Introduction
NOVEL BY: GASTON LEROUX
An architect; designer, and a composer and magician;He's a genius who must hide his facial disfigurement behind a mask and in the catacombs beneath Paris's Opera Populaire, known only as the Phantom of the Opera or Opera Ghost. His one companion is his young singing protégé, a soprano named Christine Daae who is drawn to and mystified but at the same time terrified of her Angel of Music whose rapturous voice sings songs in her head while she sleeps and whispers in her ear during day. Everyone at the opera house is used to the Phantom's deadly pranks when his demands are not met but when a canopy falls on top of her, nearly crushing her, the opera's leading diva: Carllota resigns. With no understudy, the mangers turn to Christine who at the time was no more than a chorus girl. The show casts her into immediate fame. But when Christine, whom the Phantom has fallen in love with, accepts a marriage proposal from her childhood sweetheart Viscount Raoul de Changy, the Phantom's heart is broken. His despair quickly turns to furious, jealous rage and is willing to do anything to win her, even if it means raising the stakes to the ultimate level in Christine's choice between her love for Raoul and her strange attraction to the Phantom.
Main Characters
Gerard Butler as "Phantom"
The Phantom's story has been changed many times by different directors and authors, but according to the original novel by Gaston Leroux, a man named Erik lived underneath the Paris Opera House in the 19th century. He was a musical genius, but shunned the outside world and used skillful trickery and gadgets (like a two-way mirror) to make himself seem like a ghost haunting the place. He demanded a payment of 20,000 francs a month and the free use of 'Box 5' from the managers, threatening violence and disaster upon them and the company should they fail to comply. As the story begins, however, two new managers take over and dismiss his mysterious notes and the company's stories about him as nonsense.
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EMMY ROSSUM as "Christine"
Christine Daae is an orphaned dancer at the Paris Opera House. She grew up with her father, a Famous Violinist in a cottage by the sea. It is there that she met her childhood sweetheart, Raoul (the Vicount de Changy), who she would see again when she was older. While her father was alive he told her about "The angel of music", a guardian who would look after her if he couldn't. When her father died when she was seven years old, she was taken by a good friend of his, Madame Giry, to the Paris Opera House were she lived and trained as a ballerina. Since the Phantom of the Opera became her music teacher, she has believed that he is her "angel of music".
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PATRICK WILSON AS "Viscount Raoul de Chagny"
Raoul de Chagny is a viscount and Christine Daaé's childhood friend. They first met when he was a young child when he went on vacation in Northern France. He meets up with her again after watching her performance at the former managers' retirement ceremony at the Palais Garnier. He reminds her that he is "the little boy who went into the sea to rescue your scarf," which provokes her laughter. At first, Christine refuses to recognize Raoul, in fear that the "Angel of Music" would return to heaven. However, they become engaged later. Unknowingly to them, Erik had been spying on them. On the day they were going to elope, Erik kidnaps her during a performance of Faust at the opera house. Raoul then, along with the mysterious man known as "The Persian", goes down into the cellars of the Opera in an attempt to rescue Christine. He and the Persian endure near-drowning and torture in a mirrored, super-heated chamber before Erik eventually relents due to Christine's willingness to sacrifice her happiness for Raoul's life. Raoul nearly commits suicide under torture, and, when Christine's marriage promise to Erik saves them, has to be put to bed by Erik because of a poison that has left him "limp as a rag."
In Gaston Leroux's novel, The Phantom of the Opera, Raoul is described as having a 'small, fair mustache, beautiful blue eyes, and a complexion like a girl's and an air of "just having left the women's apron-strings." (In the 2004 movie, Raoul (played by Patrick Wilson) becomes an extremely handsome sword-fighting, horse-riding hero.) His elder brother and former guardian, Comte Philippe de Chagny, is a man of the world who indulges in dalliances with the Opera's ballerinas and is exasperated by his brother's attachment to "the little baggage" Christine. Philippe is later drowned by Erik when he goes looking for Raoul in the cellars of the Opera.
Raoul is described as 'having been petted by his two sisters and his aunt' and spoiled as a child, as he plans to go to the North Pole if he does not get his own way, but he is very kind-hearted.
