Top 5 Best Romantic Musicals
Five of the Greatest Romance Musicals made into a feature film
Aug 9, 2009
The musical is undeniably one of the most long-lived film-making genres. It may be considered outdated at times, however, people continue to watch and love the classics, and recent forays into the genre, too.
Whatever the storyline, the musical most commonly tells a tale of love, of a romantic adventure. This is why the musicals most popular with audiences always happen to be those of a romance variety, and the following is a list of five of the best love story musicals, some classic and some modern.
Top Five Greatest Romantic Musicals
Across the Universe
First on this list is quite a recent film, Across the Universe released in 2007, directed by Julie Taymor. The music is derived from the Beatles, and over the course of the movie the audience is treated to a massive 33 original songs written by the various members of the band. Although it initially recieved mixed reviews, this film is visually and artistically unparalleled, with cameos from Bono and Eddie Izzard. The film depicts the romance between Jude, an ex-shipyard worker from Liverpool and a young middle class American girl named Lucy, and is set upon the revolutionary political backdrop of the 1960's.
Cry Baby
At number 4 is the John Water's musical Cry Baby starring Johnny Depp. It is admittedly ridiculously camp and ridden with continuity errors, but the film is a satire, and such errors are most likely intentional. It tells the traditional romance of a pair of star-crossed lovers, a good girl who falls for a bad boy, set in 1950's Baltimore. It also stars Iggy Pop and Ricki Lake, who is hilarious as Crybaby's sister Pepper, and there is a cameo from Willem Dafoe.
Singin' in the Rain
Number 3 is an oldie but a goody, Singin' in the Rain, released in 1952 and starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds. Kelly plays the silent movie star Don Lockwood who is tired of his vacuous leading lady Lina Lamont. But when talking movies become fashionable it is clear that Lina will not be as popular as in her silent films due to her horribly high-pitched voice. A plan is concocted whereby Reynold's character Kathy Selden who has a wonderful singing voice will secretly record all of Lina's singing and speaking parts while she mimes. A romance ensues between Don and Kathy.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Next is a film more science fiction than romance, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, though it does centre around the newly married couple Brad and Janet, and features much seduction, though on a subversive level. However, it must be included in this list mainly because it is one of the most unique musicals ever made, and is the longest running theatrical release in film history. The story continues when Brad and Janet find themselves stranded with a flat tire and seek help in a nearby castle where they are sucked into the strange and unusual Annual Transylvanian Convention lead by Dr. Frank N. Furter, who describes himself as a sweet transvestite from Transexual Transylvania.
Cabaret
At number one is Cabaret, released in 1972 and directed by Bob Fosse, with Liza Minelli as the leading lady who gives the best performance of her career by far. Set in Berlin in during the Weimar Era, the story is centred around Minelli's character Sally Bowles, an American performer at the Kit Kat Club. Sally sets out to seduce the reserved English academic Brian, but does not succeed and she suspects he might be gay. They become close friends while he witnesses her wild bohemian life. However, later on Brian finally succumbs to Sally's advances and they become lovers.
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