The Greatest Showman: an Analysis on The Movie's Success

Many can agree that musicals are an internationally popular film genre, due to the emotional outlet and creative plots they offer to their audience. An example of this would be the Broadway musical, P. T. Barnum “The Greatest Show on Earth”. The context of this musical is set in the 19th century of using the circus to reinvent show business to what we acknowledge today. This musical inspired director Michael Gracey to create “ The Greatest Showman” which used modern and complementary art as a source for viewers. According to the website, IMDb, “ The Greatest Showman” is an awarding winning movie that was released on December 20, 2017. This film had a soundtrack that was well received by the general public leading it to be the first soundtrack released in four years to sell one million copies in the U. S. This movie consists of 11 songs with highly inspirational lyrics created by Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. The cast features multiple highly acclaimed and recognized actors such as Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya, and Keala Settle. In this movie, “The Greatest Showman”, various literary elements were displayed such as theme, metaphors, and conflict.

After watching The Greatest Showman, this film conveyed empowering messages for the audience. Some which include, believing in your dreams, self- acceptance, listening to your heart. The theme of believing in your dreams was a key component within the movie. When P. T. Barnum had his mind set on creating something from nothing, there were people who underestimated and did not believe he could do it. But with his persistent attitude, he never gave up and with that, he conquered his dream and became a worldwide sensation. Another theme the movie highlighted was self- acceptance which was shown when the circus performers were being isolated by society due to their physical appearance. But with the song track provided within the movie called “This is Me”, a national anthem sung by the circus performers as motivation for people to understand the liberation of being caged in by other people’s perspectives. This song helped people regain their confidence and learn to love themselves for who they are. Lastly, another theme would be following your heart. Interracial love was demonstrated in this movie which is a controversial issue prevalent in today’s society. Phillip Carlyle and Anne Wheeler dealt with the constant battle of being together due to the color of their skin. But they didn’t let the society’s perceptions ruin their happy ending.

Overall, powerful themes were conveyed throughout the movie which inspired the audience in different ways. Not only was different themes displayed in the movie, but also metaphorical actions were shown as representations of current societal issues. This movie metaphorically depicted the circus “freaks” as minorities in today’s society. The circus performers were seen as inferior compared to everyone else due to their appearance. The Greatest Showman also metaphorically showed the diversity within the circus performers. Everyone had their own story and background which was portrayed in the movie. Throughout the movie, the conflict Man vs. Himself was portrayed within the movie when P. T. Barnum lost sight of who he was. P. T. Barnum got carried away with trying to fit in with the upper class, which caused him to succumb to the life of fame and allow his decisions to overshadow his vision. He neglected his family who supported his dreams even when others didn’t. Luckily with the help of circus performers, he soon realizes what he truly lost which encourages him to make amends with the loved ones he hurt. The Greatest Showman incorporated literary elements such as theme, metaphors, and conflict into the storyline.