First published on WeChat public account "HardTime"
————Non-movie reviews are after watching! ! ! —————
—————SPOILER ALERT————
The title " This is the Greatest Music " is adapted from a lyric of "The Greatest Show", the soundtrack of the movie "The King of the Circus". The original lyrics are "This is the greatest show". Why change it this way? Because I think the soundtrack is the best part of this movie, and it definitely deserves "The Greatest."
The soundtrack is a very critical part of the film and television works. A good soundtrack can greatly increase the tension of the plot, create the various atmospheres required by the plot, and invisibly deepen the audience's impression. I like to listen to the original soundtrack of the movie while writing the aftermath, so that I can accurately grasp the feeling the movie brings to me, and keep it as long as possible when writing. For musicals, the soundtrack is the highlight of the film. Now I can say with certainty that the soundtrack of "The King of the Circus" will be one of my favorite soundtracks this year, and I will not only listen to it when I'm writing my afterthought, but also play it on a loop.
However, in addition to the soundtrack, other parts of the movie are also remarkable, so I will write this review from three perspectives: plot, CP, and soundtrack .
Ⅰ. Drama
The plot of "The King of the Circus" is actually very simple, and even has some routines. When the male protagonist Barnum met his wife Charity and got married at the beginning of the movie, it means that there must be a test for them in the future; when Barnum's circus career is booming, but the movie progress bar It's less than half, which means that the circus has to go bankrupt or something (I guessed it was a fire at the beginning, and it was so, so wonderful); when Barnum was making money everywhere and getting his hands cramps and getting carried away, it means that later He will also have big problems with money... In short, the plot is all within the scope of speculation. However, although they are routine, they are also reasonable, and they also highlight two points that the creators want to emphasize through the film: courage and original intention .
The film is based on the true story of "the originator of the circus", the legendary PT Barnum . If you want to squeeze a person's life into a two-hour movie, you have to make trade-offs. I think one of the most important factors in Barnum's life was his courage . He dared to "dream", dare to try, dare to let go. Everything he envisaged was unprecedented, but he dared to be the "first person" to overcome unpredictable challenges. Even if he turned into arrogance because he didn't grasp the degree of courage, and caused a series of irreparable consequences, we still can't deny that it was courage that allowed him to start the most important career in life. I envy a guy like him, he takes chances better than I do.
Original intention , this word is simple to say, but it is too difficult to keep it. I dare not say that I have kept my original intention, because I know best how many times I have been shaken. The movie also doesn't portray Barnum as someone who can only focus on goals and can focus on other things. He has also forgotten his original intention, deviated from the track, and made mistakes. Because people are too easily shaken before the temptations of the world. Barnum puts it bluntly in the film:
This is his original intention. It is very tacky and has nothing to do with "greatness". He wants to earn money, give his wife and children a better life, and at the same time earn face for himself, so that his in-laws will no longer look down on him. He needs money, the more the better, and only a lot of wealth can support his huge dreams (or ambitions). Frankly, I envy Barnum a little, but I don't like him. In order to achieve his goals, he used all kinds of clever tricks and practiced many kinds of deception, which was too presumptuous. His heart is higher than the sky, and he does things unscrupulously. The movie has changed a lot, and Barnum in real history is not as good as in the movie. But it was this Barnum who unscrupulously promoted himself and made his biggest acting dream, wasn't he?
In the second half of the film, a fire pulls Barnum from his illusory ambitions back to reality, making him realize that he has been fascinated by the world of flowers and it is time to return to the family. I still have doubts about this plot. Barnum obviously had an affair with the singer Linde, and he went on dozens of tours with her, and then went home suddenly... Maybe it has something to do with the movie time limit, anyway, I I think the plot twist here is a bit abrupt. However, it can be seen from this plot that even the "Barnum" corner after artistic processing is not a perfect person, but an ordinary person, an ordinary person who is easily attracted by temptation.
Compared with Barnum's swing, another character who bravely pursues love is much more attractive. He is the second male lead of "The King of the Circus" - Philip Carlisle .
Ⅱ.CP
Write this part, completely out of my selfishness towards the deputy CP. I have absolutely no resistance to the "love at first sight + true fragrance" plot between the nobleman Carlisle and the acrobat Wheeler .
The encounter between Carlisle and Wheeler is my deepest impression and my favorite scene in the movie, bar none.
Every time I watch this clip, I have to applaud. Maybe just watching the clips will feel ordinary, but if you really go to the movies, immersed in the plot, plus all the soundtracks are still at that moment... This scene is really amazing!
Ⅲ.Soundtrack
If the plot of the film is only 60 points, then its soundtrack has more than 90 points. The whole movie is an auditory feast, every new song is a surprise, and nowhere does the music appear suddenly. I can't choose a favorite from the movie soundtrack, but when I watched the movie for the first time, the most impressive and heart-warming song was the vice CP's love song - "Rewrite The Stars" .
I have absolutely no idea what language to use to compliment this song. All I can say is that every time I hear this song, I can't help but sing along, and at the end, I will definitely sigh and shake my head. The plot goes something like this: Carlisle and Wheeler's relationship is at its most tangled while the song is being sung. The two clearly knew each other, but they were restricted by their disparate social status. Carlisle's parents even considered him a family disgrace because he was with Wheeler, believing that Carlisle had completely forgotten his status and identity. Wheeler is therefore very inferior, and at the same time also believes that this relationship will not be fruitful after all, so he wants to push Carlisle far away. Therefore, although the rhythm of this song is very cheerful, the content is telling a sad story.
The author uses "Rewrite thestars" to describe their relationship, which is a wonderful metaphor. Their love is as beautiful as stardust, but due to various obstacles, the two are separated by thousands of miles and cannot touch each other. No one can reshape the trajectories of the stars, nor are they destined to cross the class gap. But they are trying to get close to each other, praying that they can break through the barriers and hold each other in their arms. Carlisle and Wheeler exchanged heartfelt feelings in adversity and helplessness, and I said at the time, "What kind of fairy love is this?"
Although the characters of the noble son and the poor girl are very old-fashioned, "The King of the Circus" perfectly expresses the most essential emotional entanglement in the routine through the art of performance and music, so even the most vulgar plot is not enough. can impress me.
Having said all that, I don't think I've expressed a tenth of the strong emotions I had watching the movie. The feeling that each form of artistic expression brings to people is irreplaceable to other forms, and the impact of songs and pictures is beyond what my shallow words can describe. In fact, after writing so many articles, it is difficult for me to say which one completely expresses my true feelings in my heart. Therefore, I still recommend everyone to taste the original film of Yipin for a double enjoyment of sight and hearing.
(Note: the pictures are all from the Internet, invaded and deleted)
View more about The Greatest Showman reviews
