Music and The Fictive Dream- "The Other Side"

I love music so much because of the power it holds to help you escape reality, even if it is only for a little while. A brief relief of stress and a release of endorphins can improve anyone's day. By balancing music with visual effects, entertainment can be brought to an even higher level. 

I'm sure all of us have a favorite TV show from childhood, that as soon as you heard the theme song, you were instantly filled with excitement and joy! It is the same thing for some musical numbers in our favorite kid's movies. Growing up in my family home, every person, child, or adult knew every lyric to any song within a Disney movie! So it's no surprise that I have a special place in my heart for movies that have a high musical presence. 

In 2018, I found myself traveling to the lower 48 and had one of the worst travel trips in my life. Murphy's law was heavily at work during this trip, anything that could go wrong did go wrong. After a miserable week, I was finally headed home on an airplane, not in the greatest of mindsets, when I decided to watch a movie I'd never seen before.  

"The Greatest Showman"

Movie Title: The Greatest Showman

Directed By: Michael Gracey

Written By: Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon

Release Date: December 20th, 2017

Country of Origin: United States

This 2017 movie has an all-star cast with the lead being played by Hugh Jackman and co-stars Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, and Zendaya. Altogether, these talented actors, singers, and dancers put on an amazing feel-good performance! 

It is a story about the legend of P.T. Barnum, the founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. This film, it tells Barnum's inspirational rags-to-riches story of how he started with nothing but with passion, determination, and creativity, he accomplished all his wildest dreams. It shows Barnums struggles while working his way up the social ladder, but also his mistakes once he reached a certain level of fame and power. Barnum's trials and tribulations tell a great story of fighting against diversity, being true to one's true self, and experiencing life to the fullest.

This film does a fantastic job bringing more life into the plotline with the use of all, not just one musical number. The music, the visual dancing, and the great acting give the viewer a warm and energized feeling throughout the film. I love all of the musical works in this movie, but one, in particular, stood out from the very first time I watched this motion picture. 

Song Title: The Other Side

Composers: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Date of Release: December 8th, 2017

Country of Origin: United States

Right before this song takes place in the movie, Barnum (Jackman) has just met Phillip Carlyle (Efron) who is a successful screen wright for plays in the area. Barnum sees that Carlyle is unhappy with his position in life, and is just 'playing the part' to satisfy others on the social ladder. 

So, Barnum sees this as an opportunity and tries to convince young Carlyle to break free from the cage of society's expectations and join him at the circus. The song is essentially an enthusiastic business meeting. Barnum and Carlyle drink whiskey in a bar while Barnum tries to make his case and tells Carlyle that he sees his potential. However, Carlyle is resistant to changing his ways, because he is worried about his high society family's reaction, that and Carlyle clearly thinks he is too good for this type of lifestyle. 

Yet, Barnum can see Carlyle's hesitation, so he presses on. He sympathizes with Carlyle, appealing to the sad, lonely side of his high society lifestyle, which brings up the confirmation of Carlyle's fears of being disgraced, disowned, and labeled as a clown if he took Barnum's offer. Again, Barnum pressures on, enticing Carlyle, telling him of the freedom to do as he would like, to live, laugh and have fun on 'the other side' without any judgment. 

After a moment of suspense, Carlyle finally turns to accept the offer and to discuss the rate of pay. In a fun banter of back and forth between the actors, they come to an agreement to pay Mr. Carlyle for his services. After the deal is done, the actors join together and sing about playing a whole new part in their life, and the freedom they have to fly to the other side!

This musical number may seem like a business exchange for the context of the story but it has a much deeper message than what it appears to be on the surface. The message this song tries to relay is that a person doesn't have to fit the script to be what society considers 'normal' to be happy. Don't be afraid to change your point of view to see what life can be like on the other side. Everyone should embrace their true selfs, even if it's consider weird or unusual. My favorite lyric emphases this sentiment with,  

 "So, trade your typical for something colorful, and if it's crazy, live a little crazy!"

The energy perceived from the combination of beat, tempo, and rhythms within this song is fantastic and keeps the listener wanting more. The beat and tempo for this number are very fast, strong, and upbeat, it does slow for some of the bridges within the track but always returns to the fast-paced beat from the start of the song. The rhythm uses a variety of notes and it plays a lot with suspended notes, sustained notes with silence to keep the audience excited for more of the song. The composers for this number did an amazing job balancing these musical elements to create this exciting bridge to the storyline for the movie. 

Closing Statement:

If you haven't watched this film yet, it is highly recommended! In my opinion, it is one of Hugh Jackman's greatest works. He is more known for his role as Wolverine in the X-men series but in this role as P.T. Barnum, you can not only see but feel how connected Jackman feels to the role. Jackman embodied this character and I feel he truly enjoyed this role and with every musical and dance number you can feel the energy Jackman brings to the stage. 

The music was so amazing that several musicians decided to make covers of the soundtrack. It's called the Greatest Showman: Reimagined. Some big names like Panic! at the Disco, Kelly Clarkson, Pink and Pentatonix have covered a song from the soundtrack and made it with their own flare!

Here is the cover for The Other Side by MAX & Ty Dolla $ign:

Sources:

1.) The Greatest Showman | 20th Century Studios Family | © 2021 20th Century Studios

2.) Original Versions of The Other Side Written By Benj Pasek and Justin Paul | By Managing Editor Sebastian | © 2003-2021 | secondhandsongs.com