The Phantom of the Opera is one of those movies of which my opinion completely changed with a second watch. When I first saw this movie, shortly after it came out, I admit that I found it boring. I liked a few of the songs, but I found the pacing too slow and the cinematography too dark. I don’t really know what awoke in me, but over a decade later I found myself not just enjoying the movie, but becoming obsessed with the musical it is adapting. I was blessed enough to see it on Broadway, I watched the 25th Anniversary filmed at Royal Albert Hall, and I regularly play the songs on repeat. Now, I’m reviewing it for you with an important question: What can we learn about our Catholic Faith from this movie?

First, some quick background. As previously mentioned, the 2004 movie is an adaptation of the acclaimed musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the longest running show on Broadway before it retired in 2023. However, the musical is based on the French novel, Le Fantôme de l’Opéra, (The Phantom of the Opera), by Gaston LeRoux, originally published in 1909. The musical departs from the book, but the premise is the same: A terribly disfigured man (the Phantom) lives beneath an opera house and becomes infatuated with Christine Daaé, a young soprano whom he has secretly trained to sing. Christine had never met her mysterious tutor—she only ever heard his voice, and she was under the impression that the voice she heard was the “angel of music” that her father had always told her would visit her after his death. He finally does reveal himself to her, a la a romantic, candlelit boat ride and two of the musical’s most famous songs, and that’s where the problems begin. (Side note: He happens to have a full-size Christine replica of her down there with him, who just so happens to be wearing a wedding dress. Naturally, seeing this completely overwhelms her, and she passes out.) Upon waking, she sees him without his mask and becomes frightened. The Phantom is angry and hurt and wants to keep her in his lair as a punishment, but ultimately decides to let her return to the opera house proper. He wants his protege to be the lead in the opera, and he uses his ominous presence to threaten the opera house managers into obeying his commands. 

Meanwhile, Christine is reacquainted with a childhood friend, Raoul, when he attends one of her shows, and they quickly rekindle their childhood romance. The Phantom is not okay with this, as he wants Christine for himself. Christine is caught in the middle between the man she loves romantically, and the man who has essentially raised her. The movie and the musical both paint this storyline as a love triangle, and there are moments where it seems Christine might actually have romantic feelings for the Phantom, but mostly it seems that she loves him as a father and/or is somewhat entranced by him. 

Reviews at The Legionnaire are never spoiler free, and this story also happens to be so old that most people already know the ending. Nonetheless, spoilers below:

The Phantom kidnaps Christine, Raoul finds her, and the Phantom traps him. The Phantom tells Christine that she can either marry himself, and he will let Raoul go, or she can choose Raoul, but then he’ll unfortunately have to kill her love. All of this occurs during a very powerful final song, “Down Once More/Track This Murderer,” which will be the primary focus of my Catholic analysis. After much pleading and anger, Christine finally sings, “Pitiful creature of darkness/What kind of life have you known?/God give me courage to show you, you are not alone” and kisses him. Moved by her act of compassion, the first he has probably ever experienced, the Phantom lets her and Raoul go and then disappears.

Overall, I prefer the stage version of The Phantom of the Opera, but I think 2004 film is a worthy adaptation of the musical. Gerard Butler’s voice is an acquired taste. It is not that of a traditional Phantom, but I enjoy the gruffness he brings to the role. I think Emmy Rossum has gotten a lot of unfair criticism as Christine, but I like the gentleness of her voice. They are at their vocal best during “Wandering Child,” and their voices blend beautifully together in the harmony. The set design and wardrobing are beautiful and the musical performances are enjoyable. All that said, I wouldn’t be surprised if studios decided to remake this movie soon, since it’s been 20 years and the show is no longer on Broadway. 

So, what can we learn about the Catholicism through The Phantom of the Opera? I think the central themes of the story are nicely summarized in that final song, and that those themes fit well with Church teachings.

1. Be careful who (or what) you give your mind to:

It’s safe to say that most of the problems our protagonists face are because of Christine’s blind devotion to the Phantom. She even sings, “Angel of Music, you deceived me/I gave my mind blindly.” We see her grieve over the loss of her father in “Wishing you were somehow here again” and hear her torment in “Wandering Child” where she asks the Phantom if he is, indeed, her father. As someone who has lost her father, I can attest to the deep grief that it can cause. It can be tempting to give our minds to things that are not of God, like anger, grudges, new-agey spiritual practices, and even the occult. Sometimes, people turn to seances or mediums to try to communicate with their loved ones beyond the grave. Church teaching, however, is clear that this is not something we should do (CCC 2116). Instead, we are to pray for the souls of our departed loved ones and trust that they are at peace with God. Our belief in the afterlife prevents us from desperately seeking signs from our loved ones, or in Christine’s case, “an angel of music,” that could lead us astray.

In other situations, we can become so immersed in things that are not inherently bad, like politics, or self-help books, that they can become our religion. This becomes the sin of idolatry. What we trust is what will control us, and scripture provides us with many warnings about this. we are called to “trust in God alone,” to “beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing,” and to “meditate on whatever is true, noble, just, pure, and lovely” (Phil 4:8-9). I do want to offer the disclaimer that Christine was very young when her father died and the Phantom entered her life, so his behavior toward her could be interpreted as grooming. This is different than an adult willfully choosing to let someone or something else guide their mind.

2. Sin begets sin:

The Phantom claims that he is merciless because he has been rejected by everyone, including his own mother. In “Down Once More,” he sings, “Why, you ask, was I bound and chained in this cold and dismal place?/Not for any mortal sin, but the wickedness of my abhorrent face!/Hounded out by everyone/Met with hatred everywhere/No kind word from anyone/No compassion anywhere.” He adds that his face “earned his mother’s fear and loathing.” In response to everyone’s cruelty toward the Phantom, he has become hardened and cruel, and he threatens, murders, and kidnaps. It is important to realize that how we treat others has a direct effect on how those people will then treat others. We can suffer because of the sins of our parents, which we see in generational sin, addiction, and the effects of untreated mental illness. Of course, this only goes so far, and we have to take ownership of our sins and repent, which the Phantom eventually does through his actions.

3. We must seek God’s forgiveness:

We are all sinners. Therefore, receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation (and often!) is a must. We need the grace that we receive through that Sacrament in order to help us turn away from future sin. Unfortunately, we don’t see the Phantom go to confession, or really even verbally apologize. However, he does demonstrate a conversion by letting Raoul (Patrick Wilson) and Christine go, which is an essential part of seeking forgiveness. It is not enough to make a good confession. We must resolve to change our ways. 

4. Love is choice and an action:

We know, as Catholics, that love is a choice, not a feeling. We see that depicted in this movie: Raoul fights for Christine; Christine’s act of compassion toward the Phantom; and the Phantom’s allowing Christine and Raoul to be free. The Phantom thought that by forcing Christine to marry him, he could make her love him. This is the exact opposite of the type of freedom God gives us with free will. He wants us to love Him, but He does not force us to love him. We can choose to love our spouse when they drive us crazy, to be patient with our co-workers who we disagree with, and we can have compassion toward a person who is rude to us. The Phantom of the Opera does a great job of demonstrating what actual love is, and how powerful love can really be.