Episode 87 – Steven Spielberg's Musical(…Sequence)s
After 32 features, Steven Spielberg has finally directed his first full-fledged musical! The director whose camera has visually danced compositionally on screen more than any other for almost 50 years, it all begs the question: Why did it take so long? And what other attempts at the musical form has he made over the years? I’m joined by Ted Haycraft as we discuss:
Why the most obviously salvageablely revelatory sequence from 1979’s 1941 is its muscial Jitterbug dance sequence;
the cut-off Busby Berkeley opening for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom with its reverse dance shots;
and why the key to good musicals, from stage to screen, is musical numbers that advance the story or theme forward.
Also:
Why 1991’s Hook should have committed to its original conception as a musical;
Spielberg’s intention of stuffing other musical sequences into A.I. or The Terminal;
the debate over whether the new 2021 West Side Story and the original, universally considered one of the greatest movies ever made, should have have been remade,
and if the 2021 version, with all its updating, might legitimately be superior.
The 2021 West Side Story is currently available in theaters for who knows how long. It’ll likely end up streaming on Disney+ eventually. 1941 is available on DVD and Blu-ray; as is Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in streaming and physical media, and Hook DVDs and Blu-rays.