Currently Watching - The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

WOW...I can't believe this was released in 2004. Time flies by so fast! Anyway, being the theater geek that I am I love the stage version but I think the movie did a decent job. There were some things I missed but I have to say that the bell of the ball is Minni Driver as Carlotta not to mention the woman who sang the Carlotta part. I have known more than one over the top diva like that in my life.

In 1919, the Paris Opera House is holding an auction. Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny (Patrick Wilson), an elderly wheelchair-bound man, purchases a music box in a form of a monkey in Persian robes clapping cymbals when it operates. He spots a familiar figure, Madame Giry (Miranda Richardson) the former ballet mistress. Their attention is drawn to "Lot 666, a chandelier in pieces", partially restored for the auction. As the chandelier is revealed and raised to the ceiling, the film shifts to 1870 when the opera house was in its prime.

The Phantom (Butler), a disfigured musical genius, haunts the Opera House. Tormented by his deformed face due to his memories of being abused in his youth, he hides in its catacombs. He falls in love with a young soprano, Christine Daaé (Rossum), and secretly tutors her singing. Christine believes he is the "Angel of Music", sent by her deceased father from heaven to guide her. The Phantom devotes himself to making Christine the new opera star. After he drives off the opera's current lead soprano, Carlotta Giudecelli (Driver), Christine replaces her, making herself a huge success. Raoul, Christine's childhood friend, recognises her and is very impressed. In her dressing room, Christine tells him that the Angel of Music has visited her. Raoul insists they go to dinner but she refuses, saying that the Angel would disapprove. Once Raoul leaves, The Phantom, under the guise of the Angel of Music, speaks to Christine and expresses his dislike for Raoul. Christine pleads for him to show himself and he reveals himself in her mirror and takes her to his lair. There he beseeches her to sing for him and shows a life–size doll resembling her in a wedding dress. Christine faints and The Phantom carries her to a bed.

The next morning, Christine awakens, sneaks up behind The Phantom, and out of curiosity, takes off his mask. He rages at her but later calms down, explaining that he only wants to be normal like everybody else and hopes that she'll learn to love him despite his deformity. Meanwhile, the stage hand, Joseph Buquet (McNally), scares the ballet girls by telling them tales of the Opera Ghost only to be scolded by Madame Giry. The managers Firmin and Andre (Hinds and Callow), Raoul, and Carlotta are puzzled by several notes from The Phantom whom they all accuse each other of being. Madame Giry delivers one more demanding that Christine play the lead role of the countess and Carlotta be placed in the secondary role of the mute pageboy in the next opera II Muto. The managers assure an enraged Carlotta that she will be in the lead role despite Madame Giry's warnings. The performance goes well at first, until The Phantom angrily booms out that they did not leave box 5 empty for his use as he ordered. They nervously continue with the performance until The Phantom reduces Carlotta's voice to frog–like croak. The managers apologise and promise to continue the performance in ten minutes with Christine in the lead role. Meanwhile they perform the ballet of Act III to entertain the waiting audience until The Phantom kills Buquet with The Punjab Lasso and his corpse drops from the rafters. Christine and Raoul flee to the roof of the Opera House where she tells him about her encounter with The Phantom. Although Raoul doesn't believe her, he promises to love and protect her. The Phantom, having overheard them, is heartbroken and vows revenge on Raoul.

Three months later at the Masquerade Ball, Christine and Raoul are now engaged and The Phantom has not appeared since the performance disaster. The celebration is then interrupted when he suddenly appears. He insults the managers, Carlotta, and her lover, Piangi (McGuire). He then announces that he has written an Opera, "Don Juan Triumphant," and demands they perform it and Christine be put in the lead. Afterwards, he snatches her engagement ring from around her neck, saying she belongs to him before he vanishes down a trap door. Raoul attempts to follow him but is saved by Madame Giry. He demands she tell him about The Phantom. She reluctantly tells him he is a magician and a musical genius born with a deformed face whom she helped escape from a traveling fair where he was abused as the "devil's child" and hide in the Opera House when he was a child.
Christine, troubled, visits her father's tomb, wishing he were alive and longing for his support. Unbeknownst to her, The Phantom has taken her to the cemetery. Again under the guise of the Angel of Music, he attempts to lure her back to him. Christine easily succumbs but Raoul brings her back to reality. A vicious sword fight breaks out between the two men. Raoul is about to kill The Phantom when Christine begs him not to and they escape back to the opera. The Phantom glares after them saying: "Now, let it be war upon you BOTH!" Raoul and the managers hatch a plan to capture The Phantom during "Don Juan Triumphant," knowing that if Christine sings, he is certain to attend. However, Christine is caught between her love for Raoul and her feelings for The Phantom and does not want to go through with the Opera because she is afraid The Phantom will capture her.

During the performance, Christine realises she is not singing with Piangi, the lead tenor, but with The Phantom. The Phantom expresses his love for her, but Christine suddenly takes off his mask and wig, reavealing his deformed face to a horrified audience. The Phantom angrily sends the chandelier plummeting down to the audience--setting the Opera House on fire--and abducts Christine by escaping down a shaft through the stage. Carlotta bursts into tears when Piangi is found dead backstage; the audience flees the Opera House and Madame Giry leads Raoul to The Phantom's lair. Raoul falls into a death trap and nearly drowns but manages to escape.
Forced to put on the wedding dress, he says his face prevents him from hurting her. Christine tells him she's not afraid of his face but of his soul. Raoul arrives and begs him to let her go. The Phantom allows him entry but snares him in the Punjab Lasso. He then gives Christine a choice: if she chooses The Phantom, he will let Raoul go but Christine must stay with him; if she refuses, he will let her go but Raoul will die. Conflicted, Christine passionately kisses The Phantom. Having experienced kindness for the first time, he lets both Christine and Raoul go. They leave together in his boat but Christine shortly returns to give his ring back. He tells her he loves her and she forces herself to turn away. She and Raoul leave singing to each other. Heartbroken, The Phantom grabs a candelabra and smashes a mirror then disappears through the frame into a secret tunnel. When the mob arrives, Meg (Jennifer Ellison), Christine's friend and Madame Giry's daughter, finds only his mask as she enters the tunnel.
The scene then shifts back to 1919, the music box fades to black and white. Raoul places it on Christine's tombstone, on which he sees a red rose tied with a black ribbon (The Phantom's trademark) and also the engagement ring that the Phantom gave her indicating that he still and always will love Christine.