I won't mention that Emmy Rossum isn't exactly my favorite Christine. That doesn't matter: this is about the men! ;-)
In this movie, which served primarily as a fantasy for 14 year old girls, there are two routes Christine can take: dedicated and dashing Raoul,
or the cryptic and steamy Phantom of the Opera.
So... what is a girl to do??
My roommate... come to think of it, most of my friends, all say, Erik! The phantom!
I'm a bit more hesitant. If this plot was actually taken out of the book or the opera and put in real life... wouldn't Erik be that creepy guy on SVU that gets arrested for stalking and harrassment?? The kid that had a terrible life and so turned out a little... crazy?
Granted, I would say he probably did love Christine in the end. Loved her enough to let her go.
But might I complain for a moment? Poor Raoul gets a bad name, mostly because the Raouls of the operas and the movies are generally not near as dashing or handsome as the phantom. And Patrick Wilson made it through the movie with only two scenes in which his hair was noticeably disturbed. ;-)
But come on, let's compare lyrics here.
Phantom: "From the moment I first heard you sing, I have needed you with me, to serve, to sing for my music!"
Raoul: "I'm here, with you, beside you. To guard you and to guide you!"
Honestly. A sympathetic character he may be, but the phantom is deceptive, selfish, frightening. What is it with girls... and guys, even!... going for the bad ones??
There are plenty of decent people out there, hiding amongst all the crazies. ;-)
"Yoda's philosophy was quite simplistic. 'If you get angry, you're gonna lose.' 'Don't try, do.' He has a basic philosophy that is very charming. Not very profound, although young people consider it profound. I wish they would read more." – Irvin Kershner, director of The Empire Strikes Back
ReplyDeleteI suppose that Kershner would not like me very much, because I found depth in this post. I have personally been deceived by guys, leading to things that I am rather ashamed of, so I can relate. I found it interesting because I saw Phantom on Broadway a few weeks ago, and I did not think about if from this perspective. It could have been that I was awestruck by the music, or it could have been the way that the Phantom and Raoul were portrayed. In the latter case, isn't it interesting how the media tend to portray the total creeper as more appealing? ;-)