Previously, as I assume most viewers do, I have always watched the movie as Christine, the protagonist. The character I commiserated with was the "victim" who was haunted by the phantom, who was, of course, the "antagonist". But today, for the first time ever, because of a combination of having spoken to several people while at camp who were victims of circumstance in a true and honest sense, and some psych research I did to understand a particularly difficult "antihero" in the novel I'm reading, I began to see the story as the phantom.
Understand, I believe people are responsible for their own actions, and I believe that we always have a choice. It may not be pretty and we might not like it, but there's a choice. But there are also situations where people are given the most unfair series of awful choices, treated cruelly, hatefully, and all I can think is, it would have taken strength of character far greater than that of the best person I know to rise above THAT.
Now I know most people out there have been rejected at one point or another, and are familiar with how that hurts, so read these lyrics, the phantom's lyrics, with that thought in mind.
I gave you my music
made your song take wing
and now how you've repaid me
denied me and betrayed me
He was bound to love you
when he heard you sing
Christine...
A little back story, the phantom was born deformed in a time period where it was still socially acceptable to abandon scarred children in the gutter. and that was what was done to his character. Ultimately he was captured by the owner of a carnival and was kept in a cage as a part of the carnival's freak show, where he was mocked and poked and prodded and beaten. That is, until he escaped in a violent episode characteristic of the desperate and abused. Horrifying, I know. (And yes, I do remember this is fiction, work with me here.) Remember, we are to "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." (Romans 15:7)
He came to the opera with the help of the opera house's dance instructor, the first person to ever show him any kindness. And although she tried to ensure he was never found, she too abandoned him to live out his life alone down there. We Christians know better. We are to be there for others no matter what their position or state in life. Romans 12:16 says "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position."
Enter Christine, a young woman emotionally scarred by the loss of her beloved father with a passion for music almost as great as the phantom's own. He falls in love, and after loving her from afar finally offers to teach her to sing. She gets to honor her father's memory through music, and the phantom finally gets to share what he is passionate about with someone. Christine is the second woman to show him kindness, although he seems to be unaware that she is not fully aware of what she is getting into. And she is the first person to stick by him and not abandon him to be alone in darkness. That is until this song where she chooses Raul instead of the phantom.
Suddenly his sense of betrayal makes sense.
You can just hear the desperation in his voice as he whispers the last word. He cannot understand how the woman he loves, the woman whose life he has dedicated his life to improving, the woman whose music he has brought to life, the woman to whom he has given everything which is important to him, can love another, and not only love another, but fear him.
As Christine, her fear is justifiable. A man has just been hung by the Phantom, she sees him as a monster.
But the phantom has been running his entire life from people like the stage hand he murdered, he was in constant fear one would finally lead enough people in judgement against him, and he would be silenced forever. (Murder is NEVER justified, but work with me here) To the phantom his act is self defense, and not only self defense, but also in defense of a potential future life with Christine.
And here she has turned him away. Betrayed him and the gift he gave her.
Ouch. I was crying.
Now of course, then the phantom turns to desperation and anger. He thinks only of revenge, but that's another post (maybe).
Christine had no idea what was going on in the phantom's heart. She didn't take the time to find out. Not until it was very nearly too late. When she finally realizes her mistake in treating the phantom so cruelly, her love, Raul, has very nearly lost his life because of it. Remember Zechariah 7:9 says "...show mercy and compassion to one another."
And then, the very act of kindness Christine SHOULD have offered in the first place is what inspires the phantom's change of heart, and saves both Christine and Raul's lives.
Finally, she got it right. John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." But maybe, just maybe she should have tried kindness BEFORE rejection and betrayal. In actuality this works in reality. Too many people have been treated too badly for too long. And too often or actions have far more impact than they normally should because of it.
I just wanted you to think of the people you have dismissed out of hand, or maybe given one too few chances. Think about the actions others have taken in any situation and think about how maybe you could have been a part of the cause. Doesn't that make it so much easier to forgive them. People don't do good in is vacuum. And neither do they do ill in a vacuum. What we do and say affects others whether we realize it or not.
Let's start thinking about the consequences of our actions a little more, and also be more willing to take responsibility on us than place it on others.
Here is the clip, and yes, I am video happy :)
And then, the very act of kindness Christine SHOULD have offered in the first place is what inspires the phantom's change of heart, and saves both Christine and Raul's lives.
Finally, she got it right. John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." But maybe, just maybe she should have tried kindness BEFORE rejection and betrayal. In actuality this works in reality. Too many people have been treated too badly for too long. And too often or actions have far more impact than they normally should because of it.
I just wanted you to think of the people you have dismissed out of hand, or maybe given one too few chances. Think about the actions others have taken in any situation and think about how maybe you could have been a part of the cause. Doesn't that make it so much easier to forgive them. People don't do good in is vacuum. And neither do they do ill in a vacuum. What we do and say affects others whether we realize it or not.
Let's start thinking about the consequences of our actions a little more, and also be more willing to take responsibility on us than place it on others.
Here is the clip, and yes, I am video happy :)
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