| “ | They've poisoned your mind against me. That's why you're afraid. Look at your lake, Christine. You'll love it here when you get used to the dark. And you'll love the dark, too. It's friendly and peaceful. It brings rest and relief from pain. It's right under the Opera. The music comes down and the darkness distills it, cleanses it of the suffering that made it. Then it's all beauty. And life here is like a resurrection. | „ |
| ~ Erique Claudin pleading his love for Christine. |
Erique Claudin is the main antagonist of the 1943 film The Phantom of the Opera, loosely based on Erik in Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera.
He was portrayed by the late Claude Rains, who also played Griffin in The Invisible Man, Herod in The Greatest Story Ever Told, Jacob Marley in Scrooge, and Prince John in The Adventures of Robin Hood.
Biography[]
Erique Claudin has been a violinist for the Paris Opera House for 20 years. He is in unrequited love with opera singer Christine DuBois, and has for years been secretly paying for her music lessons. One day, the owner of the Paris Opera House calls for a meeting with Claudin and accuses him of deliberately writing discordant music for the violin ensemble. Claudin pleads innocence, explaining that he has been suffering from rheumatism, but the owner fires him regardless.
Needing money, Claudin goes to Signor Ferretti, Christine's music teacher, and begs him to continue to instruct Christine despite not getting paid, until Claudin gets a new secure position. Ferretti refuses. Claudin tells him he has written a concerto, and asks him once again to consider teaching Christine for free. Ferretti once again refuses.
Later on, Claudin sneaks into Ferretti's office, intent on getting his script back, but Ferretti claims he does not have it. At that moment, Claudin hears his music being played on piano, and becomes convinced that Pleyel stole it; he is unaware that it is being played by a visiting Franz Liszt, who wants to publish it. Claudin chokes Pleyel to death in a fit of rage, so frightening Pleyel's secretary that she throws etching acid in his face, horrifically disfiguring him.
Claudin, in agony and pursued by the police, goes into the sewers and makes his way to the Opera House. He wears a prop mask to hide his disfigured face. He steals food when he has the opportunity. He also steals the master key, which opens all 2500 doors in the Paris Opera House. With his love for Christine now the only thing he has to live for, he forms a plan to get rid of everyone who stands in the way of her career, as well as anyone who stands in the way of his taking her as his bride.
His first victim is Biancarolli. Aware of, that Christine is Biancarolli's stand-in, he drugs Biancarolli on a show so Christine will do her parts in what remains of the shows. Later, Biancarolli is furious with what has happened. She believes that Anatole did it for Christine. The opera house crew convinces her to forget about it as it could hurt the Paris Opera House, as well as herself. Biancarolli agrees under certain conditions. She demands that if she is to forget that she was drugged tonight, everyone should forget that Christine's success this night. They reluctantly accepts her decision with dismay from Christine, but Anatole seems even more mad about it than Christine. Erique who has found out about this is really annoyed with Biancarolli now. Later, he shows up in her dressing room and kills her.
Anatole spots the Phantom running away and decides to run after him which leaves him in a dangerous situation which has him losing his track on him. Next concert Raoul decides to have another person take Christine's role. However, Christine does show up because he she couldn't stay away. Erique decides to release another torrent of terror on the people and brings down the large chandelier on the Claudine and cause panic and chaos to spread.
As the audience and the crew flee, Erique lures Christine that he is from the police and is delegating Raoul and takes her down to his lair, pursued by Anatole, Raoul and the other police officers. Christine realizes he's not from the police and wants to get away. Erique says that they will have it wonderful down here. Christine will sing for him, and he will play. He also says that the people of the Opera House has corrupted her against him, that's why she's afraid. Liszt plays Claudin's concerto and Erique who hears it plays along. The first song is "Lullaby of the Bells" and Christine who heard it in Provence and made her rendition of it can't understand how this Phantom could play it and claim it to be his. He urges her to sing, and she does. But after a while when she stands beside him, she tore off his mask.
She backs away in terror of the sight of Erique's deformed face. Raoul and Anatole walks in too and Raoul accidentally fires a shot. While Christine, Raoul and Anatole make their way out, Erique is buried under a pile of rocks. In the end, however, the mask and the violin are placed in front of the rocks and some of the rocks were moving. Some believe that this could indicate that Erique put the music behind him and was going for a new beginning.
Trivia[]
- In the original draft of the script, Claudin was portrayed as Christine's father, but that idea was dropped.
- A sequel titled "The Climax" was briefly planned, in which Claudin survived the cave-in. The proposed film was ultimately scrapped, however.