CHICAGO

US, 2002, 114 minutes, Colour.
Renee Zellwegger, Catherine Zeta- Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, Lucy Liu, Taye Digs, Colm Feore, Christine Baranski, Dominic West.
Directed by Rob Marshall.

Beginning its life in the 1970s on the Broadway stage, under the direction of Bob Fosse, this popular piece of American theatre has become a popular piece of American cinema, winning Oscar for Best Picture and a number of other Oscars with one for Catherine Zeta Jones as Best Supporting Actress.

Coming after Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge, it was welcomed by audiences who could now accept quite stylised musicals. It still may take a while to get into the swing of the style but, after seeing Roxie Hart, the 1920s Chicago housewife who dreams of singing in a club and who murders her lover (the mixture of fantasy and reality), audiences will realise that the action moves from down to earth realism to highly theatrical action, especially through song and the all that jazz gyration inherited from Bob Fosse's choreography. Once this is accepted, there is an energy and verve in the singing and dancing not seen for a long time in a musical. All the songs by Kander and Ebbs (Cabaret, New York, New York) are memorable and imaginatively, often provocatively, staged. Mama Morton's prison has inmates who sing of killing their man. Billy Flynn the shyster lawyer controls his clients and the press like puppets.

The setting is Chicago in the 1920s, the time of Prohibition, bootlegging and gangsters. The way to celebrity was through crime and through the press. Looking at this musical we realise the ironies of what it is presenting: an amoral American attitude that glorifies celebrity right or wrong.

The cast is admirable, all doing their own singing and dancing. Renee Zellwegger has the most difficult role as the meek but ruthless Roxie who has to grow into an exploitative vixen and wows people with her emotional appeal, her singing and her dancing. And Zellwegger does that well. Catherine Zeta Jones is dynamic in her musical numbers as is Queen Latifah as Mama Morton. Richard Gere also shines as Billy Flynn, singing and dancing effectively but always with an ironically knowing tone in what he does. John C. Reilly is a standout as Amos Hart, the hard done by husband and his song, Cellophane Man, is superbly done. This is how a piece of American musical theatre can be made cinematic.

1. The impact of the film? Its many awards?

2. Successful adaptation from stage to screen? The difference from the stage version, the drawing on the artifices and artificiality of the stage? The blend of reality and fantasy?

3. The importance of the décor, the sets and the costumes? Re-creation of the period, stylised? The transition from drab to glitter and glamour? The dingy clubs, apartments, cells, in comparison with the wealthy homes, the courts, the offices? The glimpses of the world outside, outside the court?

4. The Roxy Hart story, Chicago in the 1920s, its reputation gangsters? Amoral? Celebrity, showbiz? The attitudes of the public? The law and justice? The irony of the dialogue, the satire?

5. The music of Kander and Ebbs, its style? Jazz, smouldering, rhythms? The songs and the point of the lyrics?

6. The irony of the presentation, moving from reality to imagination via the songs, the Bob Fosse-style choreography, developed by the director, Rob Marshall?

7. The range of songs and their illustrating character, developing the plot? The overture in the club, Velma singing 'All That Jazz' and Roxy imagining herself? The Mama Morton song? The cell-block routines? 'Chicago', 'Me and My Baby'? Billy Flynn and 'Razzle Dazzle' and 'All I Care About is Love'? 'Funny Honey'? 'We Both Reached for the Gun'? 'I Can't Do It Alone'? The importance for Amos Hart of the 'Cellophane Man' song? The tapdance, 'Nowadays', 'I Move On'? The final reprise of 'All That Jazz' with Velma and Roxy?

8. The initial focus on Velma, the shooting, her preparing for the show, arriving, singing alone, the song and dance, 'All That Jazz'? The piano player, the patrons of the club? The atmosphere, the sexiness? Roxy standing there and her dream? Imagining herself?

9. The transition to Roxy? Alone, going home, Fred Ceacely and her hopes that he would promote her? The developing pathology of Roxy Hart and her self-centredness? On the steps, the landlady, the sexual encounter, the aftermath, her anger with Fred, shooting him? Amos coming home, her sob story, the story to the police? Amos trying to save her by lying?

10. The police, the interrogations, their attitudes, out to get her? Her going to jail, Mama and her song? Her power in the prison, money and influence? Velma in jail? The cell-block song, the introduction to the range of characters - and their murderous attitudes towards men?

11. The character of Mama, seeing her as the plain warden, seen in her boa and feathers and glamour, the importance of money, helping Velma, making the transition to Roxy - even to the hair-do?

12. The introduction to Billy Flynn, the street-smart lawyer, Richard Gere and his style, smugly smiling, success, his explanations, 'All I Care About is Love'? His conditions for the case, the money, the interviews with Amos Hart and making the demands, Amos trying to get the money, unable, the attitude of Billy Flynn? The interviews with Roxy, dropping Velma? Preparing Roxy with interviews, her not being very bright yet a natural shrewd instinct? Each wanting to control the other? Roxy and her self-assertion, the clashes with Velma? Velma giving her ironic advice?

13. Amos, his love for his wife, his story, a genial but dumb man, used by Roxy? The importance and mood of 'The Cellophane Man'? His change of attitude towards Roxy, yet overwhelmed by her pregnancy, believing her, supporting her? Continually used by her?

14. The development of the case, her being coached and not doing well in rehearsals, her response to publicity, Billy planting the stories, Mary Sunshine and the interviews, the hair-dos? In the court, the judge, the reporters? Manipulation?

15. Mary Sunshine, the reporter, pushy, the interviews, manipulating the stories, promoting sympathy for Velma, then for Roxy? Wanting information from Billy? The court broadcasts and building things to a climax? Her role in Billy's manipulative song and 'Razzle Dazzle'?

16. Billy Flynn and the 'Razzle Dazzle' song, Roxy as his puppet, everybody else manipulated? Roxy and her concern about money, the scheme of the pregnancy, fainting in the court, the sympathy of the papers? The device of the diary, Velma's role, Billy's use of the diary in the court? All part of the plot, her going free?

17. The impact of the 'not guilty' verdict on Roxy, her expectations about photos, her anger at no photos, the noise on the street and the next murder? The wealthy woman's murder, her being taken to court, her glamour in front of the press and the police? The importance of success, celebrity and the public?

18. The combination of enjoyment of song, dance, settings with the tone of the plot, the characters, the issues, the moral issues? The climax with Roxy and Velma being so successful on stage, the public adoring them - a piece of Americana, response to publicity and glamour? Celebrity?