Concepcion, Jamaica P.

Art Appreciation
BSIE 1B-S Prof. Nichole Ariola

The Greatest Showman Movie Analysis

Most people would agree that musicals are a widely popular film genre because of the emotional
outlet and imaginative plots they provide for their audience. A musical is one of the types of performing art
that includes music, dance, and drama that are performed for an audience. Performing arts, in particular,
can be planned or spontaneous and done live or recorded. An example of this would be the Broadway
musical "The Greatest Showman". It was directed by Michael Gracey, written by Jenny Bicks and Bill
Condon and was released in the year 2017.
The movie depicts how Phineas Taylor Barnum, a family man, transformed his misery into a world
of mystique and magic that would become the "Greatest Show on Earth," based on the real-life circus
known as Barnum and Bailey's circus and real-life visionary. The Greatest Showman tackles issues of
racism, discrimination against diversity, self-respect and self-love, and, subsequently, chasing one's
dreams in a diverse society. The Greatest Showman seizes differences and demonstrates to the
whole world that a circus troupe, or a group of people with distinct personalities, will create magic. The
main purpose of The Greatest Showman is to make people happy. It makes no distinction if you are doing
it. You owe it to those whose lives you have got the control to alter to cope with the haters and keep
moving forward. One day, love will triumph over everything things. Just like the importance of performance
arts in our life, community, society and in the art industry you must constantly keep in mind that you are
performing or doing art because you are in love and enjoy with it. You must need to focus on your goal
and do not let your insecurities and the individuals around you ruined your dream.
Performing arts are arts or skills that involve performance, such as music, dancing, or acting.
Performing arts have much more significance than some people would ever realize. For a long time in
history, performing arts have been a part of human culture. It has progressed over time to achieve its
present state. Humans enjoy finding ways to express their creative and imaginative side, and therefore
the performing arts are a great example of this. It provides the opportunity to explore and express
themselves. Furthermore, the goal of this paper is to educate everyone about the importance of performing
arts in our lives, communities, societies, and the art industry, using the movie "The Greatest Showman"
as a basis of it.
P.T. Barnum gathered unique individuals with daring acts and skills to be a member of his circus
troupe. Barnum's perseverance and determination provided numerous opportunities for people who have
not yet developed the ability to face and articulate themselves in front of large numbers of people. This is
one of the most crucial factors to consider as an importance of performance art in community and society
based on the film. Humans can express themselves a lot of simply through the performing arts. it's a
way of expressing numerous thoughts and emotions to other members of society. It contributes to the
improvement of relationships as well as a greater understanding of the world. Besides that, performing
arts is a tool to educate people about the negative consequences of social activities such as racism,
discrimination, and the diversity among individuals in a society, which are all topics covered in the film.
When Barnum searched for those unique persons with daring acts, he had found a dwarf named Charles
Stratton, a bearded woman named Lettie Lutz, an obese man called Lord of Leeds, a hair-covered man
referred to as Dog Boy, and an 8-foot-tall man. ("Trust Me, They Don't Know It Yet, But They're Going to
Love You." – P.T Barnum) Barnum manages to get them all to put on a musical number of performances
that win over crowds every night, despite the fact that they are often seen as freaks. Through the help of
Barnum and the performance art, those people were accepted and they felt freedom to face people with
their unique appearance with extraordinary talents. Participating in the performing arts will help people
improve their ability to stand in front of an audience and put on a show. This also teaches a variety of
skills, including motivation, teamwork, punctuality, and much more. This partakes to the development of a
more well-rounded society with citizens who have acquired a variety of skills which can help to benefit
society and the community. Above everything, being creative is at the heart of the performing arts. A
society may become all but dead within if it lacks a creative voice, and a social community devoid of
creativity is likely to be oppressive and tyrannical rather than a force for good. The value of including
individuals in society who can express themselves creatively cannot be overstated.
In addition, performing arts are vital in the art industry because they strengthen the industry's
relationship and highlight the importance of art to us. As depicted in the film The Greatest Showman,
Barnum's perseverance to energies his circus by having them perform various talents such as singing and
dancing helped to strengthen the arts industry. As a result, Barnum has met people who are well enough
in the arts, such as playwright Phillip Carlyle and opera singer Jenny Lind that also give an impact on
Barnum's circus along with his name. For a variety of reasons, the arts are unquestionably an important
component of a healthy economy. Access to the arts makes an area more appealing to individuals and
families engaged in every industry, in addition to building and amplifying the growth of innovative
industries.
When it comes to the role of performance art in our lives, I believe it is an essential component
since art is everywhere around us. Just like what I have said earlier, performance art builds the confidence
of an individual to face and show himself/herself without any doubt. It allows us to express our thoughts
or opinions about something that holds our curiosity. Art has a positive impact on our mood, helping us
feel relaxed, calmer, or even encouraged to do something. Art can be seen everywhere. In the movie I
was very inspired to the bearded woman named Lettie Lutz when she sung the song entitled “This is me”
and specifically in the lyrics” I am brave, I am bruised I am who I'm meant to be, this is me”. Whereas, it
means that showing support for yourself, being confident and proud of who you are. Loving yourself as
you are, flaws and all and also loving yourself despite the fact that no one else loves you back. In
performing an art such as dancing, singing ang many more just like in the movie, at first people will not
give time or appreciate on what you are doing but you must continue until some of them realize how
beautiful and unique your skills have. Be your number one fan, be proud and always put a heart on it.
Performance art is what we need nowadays. We cannot deny that because of the modernization
some arts were almost forgotten though it was important and greatly helps many aspects such as our
lives, community, society and the art industry. The movie namely The Greatest Showman opens my eyes,
mind and heart to the arts especially in performing arts. I really appreciated and inspired to the unique
characters because of their bravery to show their talents despite that people around them treat them as a
freak. In boosting their confidence, to express themselves and set their lives in freedom they used
performance arts as a tool thus, we must appreciate, preserve, improve and strengthen it.
“The noblest art is that of making others happy.” -P. T Barnum