IndexIntroductionPlot and Narrative ElementsContextual FactorsEndForm and StagingConclusionIntroductionDuring the past few years, the Hollywood musical has witnessed considerable popularity as a result of the release of various widely released musicals -acclaimed films, including Moulin Rouge!, Chicago, Mamma Mia and Les Misérables. Compared to the musicals produced between the 1930s and 1960s (during the so-called "Golden Age" of Hollywood musical films), contemporary productions present a series of differences that have prompted experts to examine how this particular genre fits into today's society and how it has evolved, paying particular attention to narrative, structural and contextual changes. As Langford noted, the musical is a unique genre, since unlike other types of film, it is not expected to portray reality, making it independent of historical authenticity and expressive naturalism. This is because unlike other genres, whose subjects and themes are implicit in their very definitions (for example war films, historical films, etc.), musical films are characterized by a single distinctive trait, that is, music. As a result, music can be used as a tool to support a certain story or as the main element of a film. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay From a general analysis of classic and contemporary musicals, it is evident that while musical numbers play a very important role in all musical films, the interaction between music and narrative content has certainly changed; while classic films seem to be structured in such a way as to showcase the artistic abilities of actors and actresses, contemporary films tend to use music as an explanatory and supporting tool that helps the audience gain a better understanding of the plot. For example, Singin' in the Rain (1952) opens with a musical number that appears to have no relation to the next scene and whose main purpose is to entertain viewers before introducing them to the actual story. To be more precise, there is a clear fracture between the opening scene, where Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor sing and dance happily in the rain against an artificial blue background, and the following scene, where a series of actors and actresses are interviewed at the premiere of a new film, in a much more realistic setting. Chicago (2002), however, opens with "All That Jazz", whose rather dark connotation and cynical sensuality are in line with the story, which also revolves around dark themes such as cynicism, violence, corruption and crime. Furthermore, unlike the opening musical number of Singin' in the Rain, "All That Jazz" is well integrated into the film and is connected to subsequent scenes much more seamlessly, without abrupt interruptions. As Cohan notes, the Hollywood musical is a genre that arises from a specific socio-cultural and historical context, where spectators were accustomed to impossible numbers and plots full of logical, spatial and temporal contradictions. Therefore, to understand the reasons for the new success of Hollywood musical films, it is important to analyze how contemporary musicals differ from their classic counterparts in terms of socio-cultural meaning, style and messages. In light of these considerations, this essay will investigate the relationship between contemporary and classic Hollywood musicals by focusing on two widely celebrated but very different films: Singin' in the Rain and Chicago. A comparison between these productions should reveal how the musical genre has evolved since1930s and explain why it has enjoyed a resurgence after years of silence. To understand how the musical genre has evolved from a narrative and structural point of view, the main plots and characteristics of these films must first be explored. Plot and narrative elements Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, Singin' in the Rain tells of the difficulties encountered by Hollywood artists in the 1920s, when silent cinema began to be replaced by the so-called "talkies", also known as sound films. like sound films. Narratively, Singin' in the Rain features an upbeat plot around Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont, two silent film celebrities who must make their first sound film to keep up with other studios, who are also in the process transitioning to sound films. Although Don and Lina are not romantically involved, they let the press and fans believe they are a couple both on screen and in real life for promotional purposes. A series of flashbacks make it clear that Don is embarrassed by his humble origins, which is why he prefers to uphold his "star" status by providing a different, more glamorous interpretation of his professional background. This is the part where the pure entertainment begins, as Don's flashbacks are presented in such a way as to emphasize his lies and embarrassment in a satirical way. Despite its many artificial elements, the film is actually based on a very important event that revolutionized the global film industry, namely the introduction of sound synchronization technology. Such a simple and straightforward story allowed a number of relatively complex elements, such as flashbacks, power plays, excursions, dramatic turns, disruptions to routine, conflicts and numerous musical numbers, to be incorporated into the film without confusing the audience. The difficulties faced by Lina in trying to record her voice are also portrayed in a parodic way, thus making the entire plot fun, joyful and effervescent. Chicago, however, is part of a new era of music genre that began in the early 21st century with the release of numerous obscure, award-winning films such as Moulin Rouge! (2001), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) and Les Misérables (2012). Published in 2002, Chicago is set during the Prohibition era, when Velma Kelly is arrested for killing her husband and sister after discovering they were having an affair. Not long after Velma's arrest, Roxie Hart is also arrested for killing Fred, a dishonest man with whom she had had an affair to exploit her connections to become a star. Once in the Cook County Jail, themes such as corruption, cynicism, vanity and fame are introduced through a variety of musical numbers and dances. Attorney Billy Flynn embodies most of these qualities, or flaws, as he carefully coaches his clients in ways that help them deceive the jury and be released from prison despite being guilty. Unlike Singin' in the Rain, Chicago uses satire as a tool to criticize the US legal system and the mass media's ability to shape and manipulate public opinion (as can be seen in the musical numbers “Razzle Dazzle” and “We Both Reached For the Gun ”), rather than entertaining the audience and making light of difficult situations. Narratively, Chicago is certainly more complex than Singin' in the Rain, since even though Roxie Hart is presented as the protagonist of the film, she is surrounded by other powerful and equally significant characters whose personal stories and goals are closely intertwined with your. Velma, for example, is aware that fame is what she needs to be found “not guilty” and is willing toanything to outshine Roxie, to the point of