Reel Thoughts - My Favorite Musical films

Nothing good in cinema this week. Great Gatsby coming out on Thursday, so for now, I'll do a Top 10 list because it seems to be a topic that will eventually surface in most movie review blogs/vlogs.


I am fairly nostalgic when it comes to movies, especially good ones, and the ones that impress on me the most as a child are the ones I could sing along with, or hum the tunes during a grueling day stacking milk in Coles (back when I worked there part time during high school/uni).

Music adds an extra dimension and depth to the emotions and colors of a film, whether it be in theater or at home. Musicals are distinct from music videos because they are not standalone. They are part of a larger world that wasn't fabricated for the song, but rather the song for the world. Their melodies paint the picture of a scene or the mind of a character. The catchiest ones can instantly suck us back into the film that we haven't seen in a decade. If they're really well composed you only need to hear the opening sequence and you already know what song it is. In the case of musicals, the catchiness factor is even more pronounced because when we hear the song we directly associate it with the film and not just the characters (like the Superman theme does for Superman).

And so, I am here to recommend 7 musicals on film that have greatly impacted me and from which I have either tried to learn their songs on piano, or memorise the lyrics. This list is subjective, and there may be a few worthier candidates but I'm solely going by how these musicals have affected me personally.


No. 7 - The Sound of Music (1965, Broadway)

This film I like a lot, but I put it at the bottom of my 'favorites' list because it is set in World War II. and even though I saw this film when I was only 11 or 12, by that point I've already come across a dozen films about the holocaust, the rise and fall of Nazis, and other war stories and I just wanted something else. Granted this musical is more about Maria and her relationship with the von Trapp family, the backdrop of Germany invading Austria darkened an otherwise very light-hearted and child-friendly film that I wouldn't hesitate to show my kids in the future (if I ever have any, but probably not as many as Captain Georg).

As far musicals go, The Sound of Music greatly impacted how singing is taught in music schools. Its almost infamous song Do-Re-Mi is so instructional that it almost appears that the whole idea of using Do Re Mi Fa So to learn vocal pitch originated from this film; kind of like a pre-Internet meme. But apart from that, songs like My Favorite Things and Climb Ev'ry Mountain are household classics (in Hollywood-loving countries), and being able to remain appealing to people over 60 years since its theatrical release, that's a pretty respectable feat given how fast music comes and goes nowadays.


No. 6 - Mary Poppins (1964, Book to Film)

Supercalifragelisticexplialodocious. Need I say more?

The story itself is a very fun adventure, though I cannot remember the moral of the story except that "family is important" I guess. Mary Poppins was a very fun character to watch and follow around, although the fact that she literally blew away her competition nannies makes her morally grey. This film blurred my perception of reality and imagination, with the whole jumping into the chalk paintings and all. It was really mind-boggling for me when I was six. Half the time I couldn't tell if things were really happening or were the kids just hallucinating/exaggerating it. It was an inventive film to say the least, and makes Inception feel amateurish by comparison.

The songs from this film that secures Mary Poppins in the 6th spot of my list is pretty much Supercalifragelisticexplialodocious. It is a catchy tune at the very least, but that word...I think after my first viewing of this film I spent a good 3 weeks trying to spell it correctly, and was frustrated when Microsoft Word (and even Blogger right now) didn't consider it a real word and red-lined it. It also propelled me into competing with other nerds to memories increasingly long and legit words, starting with antidisestablishmentarianism and ending with Pneumono...something. It was a long time ago. And I think I lost that competition anyway.

Mary Poppins is that spoonful of sugar you need when you're feeling down.


No. 5 - The Butterfly Lovers (1950, Chinese Opera)

I first saw this opera at a period of my life when I finally found passion in music, and began taking my piano lessons more seriously. While Chinese Opera in general is an acquired taste for most, including me, The Butterfly Lovers is one of the few that not only falls into the standard repertoire of all Operatic troupes, but has even found a mainstream audience of adorers.

