You got to hand it to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. The man knows how to take a great story and turn it into a spectacle. This is especially true with his famous production The Phantom of the Opera which premiered in 1986 at the West End and starred his then wife, Sarah Brightman in the role of Christine Daae. Phantom has now gone on to be the longest running Broadway show in history.
The Phantom of the Opera has every element for a successful production. Amazing songs, beautiful costumes, elaborate sets and a solid storyline. So, what's my complaint on the show? It's tricky because while the show itself is incredible, but I cannot stand the Phantom or the whole love triangle in general. Yes, it's the whole storyline; yes, the love triangle is the cornerstone of the story and the base plotline. However, from a moral perspective, Erik the Phantom is maniacal, toxic and narcissistic. A murderer who uses his intelligence and genius to control and manipulate everyone around him.
Unfortunately, that's another base of the story. The poor misunderstood phantom who the world hates and despises because of his disfigurement. Sad to say, if Erik is misunderstood than he has no one to blame but himself. For years he dwelt underneath the opera stage writing his plays and probably taking pleasure in being the notorious 'opera ghost.' That was his choice to do so; nobody forced him into hiding. At any point in time, he could have come out of the shadows and join the rest of society and I'm sure people would eventually overlook his disfigurement. But no. Erik contented himself with being the victim and the villain.
So now we get to Christine Daae and the love triangle. Christine is the ultimate heroine of the story. Beautiful, talented, kind and innocent. All of these elements Erik sees and twists them all together to manipulate a lonely young girl. He teaches her to sing while creating a fantasy that she will be by his side in near future. And as Christine is an orphan and tends to be emotionally cut off from other people, she's the perfect choice. Erik will stop at nothing to make sure his 'angel' is seen and heard; even it means almost killing Carlotta.
When Christine is reunited with her childhood friend, Raoul, then Erik sees a real threat to his plan. Raoul's presence in Christine's life sets the Phantom off and innocent people are made to pay the price. While Raoul may not be the brightest button from time to time, he seems to possess a good heart and a desire to take care of Christine. Raoul is nobility and to take a serious interest in a young woman from the theater may not seemed an appropriate decision. He's willing to overlook that.
For some reason there's a debate of which man Christine should end up with when the only reasonable solution is Raoul. Erik and his mental instability could not possibly share a life with Christine. She would not be able to measure up to the fantasy that he created. The Phantom is not a character to be pitied. While he faced horrible abuse and rejection as a child, he overcame all that was put on him and rose to become a genius. But as Raoul said in the 2004 film, "Genius has clearly become madness."
If genius is madness and if madness leads to murder, why do we pity the madman?
Why do we want the heroine to choose him?
Why do his sad beginnings justify the person he becomes?
The Phantom's seclusion from the world is his own undoing. He sees a vulnerable young woman, that he can manipulate and possess her and not give her any say in the matter. What is so romantic about that? I
wrote a post about this very issue almost ten years ago and my conclusion to the love triangle is that Christine was probably better off without either man. There's is nothing about Erik could possibly suggest security and love. And while Raoul tended to treat Christine like a child, he did have a heart that was still in the right place.
Erik the phantom is not romantic. There's nothing good and genuine about a man who kills and manipulates to get what he wants. There is nothing decent or loving about making a woman a pawn in your game of revenge. There's nothing noble or honorable about choosing to hide in the shadows and blaming the world for your loneliness and seclusion. The only good thing Erik ever did was let Christine go and live her own life.
