Great! So what exactly will I be discussing in these reviews?
Plot
Character and their development
Viewer Engagement
My favourite moment
My least favourite moment
Anything else!
So... which film is going to be the subject of my third Film Review on my blog?
The Greatest Showman (2017)
These reviews will contain SPOILERS!
Plot:
The plot of The Greatest Showman is like the basic rags to riches story. P.J Barnum has a dream of having living a life and giving his children one that he didn't have when growing up. In order to do this, he actively commits fraud by providing the bank with false deeds for cargo that he didn't own, upon ships that had sunk in the South China Seas. These deeds were collatoral so he could inact his money making dream. He opened a museum to showacase the unusal and originally, it is filled with waxworks. His children insist that it would be better to include living exhibits in the museum. This leads to Barnum creating what the modern audience would refer to as a "freakshow" containing archetypal figures such as conjoined twins, a bearded lady, a person with dwarfism etc. And from there, showcasing these unique people, he begins to make money.
But the growing acclaim and the rising fame is not enough for Barnum, and he then begins to pursue new talents to give him greater prospects and a better-rounded review from critics and high society in order for his wife's family to approve of him. In doing so, he ends up in a scandal with Jenny Lind, an opera singer that he took along with him to America to perform. Her emotive performance lead to Barnum making her a priority and later lead to a scandal between himself and Jenny.
I found this story and its arc, looking at Barnum and the Circus as an entity and then as individuals was very interesting! I really enjoyed the story of this film!
Character:
I feel like, with most films, the conflict of the central character is the most prevalent and the actions of the characters around them can often be overlooked and swept under the rug. I found myself rooting for Barnum at different points throughout the story, wanting him to achieve his dream and wanting him to redeem himself after making mistakes and forgetting the reason he even began to create this circus in the first place.
Barnum's character is ambitious and this is one of his most endearing characteristics, however it is also his greatest flaw. This makes him a very relatable and compelling character!
Viewer Engagement:
I was greatly engaged in the story of The Greatest Showman, the film was greatly enhanced by the muscal numbers interwoven within the story. I feel that not having the music would have limited the potential of this film and reckon it would not have sold as well. Most of the more memorable moments in the film revolved around the musical numbers. They were ever so captivating to watch and will stick in your head for days!
My Favourite Moment:
I am sure, many of you would think that my favourite moment within the film would be that of the Rewrite The Stars sequence, and as high of a contender as that was, considering how strenuous that performance was bound to be for Zac Efron and Zendaya, my favourite moment was not that at all. My favourite aspect of this film would have to be the moment in which Barnum approaches Philip Carlyle and proposes that he joins him in running the circus. The Other Side, and the sequence that went along with it was greatly choreographed and executed. When I discussed favourite moments with my friends, this particular moment appeared to be somewhat overlooked. I, therefore, feel more inclined to declare my adoration of it, as not as many people seem to be doing so. So yes, The Other Side, the song and sequence, was my favourite part!
Least Favourite Moment:
Despite the fact that Barnum's fraud and his wife, Charity's family's dislike of him was made clear from very early on within the story, the reprocussions appear to be waved off rather quickly. Barnum goes to Charity's parents home and reconcilles the relationship within approximately ten minutes if that. It seemed to be underplayed in the overall scheme of things and I feel that it had the potential to have been fleshed out even more.
Anything Else?
I loved all of the music in this film. This soundtrack will be one I actively revisit. Never Enough had me tearing up in my seat at the cinema! It is such a powerful song!
Thank you for reading my review and I hope you give this film a watch!
And remember:
Per Ardua Ad Asta
- Imogen. L. Smiley
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