| re: The Greatest Showman is in the Top 5 at the box office again | |
| Posted by: robert_j 10:25 am EST 02/11/18 | |
| In reply to: The Greatest Showman is in the Top 5 at the box office again - mikem 03:39 pm EST 02/10/18 | |
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| When I saw the movie, my wife and I were sitting next to a group of about a half-dozen teenage girls who were singing along through the whole thing. They knew every word of the score. It was annoying, as you might imagine, but it also strangely enhanced my enjoyment of the film because I could see who the film was connecting with. My teenage self might have liked it too. I think, for me, what I kept coming back to was how shallow and ahistorical the whole thing was. Shows like "Spring Awakening" and "Hamilton" are period pieces with contemporary scores, but the idea is to evoke the same authentic feelings and emotions that people in that time and in that situation would have felt. Probably the closest the movie comes to that is when Jenny Lind gives her first performance because it illustrates what her audience was hearing and what a sensation she caused. My problem with the Greatest Showman is that it presents the circus in general, and P.T. Barnum in particular, as a progressive community that provides a safe space for people and celebrates their differences. But isn't the real legacy of circuses the exploitation of people (and animals) for profit? The fact that the movie does nothing to problematize Barnum feels irresponsible, glorifying a person who does not deserve it. |
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| Previous: | The Greatest Showman is in the Top 5 at the box office again - mikem 03:39 pm EST 02/10/18 |
| Next: | re: The Greatest Showman is in the Top 5 at the box office again - WaymanWong 12:26 am EST 02/12/18 |
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