Which is Better? RENT the movie or the musical?

[M&M]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 10:06am

Just saw RENT the movie and wow...it was good...but I think anyone would have a hard time topping the original cast...

My vote: The Musical! (with the original cast...or the current one for that matter)


$40 OFF - Tickets to RENT on Bway

[Steeler Jim]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 10:14am

I won't see the movie until tomorrow night, but I can say without reservation that there's no way it will affect me in the way the stage show did. I'm sure I'll enjoy the film immensely, but the raw power of the live show just can't be duplicated.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 10:35am

erm, most of those people *are* the original cast.

They're too different; I can't decide. I've never been particularly decisive.

[LariTheLoud]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 10:55am

I don't know. The movie is pretty damn beautiful.

... I honestly can't decide. They both have their pros and cons. To tell you the truth, though, I felt a hell of a lot more for the characters in the movie than I ever did at the stage show. That could be the fault of the actors I saw, however...

[wickedfreak]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 11:36am

I was listening to both soundtracks the onther day and just based on that(I have not seen the stage show) I would say the movie. The OBC recording sounded really bad in my opinion. :)

Please no one shoot me! :)

lol

John

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 11:37am

A lot of people think the OBC recording should've sounded better.

But it is silly to create this opinion if you haven't seen both.

Updated On: 11/22/05 at 11:37 AM

[wickedfreak]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 11:39am

I was just basing it on the sound. I am sure the stage play is very moving.

[IveGottaBeME]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 12:00pm

there's nothing better than live theater. However, I really, really loved seeing the emotions and specefic environments, drug use, hospital/funeral scenes, etc. Everything is so vivid.

[alli2]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 12:23pm

everything makes so much more sense in the movie. you know why roger is singing in 'will i?', etc etc. right now, i'm persuaded to say the movie... but i just don't know.

and in my opinion, no offense, anyone who says either is better without having seen BOTH really shouldn't make a statement until having seen both.

[LariTheLoud]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 1:47pm

I think the fact that people are 'on the fence' with this debate shows how much this movie has succeeded in capturing the show's spirit.

[liotte]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 1:50pm

With the current cast in the show, I'd vote that the movie is better. When the OBC was in it, I liked that better. There are definitely aspects of each that I prefer. I really liked how Roger joined the Life Support group in the movie, for example, rather than just sitting on the table and leaving at the end in the show. Without You is also better in the movie than in the show.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 1:58pm

I truly don't believe they can be compared.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 4:40pm

I'll let you know on Friday.

[Marlene]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 5:27pm

You're comparing apples and oranges here. They are each their own animals. But I'm so in love with the movie, and when I think about the cast I recently saw on Broadway...I almost want to scream "MOVIE". But there are just things you can do on stage that you can't do on screen, and vice versa.

[iamemma]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 7:12pm

the play is much more moving, and kind of touching where as the movie is AMAZING but not quite the same... you dont feel as ... involved? im not quite sure...

[blaxx]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 7:16pm

The movie works way better than the current production
of the musical, in my opinion.

Not to say that I think that either are good.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 7:17pm

I haven't seen the film yet, but it's really comparing apples to oranges.

[caitiesus1522]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 7:34pm

"You're comparing apples and oranges here. "

You really are. Both are amazing in their own ways. I really want to say the movie because I felt a huge connection to the characters (since it was mostly the original cast and we have been hearing/seeing so much of them, and been able to learn more about them) but I am not going to because I never saw it on stage with the original broadway cast.

[Billboard Girl]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 7:39pm

[Disclaimer: I have only seen the musical once so far and I won't be seeing the movie until Friday.]

The media of stage and film are so different that it's very difficult to make this sort of judgment. On the stage, there are limits to what can be done visually, so in many cases the music must meet with the audience's imagination in order to fully tell the story. With a movie, on the other hand, much more can be done visually to tell the story, but because more can be done, the audience usually expects more to be done. The imagination is not used as much, and suspension of disbelief is often more difficult as a result.

With that being said, there are definitely valid reasons for preferring the musical to the film, or vice versa. The inclusion or lack thereof in the film of your favorite or least favorite song from the musical, the fleshing out of a plot point in the film that was left more to the imagination on the stage (perhaps the way you envisioned it, or perhaps in a direction you disagree with), etc. I would imagine that most of the people posting in this thread are already fans of the musical, so I would expect that the majority will wind up preferring it to the movie, even if many wind up liking the movie very much.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:06pm

ARRGH!

Updated On: 11/22/05 at 09:06 PM

[Elphaba]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 9:06pm

ACK, I will never understand all these X is better than Y posts, or which this is better than that.
Christ, JUST ENJOY THEM BOTH!

CHRISTINA.......BRING ME THE AXE!

[MUNKY]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 12:29am

"You're comparing apples and oranges here."

Yup. Agreed on the fact that film and stage media are presented differently. But I am still curious about everyone's thoughts. They are both different in rays of the spectrum. I hate to say it but apples and oranges could be compared. It's very possible to love both the broadway and film production.

Let's say for once, we are comparing 'Golden Delicious Apples' to 'Fiji Apples.' To simplify the question, if you had to pick the better Rent version of your preference (and just one), to take the family or friends to enjoy, which one would it be?

Now I'm asking myself this question and finding it hard to decide. Which is better? Rent the musical in the entirety? Or were you asking about the delivery of the material and how it was presented on stage compared to the film?

I've seen/heard most of them from all different variety of actors and performances. Even though the OBC recording had the raw and passionate energy within, it sounds antiquated compared to the fresh pop-rock recording of the movie soundtrack. On stage, there were scenes that were part of the in-depth character development. Some of these scenes were excluded from the film. Such as We're okay, Halloween, the last part of Goodbye Love. For those who haven't attended any of the stage performances but seen the movie, they would find something like 'easter eggs surprises' such as the Tune-ups, Voice Mails, New Years A&B, X-mas Bells and Contact.
And we all know what film medium can do. I won't go down that road. But I'll briefly mention them: The flashbacks - Glory. The live scenes - What You Own. And as always the special effects - from the snow falling, I Should Tell You to the firery opening of burning script falling - Rent.

I like both the stage and film version. I get the similar heart-felt messages from both shows to the point that I don't see any difference between the stage and film version (with or without the deleted scenes). To me, RENT is RENT. Whether it's presented in a version of a book, puppetry, animation or just dialogue, it will always be the brilliant creation of Johnathan Larson. As long as the plot remains similar and not dramatically altered out of its original nature. I will always love the stage production and the complexity of it, however my better choice would be the film version. It's simple and I get a more realistic feel of the show.

Updated On: 11/23/05 at 12:29 AM

[Elphaba]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 6:01pm

I just say the movie. All I can say is I was blown away, and I loved it. Is it better? Um, it's different. I think both need to be seen, live production first.

[brandonm]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 6:13pm

I really didnt understand the stage version the first time I saw it(I saw the tour) then this past summer I saw it on Broadway and I liked it a whole lot better on Broadway, and I understood it better. The movie was much easier to follow though, in my opinion. I love both of them. I really dont know which one I like better

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 6:16pm

I now have seen the film and I STILL say apples to oranges.

Very different styles, very different mediums. I don't think they can really be compared.