The canonical beginnings of musical history undoubtedly occurred with the invention of the film sound, the first (actually only partially sound) "Jazz Singer" in 1927 and the 1929 sound film that used all spoken dialogue and singing. "Broadway Melody". Because of its ability to maximize the advantages of film sound technology, musicals became the most popular genre in the early days of sound.
In 1929, the Wall Street stock market crashed, and the United States fell into an economic panic. The natural disaster also made the food supply tight. At that time, the US government had not yet established social welfare and unemployment relief, and there were homeless people and beggars in both urban and rural areas. "The American film industry from 1930 to 1933 was also hit hard in this social and economic environment. Movie theaters lost a third of their audience, and attendance continued to decline, which is exactly what Hollywood has done in terms of genre and technology. A period of continuous new development. For example, the appearance of sound films, the adaptation of stage plays into musicals and neuro-comedy, etc. In order to cope with the economic downturn, on the one hand, movie theaters reduce manpower and expenses in order to "save the nation and survive". , around 1933, it attracted audiences with "two films in one night", that is, one ticket to watch two different movies on the same scene. From the perspective of the development of the film industry, the air-conditioning system also had an important impact on the film industry. Because of the air-conditioning at that time The system has not yet been popularized, and it is still a luxury, which has a considerable attraction to the audience. Air conditioning also makes watching movies an all-weather activity. In addition, in order to match the movie viewing mood of popular musicals at that time, the cinema began to sell candy, Snacks such as soft drinks and popcorn not only helped increase the occupancy rate, but also saved American agriculture. In 1934, the United States produced 5 million pounds of corn, and in 1940, it increased to hundreds of millions of pounds. It is pleasing to watch in air conditioners and sweets. Movies, people felt that watching movies was a pleasure, and the attendance rate gradually rose. The film industry was also relieved. External factors such as air-conditioning equipment, "two films a night" and the sale of candy were the key to maintaining the operation of the film industry at that time.
Although the film market has improved, the overall U.S. economy has not been fully improved, "so musicals are ridiculed as an "escapism." There are arguments, but it should not deny the artistic contribution of musicals." "Forty-second Street" became famous overnight", "Gold Rush Girl", the fairy tale of "crows turning into phoenixes", as well as the fairy tales fluttering in the air and the star circle of drunken gold fans, it is true that people refuse to wake up from their dreams. Hollywood musicals were born in this way Under the unique environment, it adapts to the strong demand of ordinary audiences to escape from the reality of suffering, thus forming a series of unique film characteristics of its own. After that, in 1945, after arduous battles on the front lines and hard work in the local area, the anti-fascist people of the United States and the world finally The long-awaited victory was won, and the optimism and positive spirit of American musicals naturally became the favorite of people who were indulging in the laughter of victory. At this time, the soldiers became the real "cutest people". "Spring in the City" shows the story of three sailors on vacation to New York City and is welcomed.
All musicals involve a utopian promise, from the basic tension between the reality of everyday life and the imagination reflected on the screen. To the film The more complex narrative tension between the "real" conflict and the "idealized" solution, the films have designed a utopian social scene with beautiful potential, and any type of film has a certain formal value. If Western films It is a visual map composed of rough, natural and even wild, and unique western landscapes. The musical film appeals to the audience's vision in a strong, dynamic and gorgeous form. The beautiful music satisfies the audience's auditory enjoyment. The pursuit of formal beauty should be said to be the most thorough compared with other types of films.
Musical films first use this extraordinary beauty to attract the audience's attention and eliminate differences caused by social, cultural and other factors. The information of beauty can directly reach the hearts of the audience. The beautiful music rhythm, graceful dance, and gorgeous scenes make it easier for audiences of different nationalities, races and religions to have a common sense of beauty. It is also easier to understand and accept, so that the audience has a sense of pleasure that shocks the nerves. In terms of style, this genre has the most romantic and graceful characteristics. It is basically composed of warm plots, moving dance postures, wonderful music and gorgeous scenes. Among them, the singing and dancing paragraphs are very prominent in solo dance, duet dance and group dance. Joyful and pleasant aesthetic feeling. The essence of musicals is to satisfy human desires in the purest form of beauty. While all genre films imply an entertainment ethic, musicals are the most entertaining of the genre film family. Musical films are mostly comedies, which shake off the joys and sorrows of the world in a relaxed way. It is conducive to dredging the emotions and factors that hinder the development of society, and through the elimination and catharsis, it enables people to live and work happily, thereby producing high-quality labor. We can further understand its spiritual connotation by understanding the production background and basic mode of musicals.
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