1925 horror movie unmasking scene was so scary cinemagoers fainted and had to be woken up

In an age where CGI has gotten so good that film actors are often acting opposite green blobs, it can be easy to forget the simple beauty and inventiveness of practical effects.

There are many incredible examples of visual effects in old movies. One very interesting example is in the film Sh! The Octopus from 1937, where a combination of coloured make up and matching lighting was used to make a character transform into a horrifying villain before the audience's very eyes.

Universal

Another example of make up which more than had the desired effect occurs in the 1925 film of Phantom of the Opera. The earlier version is far removed from Andrew Lloyd-Webber's musical of the famous novel by Gaston Leyroux, and has a far darker, grittier tone to it.

No scene better reflects this shift in tone than the scene where the Phantom is finally unmasked. It's become an iconic moment in cinema.

Tension has been building throughout the film as the audience continues to wonder what is lurking behind the mask covering the Phantom's face. Our imaginations often fill in the gaps far better, putting in all manner of horrors.

But this was no Jaws, where the revealing of the slightly comical-looking shark disperses rather than escalates the tension.

In The Phantom of the Opera, however, that is very much not the case.

Universal Pictures

The scene shows singer Christine in the bowels of the opera house, with the Phantom preoccupied with playing the organ. Although she has been told not to, she sneaks up behind him and playfully rips off his mask, revealing his terrifying face beneath.

At the time that the film was first shown, the moment reportedly had people in the audience fainting out of the sheer terror at the moment.

It might seem ridiculous, but even in 2023 when audiences are far more desensitised to gory and gruesome images on their movie screens, the moment still holds up. Sure it's not exactly Saw or The Conjuring in terms of intensity, but it's difficult not to be creeped out and scared by the moment.

There's just something about the moment.

The curiosity in Christine's eyes as she approaches and the fact that the Phantom actually looks more terrified than angry when the mask is removed.

Of course, acting out of fear can often make someone even more dangerous.

CGI can make films look incredible when done really well, but there's a balance to be drawn between CGI and practical effects.

There's just something about an effect you know you can touch which makes it more believable.