bad guys that I've been,
  All the devils that disturbed me,< br />And the angels that defeated them, somehow
  Come together in me now…);
• the love for his Muse in “Faust (Winslow)”< br />I was not myself last night, Couldn't set things right with apologies or flowers
  Out of place as a cryin' clown, Who could only frown and the play went on for hours
  And as I lived my role, I swore I'd sell my soul for...
  One love, who would stand by me (who would stand by me)
  And give me back the gift of laughter (laughter )
  Yeah and one love, who would stand by me (who would stand by me)
  And after making love we'd…
  Dream a bit of style, (Dream) we'd dream a bunch of friends
  Dream each others smile and dream it never ends…
• Phoenix's awareness in “Old Souls”
  Our love is an old love, baby, It's older than all our years
  I have seen in strange young eyes, Familiar tears…
  We're old souls in a new life, baby, They gave us a new life to live and learn,
  Some time to touch old friends and still return…
  Our paths have crossed and parted
  This love affair was started
  Long, long ago…
  This love survives the ages In its story lives are pages
  Fill them up, may ours turn slow…

The vision is essential for every true lover of Cinema.