Maggie Pringle

Film Genre

Musicals

Musical films are one of my favorite genres in the world of cinema. They capture the heart and soul of performance. Movie-going began as a method of escape, a chance to relieve yourself of reality and just relax. Musicals have received criticism in the past for being cheesy or excessive, but I beg to differ as their unrealistic qualities are what make them enjoyable. Musical films are abstractions of reality. People go to musicals knowing that they are not real-life but rather an interpretation of life. It is known that people don’t really break into song every ten minutes or sing to themselves in the corner of a crowded room.

Musical films have evolved over the years from musical plays, acted out on stages. Similar characteristics can be seen between the two, whereas the characters in musical films tend to sing to the camera as if they were standing in front of a live audience.(1) Many times musicals begin as films and are then later made into Broadway musicals, and sometimes visa versa. In the 1920’s when silent films transitioned into “talking pictures,”[1] musicals were one of the first main genres of film in Hollywood. Musical films became quite popular during The Great Depression.(2) People were looking for any glimpse of happiness or to just be distracted from the chaos that was going on around them.

Musical films have unmistakable qualities. The narrative is executed through songs that the characters sing. Characters will sometimes break into unexpected dance numbers where complete strangers join in and happen to know the same dance moves. There is a utopian theme going on where everything is going just fine except for one or two main problems that usually won’t last long or don’t take too long to resolve. Most of the characters are attractive and just about everyone can sing. They most often result in a couple falling in love.

However, there are some exceptions. For example, one of my absolute favorite musicals is Funny Girl, starring Barbara Streisand. This musical tells the life story of Fanny Brice, a famous singer and dancer in the 1930’s. This film is a musical that is happy at times, sad at times, depressing, and uplifting, all in one. Barbara Streisand who plays Fanny Brice does a fantastic job of conveying emotion with her powerful voice. Another favorable aspect of musical films is just that. When a character sings a song to themselves, not necessarily “in public,” it gives the audience a window into the character’s head. The lyrics give the audience a chance to understand what that actor is thinking and feeling. This is something that is hard to offer with conventional acting.

Musical films today have been narrowed down to mostly children’s movies. Disney films produce musicals today with teens singing and dancing, such as Hannah Montana the High School Musical series. I am personally not a fan of contemporary musical films. I value the classics like My Fair Lady, Singin’ In the Rain, Meet me in St.Loius, The King and I, The Sound of Music and Funny Girl. Music still exists in movies today it is just more of a background music kind of thing in the form of a soundtrack. However, musicals can be found here and there. Some examples include Chicago, Enchanted, Moulin Rouge, and the most recent, Nine. There is something special about musicals, their elevated sense of optimism and fantasy enriches the viewing experience. The actors sing and act, adding a new dimension to the plot. I would love to see more musical films produced in today’s society. The presence of musical films would be a refreshing interruption in the abundance of chick flicks and horror films.

Sources:

(1)Musical Film

http://www.fact-index.com/m/mu/musical_film_1.html

(2)American Film Institute

http://www.fathom.com/course/10701053/session3.html

---