Raoul has been to sea, and plans to go on a suicidal polar expedition if Christine refuses to pledge herself to him. He is puzzled and sometimes angered by her allegiance to Erik, and thinks that she may be toying with his heart. He is the youngest member of his family, with an older brother (Philippe De Chagny) and two sisters already married. However, in the film adaptation of the Lloyd Webber musical he mentions his (still living) parents, who had died long before the events of the novel.
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MIRANDA RICHARDSON as "Madame Giry"
Madame Giry has belonged to the Paris Opera House for many years. As head of the chorus line, and mother to Meg, she is the only one who knows the truth of the Opera Ghost. When Madame Giry was a young girl in the chorus line, she and the rest of the girls went to town to see the carnival. There she encountered what the carnies called a beast, but she only saw a young boy. Later, she went back to rescue him after he killed one of the men who tortured him, and hid him under the opera house. When Christine Daae joined the chorus line, she took her under her wing, and opened her up to the world of the Angel of Music. Madame Giry always made sure he had what he needed, and made sure he had the appropriate access to Miss Daae to instruct her in her studies.
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MINNIE DRIVER as "Carlotta"
In the novel she is a minor character hailing from Spain. The first time that she is mentioned in the novel is during the chapter "The New Marguerite", where it is revealed that she could not perform at the ceremony for the former managers. Later in the novel she is threatened by Erik that if she performs at the Opera House "a great misfortune will strike". She shrugs the warning off and performs anyway. When she does however croaking noises come out of her mouth and the chandelier comes crashing down. Ashamed, she hides from the public view for a few weeks, before making a return to the opera house.
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JENNIFER ELLISON as "Meg Giry"
Meg Giry is one of the fictional characters from the Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera. In the story she is Madame Giry's only daughter.
In the novel she is described as having “eyes black as sloes, hair black as ink, a swarthy complexion and a poor little skin stretched over poor little bones. She is also called a 'brat'. In Andrew Lloyd Webber's adaptation, however, Meg is much more beautiful and curvaceous, having blonde hair and blue eyes. She is also, in the novel, portrayed as a child of around fifteen years old and adores having her own way and attention. In the Andrew Lloyd Webber adaptation, she is older and her personality is much sweeter, caring and innocent showing genuine concern for Christine's claim of an Angel of Music coaching her.
Madame Giry is compelled to work for the Phantom because he left her a letter that told her that Meg (should she deserve it) would become Empress. Early in the novel, it is explained in the Prologue that Meg Giry, after the story's events, had indeed become the Baroness de Barbazac.
In contrast to the musical version, in the novel it is never mentioned that she is friends with Christine Daaé and the only reference she makes about Christine is when confronted with the news that Christine was singing in the opening Gala, she tells Count Phillipe de Chagny that it was impossible for her to have a "divine voice" let alone become a success, that "six months ago she sang like a rusty hinge".
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About Us
NICKNAME:Vanek
BIRTHDAY: February 14, 1992
ZODIAC SIGN: "Aquarius"
DREAM GUY: Responsible and God fearing
DEFINITION OF LOVE: "Love is God whose love has no condition and never expect in return."
ABOUT THE MOVIE: "Phantom of the Opera is really great. It is a must seen movie you wish to watch all over again and a breath taking movie ever."
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NICKNAME: Pinky
BIRTHDAY: June 21, 1980
ZODIAC SIGN: "Cancer"
DREAM GUY: Responsible, Sweet and God fearing
DEFINITION OF LOVE: "Love is one true thing that exists and last's more than a lifetime"
ABOUT THE MOVIE:
When I first saw the movie I've already fallen in love with the story. I love the way the actor's play their characters and definitely I love the melody of their songs. For me, Phantom of the Opera is one of the most romantic movies you would ever love to see over and over again.
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NICKNAME: Sharey
BIRTHDAY: December 17, 1991br>
ZODIAC SIGN: "SAgittarius"
DREAM GUY: Responsible, Tall, Dark and Handsome.
DEFINITION OF LOVE: "Love when you are ready not when you are lonely"
ABOUT THE MOVIE: Amazing! Number 1...
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NICKNAME: Fuji
ZODIAC SIGN: "Taurus"
DREAM GUY: Intelligent,Good looking, Responsible and God fearing.
DEFINITION OF LOVE: "Love moves in mysterious way"
ABOUT THE MOVIE: I love it! It is really fantastic.