At The End of the Day- Full Song/Video- Page 2

[My Oh My]

Posted: 12/20/12 at 10:50pm

When I saw the clip for the first time, I thought to myself, "where's the rage?"

In the stage version, the section at the beginning that is sung by the poor, had this climactic build up that began in faceless shadow and menacing figures cloaked in layers. As the song continued, these figures would abruptly, almost threateningly lunge forward a step or two. As the last verse was sung and those "brass stabs" blare from the pit, there is a sudden change of light and they are lit from the front now. You can see their faces and they are not just miserable, they are pissed off! It reaches an intensity that sends chills as you see their rage grow and grow, until they take one final lunge and declare "it's gonna be hell to pay!"...at the end of the day.

In adapting this moment on stage for the film, I had hoped that they at least take some of those winning elements that made the stage rendition so powerful that also work on film and incorporate them with the elements needing heavier adaptation. That way, the chances that it won't be a total piece of crap will be ensured, should it turn out to be a total piece of crap in the heavier adapted bits.

But Hooper has not settled (thank God) and he has taken that aggressive stage rendition and inverted it for film.

Even the orchestrations have been adapted, beautifully, to blend with his vision.

So now, the poor don't lunge forward and assert their fury at the crumbling, corrupt state of the city and their thankless existence in yet another thankless day. They are embittered, paralyzed, and stunned by it all. Hooper has left in the haunting images of shadowy, faceless, hooded figures, only now they wander about aimlessly.

That final thrusting moment on stage is just as effectively translated to film but its intensity comes from the poor's inability to do much more than grasp at the shut iron gates that hold them back and keeps them down.

Very well done.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 12/21/12 at 1:55am

Thanks for reminding me of that Javert/Gavroche moment, mpd4165. That was actually the part of the film that made me cry most.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 12/21/12 at 12:08pm

Henrik, I was hoping that someone would get it.