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Topic: CHICAGO

Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"

Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 03-09-2003 12:29 AM

...and if we're going to go with the idea that Mary Sunshine is for real, then the "Little Bit of Good in Everyone" song is unnecessary because it was really only there to enhance/solidify the illusion that Mary Sunshine was female -- virtuoso falsetto is required for that song. There's no relevance to the plot.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 03-09-2003 12:47 PM

I watched "Chicago" a few weeks ago, a sneak preview at the Carmike 8 in Lawton (screen #4 THX, DTS audio). I was thankful I was able to see the show at this location rather than see it later when it moved down to the horrible Wallace Theaters Cache 8 for its regular engagement. It would be disappointing to listen to this film in mono rather than multitrack digital.

Overall, I thought "Chicago" was a pretty well-done film. Yes, the Cell Block Tango is the best part of the movie. Being in the sign making business, I was pleased by the efforts made in the set decoration. Lots of chase lights and neon.

The cinematography was pretty good too. Red neon is horribly difficult to photograph. It just tends to photograph dark no matter how long you make the exposure. When I take sign photos these days I usually double up between a 35mm film camera and a digital camera. As much as I like film, Red neon often shows up better on a RGB digital shot.

Anyway, to get back to the film, the only downside I see with it is I didn't buy the ending at all. It just seemed like a fake, tacked-on happy ending. Maybe that was done out of the style of silent movies made in that day where the narrative clearly called for a downbeat ending, but some executives stuck a happy one on there anyway. "The Wind" has to be one of the most glaring examples of this in silent film works.

To explain, both characters played by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger are downright bad people. They don't get what they deserve in the end. But since they are pretty, I suppose they can get away with it.

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Paul Linfesty
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1383
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 03-09-2003 10:15 PM

quote:
then the "Little Bit of Good in Everyone" song is unnecessary because it was really only there to enhance/solidify the illusion that Mary Sunshine was female -- virtuoso falsetto is required for that song. There's no relevance to the plot.

NOW I have to disagree here. The song advances the character in the play as "she" describes her philosophy (and "suckerability") about the decency and good will in humans. One thing that struck me was the first time she appears in the movie version, I (mis) read her facial expression as a kind of smug cynicism. Which confused me when Billy Flynn later told Roxie that the press members weren't all push-overs like Mary Sunshine.

I will admit to being fooled when I saw the stage show in Vegas. Even though in hindsight, reading the program bio gave it away. Only a first name initial was given for the actor, and the bio avoided any "he" or "she" terminology, opting instead of using the last name over and over.

Bobby,

I actually consider the ending to be cynical not happy. These ARE bad people, and they got away with it, AND the audience knows this (I THINK, I HOPE) and still goes to support the show. But I think their fame will be very short, and the public will forget about them in no time at all (maybe not. Look at O.J.) The stage production ended the same way, except that Roxie has an added speech thanking America, the country which helped make them who they are today. I think it was probably a wise marketing decision not to include this in the film with today's atmosphere.

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Elena N. Solovyova
Film Handler

Posts: 44
From: Voronezh, Russia
Registered: Feb 2003

posted 03-10-2003 04:12 AM

The Russian version is dubbed completely. Richard Gere dub actor is Philip Kirkorov, who had a role in Moscow "Chicago" production (still playing). He may be brilliant as Billy Flinn on stage, but the discepancy between well-known voice and well-known appearance is catastrophic and detracts the movie experience totally.

The distibutor claims that it was made on demand from Miramax. Is it a common practice with international releases of "Chicago"?

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Christian Appelt
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 505
From: Frankfurt, Germany
Registered: Dec 2001

posted 03-10-2003 05:34 PM

The German release has dubbed dialogue, the songs remain in english.
The last dubbed musicals around here were DOCTOR DOOLITTLE (1968 version), CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. I can see a point in dubbing movies for children (like Disney or Pixar animated films), but SOUND OF MUSIC or SINGIN` IN THE RAIN were shown completely dubbed at the time of their original German release. Just terrible! [Mad]

There`s one exception, and that`s MY FAIR LADY. Since part of the story is told in the song lyrics and most foreign audiences would not understand the Cockney accent, it was OK to dub it. But this version took almost ten months to dub and they had to substitute a local German accent for the Cockney which worked quite well.

Give me subtitles any time, but I know most audiences hate them... [Roll Eyes]

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Mark Lensenmayer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1605
From: Upper Arlington, OH
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 03-10-2003 08:20 PM

Just saw this for time #3. My compliments to Marcus Crosswoods for a very clean print...only some very slight travel ghosting was observed.

I agree that the ending is cynical. Roxie and Velma will have their moment and move on, just like Brittney's and Christina's who will come and go. Only Billy will succeed.

I really enjoy the lighting in this film. The film is cold and clear in the real life scenes, moving to pure Broadway lighting (by the great Jules Fisher) during the musical numbers. That lighting is very direct, with lots of shadows and darkness.

Someone above noted that the "Mr. Cellophane" some was somewhat forgettable. But I think that is how it is supposed to be. Even his song is invisible. He even apologizes for taking up too much time.

The Broadway "Mary Sunshine" is almost by someone listed with a single initial and a last name. That is one HARD song to sing in that register, with that much power. The better singers of this sound so much like women it is a shock when the trick is revealed. I like the song, but I don't miss it in the film. While I love the performance of CLASS that is included on the CD, I agree that it would have slowed down the film.

Waiting for a DVD announcement on this, and I'll probably be headed out for time #4 very soon.

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