This is interesting, I was just thinking about this subject after the Hugh Jackman tragedy post.
What makes a great musicalfilm? First, embracing the music and the sung notes, and taking it all the way up to the heavens. The music and the notes are actors too and they lead the acting. This artform/way of storytelling only works when fully embraced. Only if the singing is real, it will feel raw, organic and real for the audience.
The best movie adaptation of a musical so far is Miss Saigon in my opinion. Or does that not count because the filmset was a stage? Most moments are so very well captured, acted, sung and sculptured that it is a true piece of art. Every nuance in a note or situation makes sense. True emotion and true beauty. It feels very organic and raw. The way it's filmed hightens it even more.
Now, for the movies filmed on other sets. I would say The Sound of Music is done really well. Some parts of Grease are done very well. Little shop of Horrors has some fantastic moments (somewhere that's green with the clips you see in her mind, the whole opening sequence, etc).
Because this language, the given of singing, is mainly about people's thoughts, it is very important that the approach is not too literal, because this artform per definition is not. So I like it when they dare to go into the dreamworld of people's minds. In the sound of music many songs have another purpose, like singing for the barones, singing on a wedding, or hearing music in a sequence about a personal journey. It's very important that the focus lies either on the notes, or on clever editing. That's why Les Mis is is such a mistake. Mouthing/speak-singing all the words in 1 takers, the most wrong and literal thing you can do. But if you do, make the singing very good, so it still becomes natural.
It can also be used as a voice over. This is film.
Updated On: 12/10/16 at 03:10 PM
