DREAMGIRLS

US, 2006, 131 minutes, Colour.
Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover, Jennifer Hudson, Anika Nonie Rose, Keith Robinson, Sharon Leal, Hinton Battle, Loretta Devine.
Directed by Bill Condon.

There are not very many movie musicals these days. Chicago was a big hit four years ago. Then there was the screen version of The Producers but not much else. Now there is Dreamgirls.

Dreamgirls has been an unexpected hit with the American public. The music takes us back to the 1960s and 1970s and to an era of political unrest and change, especially for civil rights and African Americans. All this is present in Dreamgirls.

There is the usual disclaimer at the end of the film that characters and events do not refer to any actual person or happenings, that any similarity is coincidental. Well, this time that warning must be taken with a grain of salt. Even the press notes offer some background to the establishment of the Motown company by Berry Gordy and the career of Diana Ross and the Supremes. Of course, it is fictionalised but, at times, only just.

The musical was first staged on Broadway in 1981, in the aftermath of A Chorus Line. So, this is a musical about the theatre, about hopefuls who audition for a career, about dreams and nightmares as personalities clash and rivalries take their toll. This familiar scenario always makes for interesting and involving drama.

The setting is Detroit during the Kennedy era. Vietnam is in the offing. Martin Luther King is dreaming his dream. Racial prejudice is rife, but African American musicians and entertainers are making their mark and entering the mainstream. Three young girls sing at a talent quest and an enterprising car salesman invites them to be backup to a popular singer. Stars are born.

The story of the three girls resembles that of the Supremes. One of the demure backup singers, Deena, is eventually chosen to be lead when Effie, the temperamental but forceful front, is fired. Deena (not much of a leap to Diana!) becomes a glamorous star and marries Curtis, the entrepreneur, and lives a life of fame and luxury under the severe control of her husband. Effie has a daughter but years later makes a comeback as a soloist in the Aretha Franklin vein.

The theatre book has been adapted for the screen by Bill Condon (who adapted Chicago and directed the striking films, Gods and Monsters and Kinsey). While it has been opened out, it is still recognisably an adaptation. Like Chicago, the songs are the means for establishing characters and motivations. In the way that opera does, the characters speak, communicate in recitatif that moves into music and song, much of which is dialogue singing. It works.

The score reflects the black community’s musical heritage, Gospel, rhythm and blues, jazz.

While the focus is on show business, there are enough reminders, especially in the destructive race riots in Detroit where most of the action takes place, of the turmoil of the times. The racism is especially forceful when the star singer, Jimmy Early, is booked in a Miami club and alienates the white audience with his gyrations and perceived provocativeness.

Which leads to a comment on the excellent cast. The standout is newcomer Jennifer Hudson as Effie (who is reported to have lost on TV’s American Idol – it would be fascinating to see the winner perform). She has a four octave range, a large presence (literally) and can make potent drama with her singing. Popular singer Beyonce Knowles makes the transition from quiet back up singer to Diana Ross star quite credible. Jamie Foxx is the callow Curtis who has no appreciation of art or entertainment. Everything is business, even his wife’s career. Surprise casting is Eddie Murphy as Jimmy Early. He is always good for comedy but is persuasive here in the serious situations and does his own singing. He and Jennifer Hudson won most of the awards for Best Supporting Actor and Actress for 2006, though Eddie Murphy missed out on the Oscar.

1.The acclaim for the musical? Its awards? Popularity?

2.Musicals on screen? Rare? The success of Chicago – and Bill Condon’s work? His adapting the Broadway play? The introduction of new songs? Joined with the old songs? Music, choreography? A 1980s theatre piece to a 21st century screen?

3.The use of the songs, the history of Motown and its music, the operatic use with recitative, songs illustrating character, dialogue songs, motivations, action?

4.The strength of the cast, awards?

5.The African American background, history, music, the influences of Gospel, jazz, rhythm and blues? The background of civil rights? Black entertainers and their careers? The experience of racism? African Americans emerging in the entertainment industry? The dreams and success?

