Caught The Phantom of the Opera tonight,
and it was amazing.
The ending touched me so much that I started crying.


Watching it live made me realise how much I misunderstood the phantom.
I watched the movie when I was really young.
The me back then saw things only in black and white.
And the phantom to me was always this enigmatic figure associated with black, associated with evil.
Thereafter reading the book, I understood the phantom's motivations but had always believed that the phantom never truly loved Christine.
To me, back then I saw the phantom as him wanting to own Christine but it was never real love.


But today.
Seeing it live, hearing the songs I held so dearly to my heart sung with such emotions.
I understood then that the phantom really did love her.
And it was the kind of love that is so crazy that he is willing to do anything for her.
Even letting her go.
He realised that her choice was motivated by her desire to save Raoul, and that she will never be happy around him.
And he let go.


That to me,
is the ultimate form of love.
That you recognise what makes the person you love truly happy.
And you allow her to be happy.


Even if it means hurting yourself.


That scene where he clutched her veil and choked out;
"I love you."
That very moment, I could feel my heart shatter.


Truly one of the best I've seen.