Phantom of the Opera

“Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams” sings the Phantom to Christine in the song “The Music of the Night" The Phantom is the physical representative of such “dark” dreams. In 2004, Joel Schumaker directed an adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s The Phantom of the Opera. It falls into the musical genre due to its incorporation of music and lyrics into the narrative. But, it is more than just another musical. After closer analysis, it can be read as a critique on male patriarchy that dominates society.
The Phantom is a representation of a “sexual other” who threatens the sexual authority of the patriarchy. He must be eradicated in order to preserve the restrictive codes of sexual purity (Williams 90). The Phantom’s physical characteristics are grotesque and his sexual interests are voyeuristic and perverse. He watches Christine through a mirror which acts as a hidden passage to his underground home.

His presence poses a challenge to the authority of Raoul, who has made his claim over Christine. Women are nothing but property to men. Raoul wants to marry Christine and the Phantom wants to make her a star of his operas. Ultimately, both men desire her and want to possess her.
Raoul is representative of the typical patriarchal structure. The Phantom’s power as the “sexual other” is removed when he leaves the comfort of his underground realm. However, he is able to momentarily capture Christine both physically and mentally as he lures her into his lair. After she returns to Raoul, Raoul does not take the Phantom’s threat to steal Christine seriously. Once Christine is kidnapped, the threat Raoul feels from the “other” is too much for his masculinity and he is forced to seek help from the police (94).
When the rescue attempt fails, the role of sexual authority momentarily shifts to Christine. She offers to stay with the Phantom to save Raoul’s life. The Phantom, the “other”, has challenged society and won. But his triumph is brief as the purity of the sexual code must be reinstated. The Phantom, moved with emotion, frees Christine and Raoul. He then flees before he is caught by the police.

In conclusion, the Phantom illustrates an alternate sexuality that must be suppressed in order to preserve the patriarchal codes of sexual normalcy (100).