6.The opening song, the style, the lighting, costumes, rhythms and choreography? The concert and competition? The MC? The introduction to the audience of the acts, the audience response? Detroit, the early 1960s? City of industry? Race issues? The allusions to J.F.K. as president?

7.The group, arriving late, the plea to go on? Curtis and his response to the act? His interest in taking them on? Their song, costumes, Effie and the power of her singing, Deena and Lorrell as backers? Their decision to go to do backup for Jimmy Early, Effie and her hesitation? The arrival, meeting with Jimmy Early, their singing? The effect? Curtis and their management? Marty Madison and his managing Jimmy? The success, on tour, the bus and Jimmy being confined to the back of the bus, his flirtatious attitude? The tour, the collage of songs? Deena’s mother and her keeping guard? Marty and his loyalty to Jimmy? Curtis and the management, his car dealership, selling the cars, getting the money, his partner? The success, the crisis? His wanting to change the act? The clash with Effie? C.C. and his siding with Curtis?

8.The new group, the years of success, Deena becoming lead singer, the change in her, from demure, to up-front, to glamour? Her marrying Curtis? The plans for the Cleopatra film? The other girls and their success? The recordings, performance? Deena and her wanting to talk with the film producers about another project? Keeping it secret from Curtis? The meal scene and his telling her that he knew, his attack on her, forgiving her?

9.Eddie Murphy as Jimmy Early, his performances, as a personality, his wife, flirting with the girls? On tour in the bus? With the backup? The plans for Miami, the possibilities? His new style of being a lounge singer? His gyrations, the walkouts? His career fading, his taking drugs? The reunion? His change? Going on to perform, his breaking loose, dropping his trousers? Enjoying himself? Curtis’s grim reaction, letting him go? The effect, the drug overdose, his funeral? A character with verve?

10.Effie, her being part of the group, dowdy, a great singer? Her life, the moodiness, going to see the doctor, her pregnancy? Her resenting Curtis and his actions? C.C. and his compositions, supporting her, turning against her? Her leaving the group, being ousted? Poverty? Her managing with Magic? Marty coming to see her, going to the audition, her tantrum with the pianist, her last-ditch stand, the audition, success, people coming to the club? C.C. coming back, wanting to write a song for her? The recording? Curtis taking it and exploiting it?

11.Curtis and his associate, at the opening, watching the group, the plan for the group, selling all his cars, getting the money, the payola to the radio stations, his strategies? The Mafia connections? The change with Effie, his relationship with her, his focus on business, wanting Deena to front the group? Ousting Effie? The powerful songs to communicate this break? The success of the group, his lavish lifestyle, the awards, interviews? Marrying Deena? His focusing on everything as product, moneymaking? The plan for the film of Cleopatra? Knowing about Deena’s interview with the director, his forbidding it, forgiving her? His stealing Effie’s song? Deena walking out on him? The song with all the participants – the operatic style, the dialogue, moving the action forward stylistically through song?

12.Marty, the old-style manager, loyalty to Jimmy, nurturing him, but from a different world, Jimmy going with Curtis, his being ousted, the feelings, his feeling that Jimmy was disloyal? Going to Effie, resuscitating her career?

13.Deena, the discovery of what Curtis had done with Effie’s song? The splashy version that she led? The phone call, the litigation against Curtis, the lawyers arguing, threatening him? The effect?

14.The finale, the group coming together, bringing Effie out again, her joining the group? Her becoming the lead and Deena stepping back?

15.Audience perceptions of the characters through song, dialogue, character revelation and drama?

16.The American background of the period, race issues, civil rights, the race riots in Detroit? The visual styles, hairdos, costumes? Music styles – and the allusions to Barry Gordy and the range of people that he promoted including Diana Ross and the Supremes, Michael Jackson …?

17.An entertaining musical, incorporating the conventions of music theatre? More than a stage musical?