Musicals are a popularfilm genre that feature characters singing songs and performing dance numbers as one would see on a stage. Many popular musical movies have, in fact, been adapted from stage plays likeMamma Mia!, a musical film so popular it even earned itself a sequel. While the only real criteria for a film to be considered a musical is to simply have the characters sing, there is a wide array of styles through which musicals are portrayed.
From recreations of classic tales likeTim Burton’s movieSweeney Toddto newly inventive musicals likeHamilton, it would seem there is no shortage of content to be covered in musical format. Those formats also vary depending on the content of the musical itself and the way in which the artists write the music. Some musical movies have no dialogue whatsoever and are told entirely through song. Here are eight musical movies that are told entirely through song.
8Les Misérables
One of thebest musical film adaptationsof all time,Les Misérablesis entirely sung-through with the story being told solely through the tactful use of song, following the life of escaped prisoner Jean Valjean,played by Hugh Jackman, who manages to make a new life for himself, despite being hunted by Javert (Russell Crowe). As time goes on, Jean Valjean finds himself raising Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), the daughter of factory worker Fantine (Anne Hathaway), who died all while the buzz of the French Revolution hums in the background. Based on the Victor Hugo novel of the same name and the stage play,Les Misérablesbroke new ground in the musical genre with every member of the cast singing live as the scenes were filmed.
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Hamiltontells the story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. What makesHamiltonso extraordinary is the fact that the style in which the music is done is not the typical musical style of song, but instead has a strong hip-hop and R&B presence. The musical is a more modern take on a classical story, giving it a fresh appeal that attracts younger and more diverse audiences. At the annual Tony Awards,Hamiltonbroke the record for number of nominations, earning astaggering 16 nominationsand winning a total of 11 awards.
6The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Operatells the story of a masked music aficionado living beneath the Paris Opera House, who becomes obsessed with soprano Christine Daaé. A must-see in the world of musicals,The Phantom of the Operais based on a 1910 novel of the same name and the 1986 Broadway musical. The film stars Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, and Patrick Wilson and is entirely sung-through with no dialogue to hinder the flow of the score. The film adaptation was initially announced in 1989, but production did not begin until 2002.The Phantom of the Operawas nominated for three Academy Awards and three Golden Globes, including one nomination for Best Musical or Comedy – Motion Picture.
Based on The Who’s rock opera album “Tommy”,Tommytells the story of a psychosomatically deaf, mute, and blind boy who becomes a pinball champion and the leader of a religious movement. Written and directed by Ken Russell, the film features many stars including Ann Margaret, Oliver Reed, Eric Clapton, and even Roger Daltry, lead singer and co-founder of The Who, as the title character. As an independent production,Tommywas well-received by both critics and regular viewers alike. The film was nominated for a number of awards, including an Academy Award for Ann Margaret for Best Actress. Prior to that, Margarettook home the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
4Pink Floyd – The Wall
Based on the Pink Floyd album of the same name,Pink Floyd – The Wallwas written by Pink Floyd vocalist and bassist Roger Waters. The film tells the story of a rock star named Pink who constructs a physical and emotional wall to protect himself from the insanity of grief from his father’s death. Despite some critiques for the final product not meeting certain expectations,Pink Floyd – The Wallwas overall well-received and has since gained a cult following. The film won two BAFTA awards for Best Sound and Best Original Song, earning itself a decent spot as a unique and highly-stylized musical with no dialogue.
Related:Best Movie Musicals of the 21st Century, So Far
3Jesus Christ Superstar
Based on the rock opera of the same name,Jesus Christ Superstarrevolves around the conflict between Judas and Jesus the week before Jesus' crucifixion. The entire film is sung-through and while many argued that the film did not do the stage-play justice, the main cast was praised for their musical performances. The film was shown to Pope Paul VI, who openly showed his love for the film, saying that it would bring more interest to Christianity. That said, many other religious organizations criticized the old-fashioned and false portrayal of Jews, stating that the film further encouraged antisemitism.
Évitatells the story of Eva Perón, actress, activist, and politician who served as the First Lady of Argentina until her sudden death at the age of 33. Madonna stars as Eva, showing off her musical talent in this sung-through musical, alongside Jonathan Pryce and Antonio Banderas. The concept for the film first emerged after the release of the 1976 album, but was stuck in developmental hell for more than 15 years before any actual movement could be taken to make the concept a reality.Évitawas nominated for more than 20 awards and took home a whopping 12, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song for"You Must Love Me".
1The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
This classic French musicalstarring Catherine Deneuverevolves around umbrella saleswoman Geneviève and her lover Guy, who become separated when Guy is drafted and must serve in the Algerian War. Despite Geneviève’s pregnancy with Guy, she marries another man and attempts to move on with her life despite the living-breathing reminder that she was deeply in love with Guy.The Umbrellas of Cherbourgwon the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for several Academy Awards, though it did not win any.
