We Indians have a very interesting relationship with Hollywood musicals. In spite of having been brought up on a staple of song and dance sequences from Bollywood films until very recently, we seldom appreciate the Broadway style musicals of the West. Granted, there are a few exceptions like ‘The Sound of Music‘, but our overall attitude towards this genre is more of apathy. One possible reason could be that although seemingly similar, the Hollywood musicals are structured more like a ‘Sangeet-Natak’ (musical play) where 80% of the show is musical and music itself advances the story. On the other hand, just about 20% of a Bollywood film comprises of songs, where music acts as a mere respite or diversion from the main storyline. Also, it could simply be a case of ‘why go elsewhere if we want music in the film?’
Based in the Jazz era Chicago of the 1920’s, this musical is presented in vaudeville style that was popular back then. Renée Zellweger plays Roxy Hart – the innocent looking woman with the ‘win at any cost’ attitude. She won’t stop at anything, not even murder, if it comes between her ultimate dream of becoming a vaudeville stage celebrity. She looks up to Velma Kelly, a star in her own right, who has coincidently murdered her own sister and husband after finding them in bed together. The tale that ensues – featuring Roxy’s struggles in jail and her high-profile trial, her deception of her saintly husband Amos, and her unscrupulous nature of stepping over anyone and everyone if the time comes – is the story of ‘Chicago’. The movie plays out simultaneously in two ways – the real-life scenes are shot in a regular dramatized fashion where as the same scenes play out in Roxy’s mind in form of a vaudeville show (with song and dance sequences).
Without going too deep into a history lesson or into technical details, I would like to mention that this style of dance and songs falls under the burlesque category. Both vaudeville and burlesque forms of entertainment evolved in the late 1800s and were successful and popular art forms until the 1950s. There’s a significant overlap in these styles but broadly speaking, vaudeville was a more wholesome, family form of entertainment that catered to women and children along with men. Comedy was a big part of this and the theaters / troupes featured many famous artists like Abbott and Costello who went on to have successful careers in movie business. On the other hand, burlesque was more racier in nature and tended to cater to adult men.
These song and dance sequences in the movie are used to show the alternate version of reality that’s going on inside Roxy’s vaudeville-obsessed mind. Most of these songs are remarkable and they do an excellent job of moving the storyline and communicating its essence in a glamorous and oftentimes funny manner. Take these songs for instance -‘Cell block tango’ featuring the inmates of murderer’s row gives us their backstories, ‘We both reached for the gun’ shows Roxy’s trial in court in front of a pliable jury and reporters. Also worth mentioning is the song ‘Hungarian disappearing act’ showing the execution of an inmate, which is at once tragic and well…rousing. The jazz club styled introduction ‘performed’ at the start of songs adds to the surreal effect.
Cast and Crew:
All the lead actors deliver good performances. Renée Zellweger as Roxy Hart steals the show. She is at once vulnerable and wily. Catherine Zeta-Jones won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Velma Kelly. She shines in a couple of songs – as a bona fide star in ‘All that jazz’ and a vulnerable woman who’s pleading to Roxy as a last ditch attempt to restore her bruised ego and star power in ‘I can’t do it alone’. Richard Gere is suave in his role as Chicago’s top lawyer. His song ‘Razzle Dazzle’ show us how a good lawyer tends to use deception techniques to sway the jury. Queen Latifah has limited screen time as the corrupt matron of jail and stars in the song ‘When you’re good to mama’. John C. Reilly stars as Roxy’s naïve husband. Both of them got an Oscar nomination for their supporting roles.
Comments:
Whatever the reasons may be, the fact remains that musicals are rarely mentioned in our conversations about Hollywood films and it’s a pity that this energetic musical film flew under the radar upon its release. It was an era when ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Harry Potter’ series dominated the moviegoers’ consciousness. But just like ‘Shakespeare In Love’ did in 1997, it not only withstood the big-budget giants at the box-office, but won an Academy Award for Best Picture.
Final Thoughts:
Vaudeville musical, strong performances from all actors and crisp length make this movie enjoyable.
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