JOEL SCHUMACHER - THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA - Interview

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His voice calls to her, nurturing her extraordinary talents from the shadows of the opera house where innocent chorus girl Christine Daae (Emmy Rossum) makes her home. Only ballet mistress Madame Giry (Miranda Richardson) knows that Christine's mysterious "Angel of Music" is actually the Phantom (Gerard Butler), a disfigured musical genius who haunts the catacombs of the theatre, terrifying the ensemble of artists who live and work there. When temperamental diva La Carlotta (Minnie Driver) walks out in the middle of a dress rehearsal for the company's latest production, the theatre's eager new managers (Simon Callow, Ciarán Hinds) have no choice but to thrust Christine into the spotlight.

Her mesmerizing opening night performance captivates both the audience and the Phantom, who devotes himself to casting his protégé as the opera's next star. But he is not the only powerful man to be awed by the young soprano, as Christine soon finds herself courted by the theatre's wealthy patron, the Vicompte Raoul de Chagny (Patrick Wilson).

Though she is enthralled by her charismatic mentor, Christine is undeniably drawn to the dashing Raoul, enraging the Phantom and setting the stage for a dramatic crescendo in which soaring passions, fierce jealousies and obsessive love threaten to drive the fated lovers past the point of no return.