The Opening... Wait For ItThe song 'The Greatest Show' was the main thing that stuck in my head from the trailer, and I expected it to be the big climactic number at the end- which it was. It was also the opening number, however, which confused me. Although it was a very effective opening, with the pauses and stomping and very cool title cards used effectively, going into the ending number at the beginning was an odd move because it removed the aspect of anticipation from it. Even the first line ruined it: "Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for." Waited? We haven't waited at all yet, this is the very beginning of the film! That moment would have been much more effective saved for the ending, once we have, in fact, waited. Starting off so big made the more low-key but still great 'A Million Dreams' which came after it feel sort of anticlimactic, and made me wonder exactly what I was waiting for when the big number had been given to us already. In general I dislike when films give away the ending at the start: it ruins any anticipation the audience might have, and makes everything that comes after seem inevitable rather than an actual driven narrative. I'd maybe have the film go straight into Barnum's childhood and condense this section, rather than forcing a big opening. 'A Million Dreams' is a strong song when given room to breathe, and could serve as an opening number with accompanying visuals that condense Barnum and Charity growing up and falling in love in a snappier way. Build-Up To SongsThere were not one, not two, not three, but four moments in this film where a song genuinely surprised me because I'd forgotten I was watching a musical. I love musicals; it's not as if the concept is new to me. So why was this? Perhaps the gaps between the songs were too long. Perhaps there was simply not enough warning or build up before a song began; they just seemed to have been plonked into the screenplay with no effort at integration. I'd make sure that the songs were eased into more with a subtle change in the instrumentals, or a line that sits on the boundary between speaking and singing. "Opera" SingerSpeaking of the music, a lot of complaints have been made about the style of music not fitting the setting. I'm actually fine with it- it's not as if the idea of using contemporary music to tell a period story is majorly new and ridiculous (Hamilton, anyone?)- and they're good songs. The one moment where I'd say this comes into play is with Jenny Lind's song 'Never Enough'. Jenny is described several times before it as the best opera singer in the world- she's a truly amazing opera singer- all the characters are going to love her opera singing. And then she beautifully sings a lovely song which is decidedly not opera, and this is a bit jarring simply because it's not what we've been told to expect. I'd change it so she was just referred to as a singer, rather than specifying a genre and then not delivering. Narrative ClarityI did like the direction of the narrative- an ambitious man forgetting what's really important in his quest to please society- despite it not being what I expected. I expected the basic story of Barnum making his circus and building its success, so I was confused when the circus was a success so early on in the film. The story we were given could have used a little refining with a couple more drafts of the screenplay to just make the narrative beats a little more definite and bring the focus out more. De-Generalise the RomanceThe romance between Zendaya and Zach Efron's characters was one of the most compelling things about the film for me, but it wasn't down to the writing. It was down to the chemistry between the two and the scene with their song 'Rewrite the Stars', which I thought was perfect. It was a testament to how great these aspects were that I was totally on board with the relationship. However, I would have liked to have seen a little more to it than they're-attracted-to-each-other-I-guess. We could have seen some more specific moments of bonding between the two in the beginning of their relationship to make it a little more unique and get the audience even more on board. The only concern here would be making sure the storyline didn't overshadow the larger one about Barnum. A "True" StoryThis is more about the marketing of the film than the film itself. Although technically this film was based on a true story, it very much doesn't stick to the truth. The historical accuracies I'm pretty much fine with since it led to a film with a good message, but I'd perhaps emphasise how loose the basis in truth is.
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"After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world."- Philip Pullman Archives
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