A list of best musical movies which show the height of the genre

Musical movies sometimes feels like a relic of the long dead Hollywood movie system, but it is still a type of movie that captures the ability of movie to create a story world that flows freely between reality and fantasy. The worst example comes from moviemakers, who allow music, color and sports to go wild; The best transcendence skill, integrated into the song, becomes the expression of pure character emotion. Musical movies offer endless possibilities, but if you want to succeed, you must fully master this medium.

The best musical movies of all time face various obstacles, just like the style and taste of their creators. This is partly because it combines at least two art forms – always music and movie, but sometimes dance – and requires extraordinary versatility for those who try to try its complexity.

After Lee De Forest invented “talky”, the opportunity brought by this new technology triggered a boom in musical movies in the industry in the last few days of the 1920s. At first, the audience responded well. But by the end of the 1930s, musical movies had been numbered, which made people tired, and quickly turned music into the marvel debate in movies in the middle of the century. Who needs another movie with “Broadway Melody” or “big radio” in its title?

Of course, in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, the historic popular movies, including meet me in St. Louis and song in the rain, meant that the best musical movies in Hollywood would still appear – stories and emotions first. In the late 20th century, action movies became popular again, and this type of movie declined again. But this is the rise and fall of this type of movie, which has been declared dead more than once (incorrectly).

Even now, with the success of Steven Spielberg’s eye popping west side story and more musical movies in preparation (see buzz luhman’s recently released Elvis), movie musicals once again provide encore for audiences eager for their vitality. Of course, few stars can learn the choreography of Busby Berkeley, Jerome Robbins or Bob FOSS, and adapting a media that has been developed and is most suitable for the stage requires innovative directions. But the leaders of contemporary music movies, such as Spielberg and Lin Manuel Miranda, as well as the promise of animated musical movies supported by Disney, tell us that the curtain of this movie moment will never close.

From “the birth of a star” and “swing time” to “Chicago” and “West Side Story”, here are some musical movies that represent the height and incredible scope of this type.

A Star Is Born” (Bradley Cooper, 2018)

Every generation has received the version of “star birth” they deserve, but after nearly a decade of development hell and a series of enviable geniuses (Clint Eastwood, Beyonce, Christian Bale and Jennifer Lopez, their combination is endless and fascinating), millennials Generation Z and cross dressers never seem to get them. Then Bradley Cooper?

The award-winning actor (who also voiced the cartoon superhero raccoon) did his best for his directorial debut, not only immersed in the chaos of Jackson Maine, but also devoted himself to all aspects of the movie itself. He hired Lady Gaga and Sam Elliott. He sang all his songs and paired them with Gaga’s powerful wind instruments. Most importantly, he found a new level of movie technology and sincere heartbreak in a story designed repeatedly like this.

“Swing Time” (George Stevens, 1936)

There is no doubt that “swing time” is the best director among the energetic Astaire Rogers Leihua classic movies. With the help of composer Jerome Kern and choreographer Hermes Penn, director George Stevens raised common romantic misconceptions with four of the best song and dance works in history. “Never gonna dance” feels like two people making love in front of us wearing clothes, and the Oscar winning movie “the way you look tonight” – playing a comedy role in the movie – has become Astaire’s best-selling record. Katherine Hepburn has a famous saying to Astaire Rogers: “he gives her lessons. She gives him sex.”

However, when Fred was hailed as the greatest music dancer of all time (and underestimated for his excellent tenor), ginger had to wear tight dresses, feather scarves and high heels to perform. The fact is that they all worked hard and sweated before they soared easily.

 “Chicago” (Rob Marshall, 2002)

Few music masters can jump from the stage to the screen in an elegant manner like rob Marshall. As a Broadway dancer, Marshall has been a choreographer and director nominated for five Tony Awards. He won his first Oscar nomination in 2002 for his adaptation of “Chicago” by kand and Abe.

“Murder is a form of entertainment in this town,” quipped queen Latifah, who plays the dark housekeeper matron Mama Morton, a photo grabbing middle role previously played by Jennifer holliday. Here, the warden is talking to Roxie Hart, the alleged killer (an amazing raw Ren é e Zellweger is just hinting at what she will do in Judy), but she may break the fourth wall. With his sharp black humor and perfect choreography, Marshall told the dirty story of two female killers in Windy City (Wilma Kelly, played by Katherine Zeta Jones, killed her literally and figuratively) through his keen understanding of the audience. Most importantly, the winner of this best picture encountered the crazy magic of live performance. The movie also won five other awards and seven Oscar nominations, making Chicago one of the most award-winning musical movies in Hollywood history.

“West Side Story” (Steven Spielberg, 2021)

Steven Spielberg has conquered almost all types of movies in his unparalleled 50 years of directing career, but one remains on his wish list: musicals. To correct this, he attracted attention by appearing in one of the most popular musicals of all time in west side story. As usual, Spielberg did it. After inviting Tony Kushner, who often cooperates with him, to update the script, he showed his superb skills and used new photography technology to take the camera to life in a way unimaginable in 1961. As a result, the movie retains all the best parts of the original works of Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise (gorgeous dance, iconic songs, Rita Moreno), while adding pleasant modern elements (Spanish scenes, crazy and complex camera movements, star making performance of newcomer Rachel Zegler). The combination of new and old proves that Spielberg is still unparalleled as a provider of Hollywood acting skills.

“Dancer in the Dark” (Lars von Trier, 2000)

“Dancer in the dark” is a painful experience, and BJ ö rk’s unprecedented performance makes this painful experience vivid. She passed through hell with von Trier, through von Trier’s hell, and completely reached the other side, and deserved to win the best actress at the Cannes movie Festival. Selma je ž KOV á is a Czech immigrant. She experienced pain in the United States in the 1960s and fled her fate through singing and dancing.

Although the non musical footage is based on von Trier’s unstable, V é RIT é, low-cost style, the musical figures create an exciting contrast that conveys some of the director’s most colorful expressionist and forward-looking movies.

Choreography – Unforgettable in “I’ve seen everything” beside the train track, or the dynamic crash sound in “kavalda”, which turns the hardware of the factory into a surging Orchestra – so brilliantly complements the extraordinary genius of BJ ö rk’s music, and even a simple song about going to the gallows makes people feel sacred, This effect makes this short-sighted kitchen sink tragedy about the death penalty shock your soul from the inside out.