If you want to discuss "The Phantom of the Opera", how about discussing it with a real "Phantom". If you want to learn what makes Erik's psychology so dark you need to talk to someone who has lived through what he lived through.
My personal "Phantom" was born in 1960 when I was a victim of an unscrupulous plastic surgon who was experimenting with new "plastic surgury techiques" to correct a small facial defect. Needless to say it didn't work. Ten operations later left me with life long facial scars and deformity. From then on no one would look at me without gazing into that deformed area ( as they still do now ). I became the laughing stock of the neighborhood/school. Friends and especially girls avoided me.The punishisment I took from name calling and beatings was relentless/endless. But it taught me how to fight. Soon I was so good no one dared call me a name or put a hand on me.
Girls, as a whole forget it. There were a small few however, one or two really, who were attracted to my dark nature ( remember this was a time before Gothic was "in" ). But receiving real love from someone who was able to look past ( to quote the movie ) "this damnable carcass which is this face", was never a question. It didn't happen and I didn't expect it to. But what I wanted and needed I took. All gave in willingly as by then I acquired a reputation of being someone how could release your inhibited passion without effort. My conquests were still to few to mention but they were very satifying as these few would come back again and again provoking the "gods of love" to the extreme.
My main interest in my early adult years ( you guessed it ) was music. Specifically rock-and-roll. I even played ( in the back ) keyboards for a few years for a band from my town.
If you want to talk about how it truly feels to be an "outcast", having to fight almost everyday to protect himself and ( I could write a book about this )-unrequented love ( and yes there was a "Christine" in my life too ) then I will be open for discussion.
As for the movie, I consider Erik as mildly heroic in the sense his blood lust was protrayed as mild and acted only in defense of others ( with the exception of Roaul )and only after they had done some ultimate wrong.
Unlike the "Phantom", in my case I was able to successfully abate my violence towards people and society ( which I felt was entirely justifiable as a teenager as well as into my early adulthood ) by learning how to meditate using Zen Buddhism.
As as side note,after viewing it for the first time, I felt that old rage I had long forgotton beginning to boild inside me once again. And yes I would have severely hurt anyone who would be as unforutnate to be around me at that moment. But I was smart enough not to leave my bedroom room which I had locked as a precaution should such an episode arise. As I lay crying in my bed barely able to hold on to my sanity, my beautiful ( and she is truely beautiful physically as well as in every other aspect) wife Pamela ( who is aware of my tragic life history ) entered with her key and held me softly and sang to me and was able to calm me until the rage at last subsided. She above all is "my angel", "my Christine" who unlike the movie,did choose the phantom over Roaul ( but that is another story for a different time ). After further viewings this has not happened again.
Now. let us discuss this supposed piece of fantasy fiction for any other truths we may find if you dare .
The real phantom~Zenji
