The Phantom of the Opera

Christine Day and her friend Meg uncover an obscure opera piece called Don Juan Triumphant, believed to be written by Erik Destler. They research Destler and uncover rumors of murders tied to the work. When Christine experiments with the parchment, blood seems to seep from the notes, but the scene is revealed as an illusion when Meg returns. Christine auditions with the piece, and an accident with a falling sandbag renders her unconscious and shatters a mirror.

Christine wakes in London in 1885, wearing opera clothing and learns that Meg is there in a different version. She discovers she is the understudy to La Carlotta, who is jealous and resentful of Christine's talent. During this upheaval, Erik Destler attacks the scene-shifter Joseph with a blade, narrowly avoiding another tragedy.

Alone in her dressing room, Christine hears Destler's voice, who reveals himself as her teacher and an 'angel' sent by her late father. He urges her to practice Carlotta's part of Marguerite, insisting that only she can sing the role. Christine reluctantly agrees and trains under his enigmatic guidance.

That evening, Carlotta discovers Joseph's skinned, barely alive body in her dressing closet. The shock prompts a wave of fear and speculation in the house, and Christine is unexpectedly cast in Marguerite, much to Carlotta's resentment and Barton's concern for the opera's prestige.

During the scene where Dr. Faust signs his soul to the Devil, Destler recalls a time decades ago when he unknowingly traded his own soul for love and adoration. The Devil grants the wish but disfigures Destler's face, warning that only his music will be what people love. The tragedy drives home the belief that Destler's power lies in his art rather than his appearance.

Christine delivers a stellar performance and receives a standing ovation from the audience. After the show, she celebrates with her fiancé Richard Dutton, who expresses a desire to meet this mysterious 'teacher' she attributes to her success. Christine insists the teacher is only a figment of her imagination.

Meanwhile, Destler seduces a prostitute and pays her to call herself 'Christine' for the night, attempting to blur the lines between his muse and the living world. The ruse underscores his manipulation of perception and memory.

That morning, a scathing review by the famed critic E. A. Harrison appears, a result of Barton's manipulation. Destler tracks Harrison down and brutally murders him in a Turkish spa after the critic refuses to recant his stance.

Christine prays at her father's grave, seeking guidance, and Destler appears as a shadowy violinist offering her 'immortality' if she follows him. She accepts the lure and goes away with the Phantom in his stagecoach, leaving the world she knows behind.

Deep in the sewers below London's opera house, Destler reveals himself as the composer of Don Juan Triumphant. He places his ring on Christine's finger and warns her never to see another man, as she experiences a spark of recognition for the music she began with. Christine's fear gives way to a reluctant acceptance of his claim.

Richard seeks help from Inspector Hawkins, who exposes the truth that the Phantom (Destler) has lived for decades and uses the opera house's catacombs to hide. Hawkins explains that the only way to kill the Phantom is to destroy his music, a revelation that chills Christine.

At a masquerade ball, Destler, disguised as Red Death, decapitates Carlotta to isolate Christine, then abducts her. Richard, Hawkins, and a rat catcher race through the corridors to reach her before Destler's plans unfold.

Inside the Phantom's lair, Destler tries to rape Christine, but is interrupted by the pursuers. He kills the rat catcher and two policemen and locks Christine away, forcing a brutal confrontation between desire, control, and escape.

Richard and Hawkins burst in; a brutal fight ensues, and Richard is stabbed and set aflame, dying beside Christine. Christine pushes a candle holder through a mirror, sending her back to present-day Manhattan, where she confronts Foster and the fate of Destler.

Back in present-day Manhattan, Christine discovers Foster is actually Destler in disguise. When he reveals his true identity, she pretends to accept him, then rips off his mask and stabs him, reclaiming the Don Juan Triumphant music and tossing it into a drain. She then passes a street violinist who begins to play the motif, and she continues on, resolved that Destler may be gone for good.