There are not many musicals I have seen, probably: "Beauty and the Beast", "La La Land", "The King of the Circus".
Among them, due to people's different preferences for music and plot, there are differences in the praise and criticism of the film, so I will not discuss it here (I don't want to criticize it). My brief analysis is limited to the role of singing and dancing in the film.
"Beauty and the Beast": gorgeous and worthy of a fairy tale, indulging in sensual fantasy.
Belle and the beast dance together in the castle, the piano is playing, the wardrobe is singing, the once-popular dance hall has only talking furniture except the protagonist. Gorgeous costumes (I really like Belle's yellow dress), splendid ballroom, full of European classical upper class charm. Once the dance is over, Belle's "hostage" life is temporarily over, and the plot will also reach the climax of the conflict between people and beasts. In addition to the plot transition, the love between the two also further developed (Beast must think Belle is beautiful at first glance, hahaha).
In addition, the village singing and dancing, the carnival of Gaston and his party, and the dinner show time of the servants who turned into furniture (this section has always been so angry that Belle is not allowed to eat, hahaha), are all made clearer by singing and dancing Highlighting the character's characteristics (for example, the opening village song and dance is completely to show how Belle is a different girl), making the characters more distinctive.
At the same time, "Beauty and the Beast" is a romantic fairy tale. The beauty of singing and dancing is also in line with people's cognition of fairy tales. The romantic atmosphere makes every ordinary girl who once had a princess dream deeply infected and full of fantasy. After all, Belle was an ordinary girl who finally "struggled" to become a princess (conquering the prince not only with her beauty but also with her wisdom and independent character). A girl like Belle. The singing and dancing sparked fantasies at this moment, and the nympho at the same time made me have a small resonance.
"La La Land": The soul of love makes the past more valuable.
If there is no song and dance, "La La Land" is just a tragedy of a pair of lovers breaking up for their career, which is sad but not very touching. The appearance of singing and dancing gave the plot a soul, so that when I saw them as an audience, the first thing that came to my mind was the dance under the moon and the piano playing together. Memories are precious, not only kisses, hugs, dinners, and shopping, but vocal memories will be more poignant when parting.
For me, when it comes to the infection of tragedy, hearing is more likely to affect me than sight (sometimes listening to sad tunes makes me cry every minute, but simple crying scenes with lines and music can't affect me at all). Because of this, music impresses me more than pure performance, and the romance brought by dance can make this impression more three-dimensional and full.
Song and dance endow "La La Land" with deeper feelings. The sprouting, bursting, and contradiction of the two people's feelings are all better interpreted through singing and dancing. And for me, when I listen to "city of stars" again, I will definitely think of a lover that I can't love.
"The King of the Circus": There are high and low sources of shock, but moving has no value.
There are three kinds of songs and dances in "The King of the Circus": the elegance of the singer, the romance between lovers, and the "vulgarity" of the "freak".
Singer Miss Linde sang emotionally to the ladies and gentlemen in dresses in the opera house, there were bands and flowers, and there was me who was stupid in the cinema (I guess my expression is the same as Uncle Hugh, but I am not as good-looking as him. ). The elegant music brings people enjoyment, and the audio-visual feast is indeed shocking. When you understand the lyrics, you are also moved.
The newly-married Barnums sang and danced on the roof, their love for their lover filled the air, which stimulated them to laugh and run. There was love and satisfaction in their eyes, and a longing for the future. In the circus, Philip and Ann hugged each other in the air. The fetters and ups and downs were shown through the movements on the rope. They loved and gave up, and all the feelings deeply moved my single dog.
They are bearded, tattooed, tall and short, fat and thin, without status, even if they have stunts, they have no place to perform, and they live forever in darkness and shadows. However, when they stood in front of everyone and exposed their weirdness, they sang and danced and smiled in the endless discussions. People who are not treated kindly by life still treat life kindly. I am moved by this strength.
The singing and dancing of "The King of the Circus" lies in the diversification of levels, there are elegant and so-called vulgar, but they reach the same goal. No matter what kind of performance, they bring people joy and show the true value of art, that is, to bring people happiness. In the plot, different songs and dances are compared to each other to show Barnum's mental journey. The change from vulgarity to elegance to vulgarity is also a symbol of his return to his original intention after temptation and loss, and it is the embodiment of the plot stage.
Summarize:
Whether it's the romantic fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" that sings and dances, or the love "La La Land" that gives soul with song and dance, or "The King of the Circus", which returns to the moving art with song and dance, singing and dancing make the plot more expressive. Musical films not only leave stories, but also music, and endow music with meanings such as dreams and love, so that when the music is played back, in addition to the pictures of the film, we have our own stories.
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