ending up testifying against her during the trial. Billy, on the other hand, is presented as a skilled lawyer who knows exactly how to manipulate the media and the legal system by staging false reconciliations, manipulating evidence and facts, and discrediting witnesses. Although the musical is structured in such a way as to encourage the audience to see Roxie as a heroine, her journey to freedom is full of obstacles and threats, which are not minimized by upbeat musical numbers. On the other hand, Chicago is characterized by a subtle tendency to emphasize and even glorify the worries, concerns, conflicts and crimes of the characters. In Cell Block Tango, for example, the stories of several killers are presented in such a way that revenge and murder seem justifiable in certain circumstances. As Mitchell points out, Chicago aims to surprise and destabilize the audience by transforming Roxie from a victim into a cynical, fame-hungry and arrogant criminal. It follows that while the narrative content and structure of Chicago evoke various feelings and can even cause emotional conflict and anxiety, Singin' in the Rain is a musical that allows audiences to relax and enjoy a much more "pure" story. From a structural point of view, Singin' in the Rain is made up of 13 musical numbers, most of which are not perfectly integrated into the plot. Chicago, on the other hand, features 16 musical numbers that are well integrated into the plot, to the point of playing an important narrative role by providing useful information on the intentions, background and personality of each character. Contextual Factors As Cohan and Kuhn point out, satire, simple plots, joyful stories, and happy endings reflect the utopian and escapist nature of most classic Hollywood musicals. According to Kenrick, the escapist style of classic musicals is what allowed this genre to thrive during the Great Depression, when people were very willing to escape everyday problems by watching lighthearted films that portrayed a more exciting and positive version of the musical classic. real world. However, studios ended up releasing over a hundred musicals by 1930, causing audiences to tire of escapist and unrealistic films. Additionally, as the Depression ended, people's needs and desires began to evolve, which is why only fourteen musicals were produced in 1931. However, regarding the socio-political significance of musicals, Woll argues that it would be wrong to reduce classic musical films to nothing more than tools of escapism, as productions such as For Me and My Gal (1942) served to raise public awareness of several war-related themes during World War II. As Feuer points out, since the introduction of sound in films, musicals have had to adapt to changing industry models and viewer needs, which is why environmental factors should be taken into account when analyzing musical films. Feuer's evolutionary theory is supported by the fact that while between the 1930s and 1960s musicals were intended for families, in the 1980s Hollywood began releasing several teen musicals to reach a much younger audience. In musical terms, this resulted in a shift towards films filled with rock musical numbers; however, from a narrative point of view, the plots continued to revolve around the three main themes identified by Altman: folk, spectacle and fairy tale. While artificial and impossible representations are certainly incompatible with contemporary moviegoers' need for realistic narrative films, Cohan argues that musicals are widely seen as nostalgic artifacts and are valued for their artistic value andspectacular. endings; in fact, while Singin' in the Rain presents a typical closed happy ending, with Kathy recognized as the real star of The Dancing Cavalier and Lina publicly humiliated, in Chicago, Roxie is found not guilty and rejects her faithful husband, Amos, who he stood by during the trial despite his betrayal. It should be noted, however, that even though Roxie's story seems to end well, in reality the audience cannot be certain that she will actually achieve her goal of becoming a vaudeville star, which is why the open ending of Chicago leaves the audience wondering what his future will be. Comparing other classic musicals (e.g., Shall We Dance (1937) and An American in Paris (1951)) with their contemporary counterparts, it is evident that while the former tend to feature joyful endings that honor justice, love, and other positive values, the latter tend to surprise the audience with apparently unjust endings, where love and justice rarely triumph (like Staine's death at the end of Moulin Rouge! and the macabre ending of Sweeney Todd in which the main character kills the own wife).Form and stagingAs Sikov points out, the so-called mise-en-scène is one of the most important factors that should be analyzed in order to evaluate cinematic representations critically. The term mise-en-scene is actually very broad and refers to a variety of elements, including lighting, props, performers' makeup, costumes, and even behavior. As reported by Smith, Singin' in the Rain was conceived as a vehicle to showcase a number of songs written by MGM producer Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown between 1929 and 1939. Although this might seem unrelated to the topic in analysis, it actually says a lot about the form and structure of Singin' in the Rain. In fact, the film was structured and directed in such a way as to place more emphasis on the musical numbers rather than the plot, which would explain why it seems like the story was adapted or even written around the musical numbers. This impression is given by the discontinuity and fragmentation that characterize most of the scenes. To be more precise, viewers are exposed to a wide range of different settings, color schemes, clothing, accessories, props, dance styles and atmospheres. For example, in the scenes where Don and Lina perform “The Dancing Cavalier,” we move from modern and contemporary clothing and settings to 17th century costumes, wigs and sets. Another seemingly unrelated scene that contributes to the aforementioned feeling of discontinuity is the one in which the musical number “Beautiful Girl” is performed, where the main characters witness the making of another talkie. It should also be noted that this scene, along with the scenes where Don and Lina star in The Dueling Cavalier, provide audiences with an alternative perspective to cinema by taking a meta-cinematic approach. Similarly, after Don successfully turns The Dueling Cavalier into a sound film, a new scene begins in which Don sings "Gotta Dance" in a completely different, artificial setting; here, Gene Kelly sings on a stage in front of an audience and then begins dancing with Cyd Charisse. Considering their lack of direct connection to the plot and considerable artistic significance, it is evident that these scenes were included specifically to emphasize Gene Kelly's singing and dancing skills in order to provide the audience with pure entertainment. Regarding the behavior and performance of the actors, Singin' in the Rain is characterized by extreme and obviously rehearsed poses, exaggerated emotions (especially laughter and anger) and pauses,.