Movie Couples Therapy: The Phantom of the Opera

The movie’s relationship ❌ : The movie’s aesthetic ✅

Because of watching CinemaTherapy, the phrase "Staying means nothing if you don't have the option to leave." Has entered my consciousness and I have said it to several people in bad situations.

I love that you pointed out that she's more afraid of his anger than any physical deformity. Other versions and the book make so much more of his face than any other character flaw

I think it’s important to note that for most of the story the Phantom loves Christine’s VOICE and not her person. At least at first. When she kisses him at the end, THAT is when his love turns to actually loving HER. Not lustfully but because of the expression of care. And that’s why he’s able to let her go finally at the end. It’s also why he says “It’s over now, the music of the night.” That is a deeper abandonment of his previously held ideals than people realize.

The phrase that resonated with me the most out of this whole episode was "A lot of times the monsters that we're scared of are the ones that we create by our lack of compassion". It's an incredibly thoughtful view, full of empathy and responsibility.

This just reminds me of the time I was talking about the musical with a woman who began ranting about how cold and cruel Christine was in rejecting Phantom. I looked at her and said, "But he KILLED PEOPLE." She paused in her rant, tilted her head thoughtfully, and then very softly said, "Oh yeh. There's that."

I watched this when I was younger, and I remember thinking and asking my mom "wait, why's she kissing him?" When Christine kissed the phantom. I was a confused little child. I think my mom explained it as an apology. I think her word were "she's saying I love your music, but not you." Doesn't really hit the nail on the head, but it made sense to like, six year old me.

A revelation in my brain was that Christine creaved a fatherfigure and Erik craved a motherfigure. I feel like it might even be designed with that thought, since Erik also kind of raised Christine liek a fatherly person but as a grown woman for his subnconcious she fit the role of mother because of her compassion. The Phantom desperately clinged to her as he couldn't cling to his own mother and Christine has a hard time letting go of him because he was there for her when her father couldn't.

I remember when I first watched this as a teenager and I was so upset that Christine and Phantom didn't end up together. Now as an adult I rewatched it and realized what the movie was trying to do and all of the messages it was trying to get across. Definitely can't blame Christine since me too as a teenager thought Phantom was dreamy

Out of the multiple versions i've seen of this musical, one had the Phantom physically pause and react to Raoul's line "Why make her lie to you to save me?" and I thought that was such an amazing touch to see him start to realize he's in the wrong at that point and it eases him into the change of heart at the end. I loved it

I ALWAYS laugh when the horse appears in the tunnels and Christine rides it for like 10 seconds 😂

I also think not enough people remember that the Phantom of the Opera from the original book was a Universal horror movie monster for a reason. This is a horror story. Part of Christine's terror is knowing that if and when he comes for her, she'll go, whether she really wants to or not. This is not a YA romantic triangle where both options are appealing, she wants to be with Raoul but knows from experience that she can't escape. "Can I betray the man who once inspired my voice? Will I become his prey? Do I have any choice?" And playing that up is So much more fun

In the original book, Raul is actually incredibly toxic. Christine doesn't recognize him at first, but he still feels that he's owed her affection because of their history. He exhibits several stalker habits, including breaking into her dressing room and getting really mad when she rejects him initially. I wish they showed this in the musicals and movie to show just how bad both of Christine's options are.

This story just cements in my head the term "Hurt people hurt people" while adding the caveat "Loved people love people"

One of the biggest points that wasn't pointed out but that was really notable for me was how Raoul gaslit Christine for so long telling her the phantom didn't exist when she KNEW he was real, and then used her as bait to catch him during the musical later even though she's scared and doesn't want to do it. Phantom is toxic, but don't put Raoul on a pedestal either😂

It’s shocking to me how they didn’t talk about the fact the phantom followed her to her fathers grave and willingly acted like her fathers angel to try to get her to go with him. Raoul literally told her that this man is not her father knowing his intentions. Imagine what could’ve happened if Christine actually had followed him in. 😰

I CLAPPED when Alan made the point about the Phantom needing to be a musical (vocal) genius. I always hear the argument about great actors who are maybe mediocre singers being cast in movies: "Oh, but the characters are not supposed to be professional singers, so it's fine." First off, that's not how musicals work- but if ever there was a character who is supposed to be a great singer, it's Phantom!

Fun fact: In the Novel The Phantom of the Opera, Erik is described as corpse-like and is referred to as having a "death's-head" (human skull) throughout the story. He has no nose, and his eyes are sunken so deep in his skull that all that is seen are two eye sockets, except when his yellow eyes glow in the dark. His skin is yellowed and tightly stretched across his bones, and only a few wisps of dark brown hair are behind his ears and on his forehead. His mouth is never described in as much detail, but is referred to as a “dead mouth” by Christine, and Erik acknowledges that his mouth is abnormal when lifting up his mask to display ventriloquism. He is described as extremely thin, so much so that he resembles a skeleton. Christine graphically describes his cold, bony hands, which also either feel or smell like death. There is debate among both English and French speakers as to whether the original French word used here, sentir, was intended by Leroux to mean "smells like" or "feels like,” as the French word is used for both feel and smell depending on the context. Erik woefully describes himself to Christine as a corpse who is "built up with death from head to foot." According to the Persian, Erik was born with this deformity and was exhibited as le mort vivant in freak shows earlier in his life. Erik sometimes plays up his macabre appearance, such as sleeping in a coffin as if he is a vampire, he also costumes as the titular character from Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque of the Red Death for the masked ball.[citation needed] Lon Chaney's characterization of Erik in the silent film The Phantom of the Opera (1925) remains closest to the book in content, in that Erik's face resembles a skull with an elongated nose slit and protruding, crooked teeth. In this version, Erik is said to have been deformed at birth.

I loved this movie when I was like 14. I really wanted Phantom to be with Christine, but I left it for a few years and re-watched it recently and all I could see was how afraid Christine must have been. It's amazing the difference some growth can make.

This is why Ramin Karimloo will forever be the most amazing Phantom to ever grace the screen or stage. Man has the range needed to play The Phantom and you feel like you're ascending when he hits the money notes