This is perhaps the result of its Romeo and Juliet-like story (but told about a millenium earlier), or its melodious theme song that expresses holding onto forbidden love in such tragic grandeur, it is perhaps the best musical to introduce the uninitiated to the colorful world of Chinese Opera. I even had the opportunity to play a piano version of its theme song for a cultural festival with a small opera group that my mum is a part of. And while I wouldn't 'highly' recommend it to everyone (like most of the other musicals on this list), I would at least suggest you check out its main song in a violin concert version. Tread carefully.


No. 4 - Aladdin (1992, Disney)

When it comes to musicals, you really do have to give credit to Disney. Every feature animation they have made since at least the 50s has introduced memorable and influential songs that finds its way into the leisure piano players' repertoire, orchestral covers. The Lion King, Mulan, Beauty and the Beast and Tangled are just a few of the films that contains songs I love to watch even as an adult, and every time the song numbers pop up I would find myself humming along to it.

However I put Aladdin as my recommended one because the arabic flavor Prince Ali and the duet A Whole New World came to me at the perfect time where society was becoming more and more open to new ideas, to exploring the frontier of science and technology, and also became more aware of the issues with classism. Not that the film was a commentary on these issues, but many did subconsciously associate the story of princess Jasmine being shown the world by the common peasant Aladdin with how the wealthy are blind to the lives of the common folk.


No. 3 - Amadeus (1984, Historical Fiction)

This film has no songs; it only has Mozart's works. In fact, by definition this isn't a musical. But it is such a powerful drama that makes flawless use of the namesake composer's music that I just never tire of watching it. The acting in this film is great, the story (despite being fiction-y) is great, Mozart is great, and compared to many other historical dramas/fictions about other composers in the classical/romantic era, this is a film that even non-musicians would be influenced by and perhaps even get a glimpse into the psychology of the gifted savant. It may not be a musical that you can hum the tunes of, but it is a film that can change the tempo of your heart.


No. 2 - The Phantom of the Opera (1986 version, Broadway)

While I actually don't like the story of The Phantom himself (who is basically a creepy musical version of Quasimodo), in terms of the total number of songs I like within one film, this one takes the trophy. So which songs do I like? All of them (with the exception of maybe Prima Donna). In my opinion if you have never experienced Andrew Lloyd Webber before, this is the one you absolutely must check out.

And please don't get me started on the 2004 film version. Gerard Butler singing is one of the few things I wish to blot out from my memories before I turn 30. Come to think of it perhaps it's a good thing I gave Les Mis a skip this year given what everyone's said about Russell Crowe singing.


No. 1 - Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971 version, Book to Film)

This film made me like sweets. I'm not even joking.

Prior to seeing this film on one of my family's Tuesday video rental nights (a family tradition before I turned 16), I didn't care much about sweets. Not that I wouldn't eat them, but I had no preference and just munched whatever was available in the kitchen or on the receptionists' desk at the dentist. Once I saw the wonderful world inside Wonka factory, it granted my eyes the ability to taste the sweets. It realized fantastic snacks that I could only hope to try.

I became obsessed with trying every type of sweet in the world and planning to own a candy bar in my own home some day with the flavors, shapes, colors and brands that I enjoy. This obsession didn't fade until I was well into my uni studies. In fact right now I have partly realized this 'dream' by having a row of confectionaries on my tallboy, which I deliberately keep out of immediate arm's reach so I don't gobble them up so quickly. (The kitchen on the other hand is too far!)

Aside from my nostalgia, Willy Wonka is an overall perfect musical. The story has a clear lesson for kids, the songs are wonderful (especially the Oompa Loompa ones), and it creates exactly the feelings and atmospheres you'd want to be feeling as you entered the factory with the main characters, or as they went through the crazy tunnels, or when one of the kids gets picked off. While I haven't watched it in a long time, I still remember most if not all of the scenes because they are all so wonderfully colored, which made me feel so many things when I watched it. Willy Wonka certainly created the sweetest nostalgia for me of any musicals I have seen (so far).


Notable mentions:

• Wizard of Oz (1939, Broadway)
• Fantasia (1940, Disney)
• West Side Story (1961, Broadway)
• Beauty and the beast (1987, Disney)
• The Lion King (1994, Disney)
• Mulan (1998, Disney)
• The Prince of Egypt (1998, Dreamworks)