After a week of seemingly never ending deadlines and exams, a night at the cinema seemed like a great way to chill before the madness of post exam celebrations began. I decided to see the massively talked about “Greatest Showman”. I had read mixed reviews about the new Hollywood musical, with some praising it as being one of the best films EVER, and others criticising and slating it heavily. I decided to try and put any expectations to one side and watch the film with an open mind.
I must say that I came out of the cinema as conflicted as the reviews. On the one hand, as a musical I loved it (to be honest, the combination of catchy songs, a sappy love story and Zac Efron, was never going to be a loser for me). But on the other hand, the film wasn’t without its issues, and the historical reality of P.T. Barnum and his acts posed some moral problems for me.
The film is about the creation of the circus and the wild imagination of P.T. Barnum. It’s a rags to riches tale laced with romance, plot twists and, of course, rousing musical numbers. It presents itself as a ‘celebration of humanity’, as the fictional and initially scathing theatre critic states. The film takes artistic license and introduces purely fictional characters, such as Philip Carlisle, played by Zac Efron, and Anne Wheeler, played by Zendaya, to emphasise this message of inclusion and equality.
However, the film glosses over and glamourizes the reality of the show, and the abusive and exploitative treatment of the acts of his circus such as the bearded lady. I must say that these thoughts plagued the back of my mind throughout the film. The end of the film also shows Hugh Jackman riding to his family on an adorned elephant, reminding me of the reality of animal abuse prevalent in the circus, and this somewhat marred the ‘happy ending’ slightly for me.
The plot seems to skip very quickly through the years and you get the feeling that this might be done to avoid lingering on the specifics and the downsides of Barnum’s journey, instead presenting the audience with a squeaky clean, glittery and feel-good musical extravaganza.
Putting my issues to one side, as a musical I must admit that I loved it. From Hugh Jackman’s captivating and spine tingling opening number to Zac Efron and Zendaya’s gorgeous love ballad, the film was beautifully produced. I must add that at times the transitions seemed a little jarring and the characters seemed to literally burst into song, but overall the theatrical Hollywood side of the film was flawless.
What I was incredibly impressed with was Zendaya’s performance and the fact that she learned to trapeze for the film. The movie also introduced us to some new up and coming stars such as Hawaiian actress Keala Settle and young starlets such as Austyn Johnson, Cameron Seely, Ellis Rubin and Skylar Dunn.
Overall, if you’re after a historically correct biography or a sound tale of acceptance and empowerment, this film might not be for you. But, if like me, you’re a sucker for some choreographed dancing and all the magic and wonder of a Hollywood musical, I would 100% recommend that you check it out (although don’t blame me if you can’t get the songs out of your head for days after).
Edited by Angelica Beier
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