Genre Analysis

Genre Analysis The melodious clowning film has always held a special place for me. From my time as a drama student in high school, my eyes affirm been opened to the amazing world of the musical and especially the musical film. The musical film is a film genre in which the flakes sing songs that are integrated into the overall story. Since musicals first began in star signs, musical films usually contain similar elements. These elements often simulate that there is a live auditory modality watching. In a mother wit, the film viewers become the audience members, at a theater labor, as the actor performs directly to them.Due to the popularity of musicals in the theater, the style was quickly brought over into film. In 1927, the musical film genre began with the financial backing of the first film talkie, The Jazz Singer. While popularity for this genre has fluctuated over the years, it nevertheless has succeeded in becoming a staple in films. Through fall out this paper, I le ave explore what is a film in the musical genre and why it has such a lasting effect through the examination of three considered, continent musical films of their eras. The three films that will be examined are Singin in the Rain, Grease, and tide rip.These three movies are considered some of the top musicals of their time. Singin in the Rain is a 1952 musical comedy film have Gene Kelly, Donald OConnor and Debbie Reynolds. This film is a comic portrayal of Hollywoods transition from silent films to talkies in the late 1920s. It is now frequently described by critics as wholeness of the best musicals ever, and it continually tops on the AFIs 100 Years of Musicals list. Next, Grease is a 1978 musical film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John as two students in a 1950s high school.This is a story of the trials and tribulations of the teenagers are that era. Grease was considered as one of the best films of 1978. Lastly, Rent is a 2005 musical drama film about the depicti ons of the lives of several Bohemians squatting in the East Village of New York City from 1989 to 1990 and their struggles with sexual preference, drugs, and AIDS. The film was propose for a number of awards, including a GLAAD Media Award for Best Picture Musical/Comedy. They may seem quite different on the surface however, the similarities they do have in common are mainly due to the genre they share.This is evincen by the use of music, production design, and film techniques. The use of music is a key to determine if a film is in the musical genre. Not only are songs used to further the story along in a musical, only if they to a fault have the ability to put the audience in the emotional state of the character interpret. Song has always been used as a good theatre director for emotional understanding. For example, during the song You Were Meant for Me in Singin in the Rain, Don Lockwood is able to confess his love to Kathy Selden in a way that feels magical and shows a conne ction amongst the two would be lovers.Also, the song There Are Worse Things I Could Do in Grease is able to betray the emotional depth of the character Rizzos fear, shame, and anger. At the time this film came out, topics such as teen pregnancy were non generally presented in films. By having this character sing her issue, the audiences, who may have dismissed her outright for her actions, are able to sympathize with her plight. Moreover, in Rent, the song Ill Cover You by Angel and Collins allow the viewer to purport caught up in this young couples relationship without having to worry or even consider that this is a gay couple.Therefore, it is obvious that the power of song is one of superlative attributes that the musical genre has to offer. Music has a tendency to touch a person more than mere words, which might be the reason why musicals do, too. other item that films in the musical genre share in common is production design. Production design is the creation and organizati on of the physical world contact a film by the use of lighting, staging, and set design. Musicals share many similarities in their production design. For instance, many musicals from the past and present use elaborate production numbers.A production number is a specialty routine, usually performed by the entire cast consisting of musicians, singers, and dancers of a musical with the use of grand set pieces. All the films creation discussed here have, at least, one production number in them. Singin in the Rain has Gene Kellys legendary performance in the rain. The ending of Grease features a carnival with several song and dance numbers. The beginning of Rent showcases a beautiful New York block back lot, surrounded with flaming debris. Also, since musicals had their start in the theaters, many lighting choices have theater- corresponding qualities, such as the spotlight.All three films use a spotlight to highlight their actors. Rent and Singin in the Rain, use it to emphasize the t heater and movie qualities of their film while Grease uses the spotlight to portray a beginning of a dream sequence. Many musicals, even the grittier ones, have a sense of grandeur to them that rout out be seen in the production design. One can say grandeur has always been a calling card for musicals. Once musicals make the transition to film, a number of film techniques have been used repeatedly. First of all, many musicals use the technique of creating lines of movement from background to foreground to foster an delusion of depth.Singin in the Rain presents a line of beautiful women in tremendous outfits, in the background, during the Beautiful Girl song. The balcony barb in Rent and the carnival scene in Grease provide the same sense of an illusion of depth. In addition, the use of ellipsis, an omission of time to that separates one shot from another, allows films, such as these, to show a long progression of time quickly. The stories of these films take place over a matter of months like Singin in the Rain, a school term like Grease, or a full year like Rent. Since all that time cannot be shot, ellipses are used.Another technique, which is commonly used, is the fadeout. Since several of the song and dance scenes are fundamentally vignettes, a fadeout is typically a good transition or ending. Grease uses it at the end of Beauty School Dropout, and the other films use it at the end of their films. Furthermore, the long shot, also known as the full-body shot, is used frequently in musicals to allow the audience to see the dexterity of the actors. The scenes like the ballet in Singin in the Rain, the hand jive in Grease, and the tango in Rent, must be shown with such shots to enhance their performances.Hence, while the feel of a musical can differ from one to another, the general format tends to follow a set path that one allows the viewer a measure of comfort. In conclusion, the genre of the musical has had a long standing in film for many years. From mere comedy to critiques on our society, the musical has taken many forms. For some reason, our society allows one to express their point of view through a musical to a mass audience. Such musicals as Hair, Tommy, and even Rent would not have been shown if not in musical form.The use of song and dance has always been a factor in any civilization from the rituals to entertainment. It is said that music soothes the savage beast, but music also allows the viewers of musicals to almost experience movie firsthand. One can easily get caught up in the songs of the musical. Have you ever caught yourself singing the songs after the show? That is a sign of an excellent musical. Whether it is live or on a screen, I receive so much enjoyment out of watching a musical. I hope the same can be said about you.