Jazzy Killers
...re audience by using the idea of sex. “Chicago” makes the viewer want to dress up and dance right along with the actors. I enjoyed watching the pathetic-yet-entertaining characters. They look pathetic because each one always starves for attention and feels jealous of whoever has it. Hart lies to the world and her husband about being pregnant, just so that she will stay in the eye of the media. It seems entertaining to see how the characters react to the things happening in their lives. For instance, right after Hart’s court, a lady on the street shoots a man. Immediately, the interest of the press shifts, and no one cares about Hart. Hart did not even care that the judge declared her innocent and free. She only felt stunned that no one wanted her picture. It seems rather humorous just how shallow and selfish the characters are, and the extremes that they go to remain famous. I partly wanted to keep watching the film to see what they would do next. Since songs make up most of a musical, it is important that they remain clever, infectious, and likeable. The songs in “Chicago” definitely reflect these traits. Each song is contagious and will make the viewer sing along. With a catchy tune, the lyrics describe what is going on in the movie at that particular scene and help transition into the following scenes. When Hart’s husband, Amos, helps her by taking the blame for the murder of a “burglar,” Hart sings about her “funny honey”. But as he realizes the truth and changes his story, her feelings and the song also change, calling him dumb and crummy. “The directing is also to be commended, especially the way everything connected together, with each scene moving so slightly into the next, with some actually overlapping, yet still making sense” (Garabedian, 2). “Cell Block Tango” tells the story of each murderer in the prison and how they committed the crime. The song makes light of the murders with humor by saying things like, “He ran into my knife ten times…” and still claiming their innocence after describing every detail of the killings. The songs also more fully describe the characters. In a fantasy world, Billy Flynn pretends to be good-natured, only caring about love, then revealing his real priority: money. “In fooling us about his sweetness, his conniving nature is made that much clearer” (Snyder, 3). Queen Latifah playing “Mama,” head of the prison, makes one sing along with her number, “If you’re good to Mama, Mama’s good to you,” which suggests that she can do favors for the inmates if they pay her. “They Both Reached for the Gun” supports the fact that Billy Flynn controls the press and every aspect of his clients’ lives: whom they talk to, what they say, and even what they wear. The scene for this song shows the media as Flynn’s puppets and Roxie as his ventriloquist dummy, and he sings as he pulls their strings and talks for Hart. Amos reveals his sensitive side when he performs his solo, “Mr. Cellophane,” drawing sympathy from the audience because he feels invisible and unloved. “Chicago” explodes with talented actors and actresses that can do it all: sing, dance, and act. Having experience in the dancing world, Zeta-Jones moves as wonderfully...