The Phantom of the Opera: Why the film is so popular with Americans

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The Phantom of the Opera

Americans want to experience, feel and relate to situations that aren't always possible. Theatre and movies allow the audience to escape from everyday anxieties and stress, to imagine what life would be like if viewed or taken from another perspective. However, there are other things beyond the obvious that relate to and help determine how the audience will react to a film. Such things as the genre that the film is placed in help to set expectations that will draw in a specific crowd of people expecting certain things. Some genres include; humor, action, romance, death, deceit, fantasy, horror, ect. The Phantom of the Opera is a classic, musical romance film popular because of its emphasis on love, constant entertainment, and powerfully touching music.

Love equals power in this case. The Phantom seeks the love of a young girl, Christine who's cast into the opera from a dancer to a lead role when the original vocalist bails last minute. If he is able to obtain this love, he can have her sing all of his musicals that he has composed while hidden in the dark anterooms of the opera house, which then will give him the power he is so eager to finally have. Christine's love for music and singing makes her extremely vulnerable to The Phantom. As the audience patiently watches the film, one can see that The Phantoms love for Christine and his music slowly grows into an uncontrollable obsession that will ultimately lead to Christine's death. But, before that the audience is taken on a ride through all of loves games. Christine must choose between the hot male; who returns from somewhere along her past (Raoul); and the ugly man who seemingly just wants to be loved (The Phantom). Everyone wants to love and/or be loved, but not everyone gets what they want. Because of this films emphasis on love and all that it entails, the spectator; consciously or subconsciously; is taken on an emotional ride that allows them to relate to and learn from the experiences being acted out throughout the entire film. Everyone knows what it feels like to give and receive love, as well as to not be loved and not give love. So, through the film, The Phantom of the Opera, the viewers can relate to the characters making the film more personable than ever imagined.

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