With its soundtrack currently number 1 in the UK’s album charts and recently becoming number 2 following weeks at number 1 in the US, ‘The Greatest Showman’ has proved to be a hit on our cinema screens. Released on Boxing Day 2017, this film in the UK has already made a gross of £40 million receiving £2.58 million in its opening shows and taking £1million on consecutive 12 weekends (The Guardian). The success of ‘The Greatest Showman’ matches the success of ‘The Titanic’ back in 1997, which too received £1 million takings on 12 consecutive weekends (The Guardian). According to recent viewing figures only last weekend did ‘The Greatest Showman’ fall slightly short of £1 million, nevertheless it still entices viewers including 16-year-old Lorna Callan “I went to see ‘The Greatest Showman last weekend, its perfect escapism, a truly amazing film!”
The show, just like Barnum’s, wasn’t met with the best critic response with The Washington Post dismissing it as “completely artificial, from both the singers’ blatantly auto-tuned voices to the CGI acrobats” Although not popular amongst critics, ‘The Greatest Showman’ has received an audience rating of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes website, so why is this film so great? ‘The Greatest Showman’ offers pure happiness and joy, over 100 minutes of escapism from everyday life filled with uncertainty of a second cold war or news of the latest victim succumbed to a recent knife attack within London. Perhaps another reason for this films great success is due to its message of empowerment threaded throughout the film. In today’s society, where campaigns such as #MeToo and #blacklivesmatter are part of our everyday norm this film offers that sense of acceptance and allows audience members to feel part of a community. This is highlighted within the film with the circus characters; like the bearded lady who was a social outcast. Overall 'The Greatest Showman' as well as demonstrating the political message of societal acceptance, it also offers to viewers an immersive world of joy. As critic, Kristin Smith states ‘we are drawn into a mesmerizing world’ and for all of its 105 minutes, we want to be part of and fully engaged with this wonderful world.
By Alexandra Hack-Roberts
Ursuline High School
