The online reviews of this musical are overwhelming, so it is a must-see movie anyway. Personally, I feel that it is indeed very innovative in terms of expression. Using rap, singing and dancing to tell a traditional classical American founding story is itself a brand-new deconstruction. In addition, the selection of characters and rhythm arrangements are also very delicate and compact. For example, Hamilton, the founding father, has enough dramatic tension. At the same time, the character story itself is legendary, but it is rarely known - my first thought is like It was "The Alliance of Counsellors" who chose to tell the story of the Three Kingdoms from the perspective of Sima Yi, taking a different approach to a well-known story. In the end, it is no surprise that this musical was a great success, and of course there is a deeper social background in 2016 behind it.
To put it simply, this play tells the life of Hamilton, and in two and a half hours, he starts with a few friends, falls in love, follows Washington, establishes an independent state, and then negotiates with his political opponent Jefferson, and Yaron. · Burr's rivalry, the final duel and death, etc. are displayed one by one. What's interesting is that the creator's focus is always around Hamilton, and all the events feature him as the protagonist. If Hamilton is not the protagonist, major events have been taken over, such as the big scene of the Constitutional Convention. In addition, because it is a musical stage, the creators have extremely simplified a large number of scenes, only retaining the appearance of a few core characters, and even unavoidably opposing some characters, such as Madison, Jefferson, etc., so as to shape Hamilton positive image.
Among the several performances, the wedding scene may be the most impressive. In addition to the lively and cheerful scene, there is also Anjelica's thought monologue, which is interpreted in a very clever freeze-frame way - the duel in the last scene is also used this. In addition, the one where Washington decided not to be re-elected was also very emotional, showing that the creator wanted to express the core of the American political spirit.
In fact, any scene is actually very exciting, even the series of George III, which may only take a few minutes in total, but from another perspective, it shows the relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States at that time, and George III could not understand the will of the United States to become independent. And the song style is also different from the mainline rap, which is very exciting. There is also a scene where Hamilton and Jefferson and Madison used "rap" to establish a financial system after the founding of the People's Republic of China. In addition, there are extramarital affairs, derailment, and money to cover up such plots, which are just what you want, and they all come from the truth.
In short, this musical is really top-notch in terms of technology and story. Not to mention finding a group of minority actors to present the story of the founding of the United States and the founding fathers are all black actors, which was originally very subversive, but it also catered to the fusionist views of the liberal left that emerged in 2016.
Of course, from the perspective of Chinese audiences, there is also a big problem with watching Hamilton, that is, it is difficult to resonate. Although you know that this is the story of the founding of the lighthouse, you basically don't know much about Hamilton, and you know very little about his contributions. You have to stop and look for information while watching. At the same time, after reading the information, you will feel that the image of this character is limited again. For example, in the biography, it is said that his stubborn, talented and arrogant side is not fully expressed, and the blackening of Aaron Burr is not smooth enough. Wait. It's just that you will say, two and a half hours of musicals, such a short time, integrated into most of Hamilton's life, what else do you want?
Finally, in fact, after a little research on Hamilton's political legacy, in addition to the fact that he laid the foundation for the financial system and national debt credit that promoted the development of the United States for two hundred years, you will find that he is also an advocate of "strong government", and insists on "industrialization". The policy of "building a country" and the "implied power theory" are similar to "regardless of whether the cat is white or black, if it catches a mouse, it is a good cat".
Therefore, looking at the ideas expressed in this musical and the original intention of the founding of the Lighthouse State, and then looking at the world in 2020, I can't help but sigh at the changes in the world. Use the last song of the musical: "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tell Your Story".
View more about Hamilton reviews
