Visible crew/equipment: During The Music of the Night, you can see a camera shadow pass over the Phantom's and Christine's face. It's around the part where he says, 'Let your fantasies unwind'. (00:38:00)
Visible crew/equipment: As Raoul's car is leaving the Opera House, a crewmember is reflected in its windshield. (00:48:05)
Visible crew/equipment: During the second kiss, the shadow of a camera is seen on Christine and the Phantom. It's especially obvious behind his neck. (02:06:05)
Visible crew/equipment: When Christine and Raoul are riding the horse out of the graveyard, it is obvious that Emmy Rossum has been replaced by a stunt double.
Visible crew/equipment: During the graveyard swordfight, the Phantom's stuntman sometimes visibly replaces Gerard Butler. He has thin and very arched eyebrows and the mask doesn't fit properly around the nose. He is the same stuntman used when Raoul jumps down the hole after the Masquerade. (01:40:45)
Visible crew/equipment: Right after Christine is shown on stage singing "Think of Me", the camera pans out to show the audience members. When it gets to the back of the room on the floor, you can see at least 5 dummies used as seat fillers. They look to be only torsos and heads sleeveless t-shirts on.
Visible crew/equipment: Just before Raoul jumps down the hole after the Masquerade, Patrick Wilson is obviously replaced by a stuntman who's not even trying to hide his face. He is the same stuntman used for the Phantom in the graveyard swordfight. (01:25:35)
Visible crew/equipment: When Raoul jumps down the hole into the mirror room, you see he is alone. Between when he jumps down, and the appearance of the phantom's reflection, if you slow down the movie you see a man in a gray shirt in the mirrors behind Raoul. He appears in at least three mirrors. Slow-mo is not essential but does help.
Answer: First, it is established in the movie that he is dependant on Madame Giry and it is presumed she does his shopping for him. As for learning skills, it is established he is a genius and one can assume he is very well read. Additionally, for single handed skills, like driving a carriage, he can possibly go out at night to learn them. As for his living conditions, the human body adapts well to continuous conditions, it is how the people in Siberia can tolerate lower temperatures better than those who live close to the equator. Lastly, one can easily assume he has other (warmer) clothes that he wears off camera.
OneHappyHusky
There is a character simply known as 'the Persian' He has known the Phantom his whole life and would have taught him horse driving. In the book, the Phantom has a life before the opera house where he would have learned fencing and torture. Also, the phantom knows all the secret passages. When it's cold he leaves his lair and lives someplace warmer.
You're totally right but also, in addition to your mention of The Persian, in the book it is he that is the Phantom's only "friend" or whatever but in the movie there is no Persian exactly but the two Characters Madam Giry and The Persian from The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston L. Are both combined as one, to be know as Madame Giry in the 2004 flim.
debbi.ee