The Greatest Showman is Better than La La Land. Period. | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

The Greatest Showman is Better than La La Land. Period.

A vision of the world I see is more than a city of stars.

3076
The Greatest Showman is Better than La La Land. Period.
Michael Elkan

What brings La La Land & The Greatest Showman together in comparison is the fact that both movies had the same amazing songwriters.Last year I was intrigued in “La La Land” from the promotional material but they fell flat on the musical aspect. “La La Land” had songs, yes, but the movie seemed to forget it was a musical after the first 45 minutes. Honestly, I would pick a film that entices me to see it over and over again than some overrated flick where two attractive people danced to show us how aesthetic they looked in doing so. Here's why:

First of all, The Greatest Showman is an ACTUAL musical.

A musical, by definition, is aplayormotionpictureinwhich the storyisinterspersedwithordevelopedbysongs,dances,and the like. It's not like the 2007 remake of Hairspray where you only got less than five minutes of actual dialogue in between songs.The great musicals are the ones you walk out and you can't stop humming the tune. When done right, they help tell the story in addition to being fun to watch, and this is where La La Land fails and The Greatest Showman excels.

At no point in La La Land do either of the leads ever sing about what it is they really want. The Ryan Gosling/Emma Stone duet number, "A Lovely Night", is the only song that the film requires to keep a coherent story. This is a classic musical element that's necessary if you're going to connect with your main character that's missing entirely from a movie that claims to be a musical.

Oh. My. Plot

The movie is loosely based on P.T. Barnum, keyword: loosely, but it's difficult to find the right story to fit a movie musical. The narrative indulged with the magic of nostalgia and yearning puts a song stuck in the brain as the end credits roll. The musical numbers are upbeat with fantastic performances and visuals in a manner that they carry the movie to be a fun experience.

This series of intoxicating storylines that entangle together make a plot from the self-empowerment of outcasts to the emotional appeal of love that layers out to the ultimate goals of inclusion & acceptance. Far more flawed and passionate in their talent to live beyond their means by expressing themselves through songs and dance.This Is Me shows their revelation of newfound hope in themselves. The characters are far less immaculate than actress Emma Stone and actor Ryan Gosling.

Can we talk about this gorgeous couple though?

They're not gorgeous because of their physical attractiveness but by the journey that they take which many other interracial couples face. Keep in mind that this setting for this film is in 1860's when slavery was just abolished so people of color were heavily looked down on. It's forbidden love between Zac Efron and Zendaya and their musical number sung and danced on trapeze bars, is simply captivating. What really needs to get across is that blond heartthrobs & ginger foxes aren't the only beautiful pairing to fall in love. On top of all that, at least the couple we're rooting for actually end up together here.

The ending, it's beautiful.

I see La La Land's ending the same way as Titanic; you cannot let someone go that easy when you really love them. They could have at least kept in touch while they were getting their careers together. Although The Greatest Showman leans towards spectacle where La La Land chooses intimacy, audiences will connect to its outcasts and the visionary who brought them out of the shadows and in front of a crowd.

I was not that big of a fan of “La La Land.” It had its moments but wasn’t a cohesive film. If this isn't enough, think about how many times you went to see each movie. Which one is worth seeing more than once as a whole? What songs are infectious? I don't know about you but The Greatest Showman is better than La La Land, period.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

13834
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

2725
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1658
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments