The Greatest Showman
The greatest showman is a musical, romance and drama movie directed by zest and penance by Michael Gracey. The film is an unabashed piece of entertainment characterized by unforgettable songs like “La La Land,” composed by award-winning artists. The film is suitable for family viewing and explores a number of social problems like racism and discrimination based on physical differences that were rampant in the 19th and 20th century. The director utilizes several talented characters to address the issues by conveying complimentary messages as a story that celebrates diversity and the importance of embracing all people. While some may have a rosy-picture view of the film’s exploitative situation the fact is in the 19th century the circus was a place where the dejected and burnished by society used their skills and found a home. The 106 minutes long movie is based on themes of accepting individuality, the realization of dreams, family, betrayal and overcoming one’s fears and shortcomings.
The movie begins with the protagonist Barnum who had dreams of becoming a ringmaster humming the lyrics “Just surrender cuz you feel the feeling taking over!” Barnum, the son of a tailor, meets Charity a girl from a well-off family, and they become friends, but before long she s send back to school, so they continue communicating through letters. The scene is punctuated with a song which by the time is over Barnum and Charity are both adults. The two develop romantic feelings for each other as they dream of creating their destiny. The couple later gets married and is blessed with two daughters. Although charity is content with their status quo, Barnum has an unquenched desire for more so he approaches fraudulently and gets a loan. He uses the money to establish a theatre in the heart of New York, which he struggles to maintain as there are few customers.
From his daughters’ suggestion to give a show that is more alive he vouches to hire people with physical abnormalities-a giant, the bearded lady, a dwarf and a set of Siamese twins. The bearded lady brings an intriguing emotional point that adds to the film’s effectiveness with her transformation from cowering shame to a fearless goddess. Though the auditions were quite tricky Barnum is more delighted in the parade of humanity before him. The show gained critics and supporters in equal measures. Barnum hires Philip as his business partner with an agreement of giving 10% of the business’ proceeds. Philip is attracted to Anne, a trapeze artist and an acrobat; he later manoeuvres and gets the entire crew to meet Queen Victoria. Philip’s and Anne’s relationship is pained and sweet with Philip’s parents against it as they disapprove of Anne because she is African-American. It is during this visit that Barnum meets Jenny Lind, a great singer whose performance throws him off balance falling in love with her. He convinces her to perform in America with him as her manager. Barnum abandons his crew and family as Barnum goes on a tour with Lind who develops feelings for him. He turns her down and heads back home to find his circus on fire, Philip having sustained severe injuries and his family ready to leave. His crew forgives him and motivates him to reconcile with his family and after a while, handed over the show to Philip. He realizes that is the quest for popularity and fame was useless as it was driven by his desire to prove to his father in law and society that he is capable and worth more.
For me, the movie is excellent with the singing, dancing and the transformation of the voiceless into icons. The freaks work their way into the society by proving themselves worth with their performances in the circus to disapprove of the community’s perception of their abnormalities. The movie is unique because it features disadvantaged people who use their traits and talents to make something out of life. It was not any different for Barnum as he was born in poverty and used his creativity to come up with a unique show that made him money. Barnum is used to bringing forth the theme of realization of dreams as he was considered unworthy by Charity’s father as he struggled to earn through odd jobs. His struggles and accomplishments are meant to teach the viewers that we are not defined by where we are born. The façade is exposed in the film by the song “A million dreams” in which he and his wife share all they ever dreamt of. Barnum’s persuasion, creativity and business acumen are also evidenced in his negotiations with Philip where he chooses to refer to him as an overcompensated apprentice instead of a partner.
“Hide away”, they say “‘Cause we don’t want your broken parts” (…) “Run away”, they say “No one will love you as you are”. These lyrics from one of the songs in the film are evidence of the harsh things people say and the expectations they have on those that are differently-abled. The message of the song is love and value oneself without any apology. The dwarf who takes the stage name “General Tom Thumb” was hidden by his mother, who was ashamed of him. He had dreams of being a soldier despite his height disadvantage. The irony of his dream is what makes him unique. He, however, gets to live his dream as he dresses as a soldier, particularly Napoleon Bonaparte a role that boosts his confidence. The bearded lady has a beautiful voice which she only gets to use in hiding as she is afraid of the people around her. Her role redefines her from a bearded lady to a singing diva which boosts her confidence and self-worth. The crew unites to show the world that they are worthy of love as they celebrate individuality.
Even though the film has a number of flaws, the central theme is worth watching as it is relatable to many people. The themes of racism are still relevant today as they were back in the 19th century. Stigmatization and discrimination against people who have physical abnormalities have significantly changed as society has been enlightened. The brilliant cast which features characters like Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron brings forth a magical dimension to the already astounding musical that is worth watching. The combination of music and dancing with the amazing characters makes the film inspiring and entertaining to the audience. The movie taught me that uniqueness is something that we should be proud of embrace. However, I think that the fil should have explored more on the backstories of the “freaks”. The character deserved more time onscreen narrating their stories; however, the claims that the film lacks emotional appeal and gist, is an exaggeration. However, as a disclaimer, the movie is an excellent source of entertainment, but it is not suitable for history.