SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
While it doesn’t succeed at capturing the full magic of live performance, Thomas Kail’s filmed play communicates a significant fraction of the power of an already exceptional musical.
Up to a certain point, Thomas Kail’s filmed performance of Hamilton proves what we all already suspected: filming one of the most influential pieces of entertainment of our time in such a way that it effortlessly conveys all the emotions and sensations of live performance was an impossible task. Yet, having watched and indeed greatly enjoyed this film, I finally have some sense of just why this musical was sold out for months on end, and why it has received so much love and fanfare. Seen from that perspective, I measure Kail and his crew not against a standard so high as to be insurmountable, but applaud him for the near-miracle that he’s produced. That it communicates so much of Hamilton’s humour, drama and spirit is an extraordinary feat.
This is of course a filmed version, a live recording of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2015 musical Hamilton, chronicling the life of Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s Founding Fathers. Set during the time of the American Revolution and its immediate aftermath as the elite of the newly founded United States clash over competing visions for the future of their new nation. Critically acclaimed for its music, which is heavily influenced by modern R&B, rap, hip-hop and pop, Hamilton’s success lies in the way it uses those modern influences to make human beings out of men who for many exist only in the abstract, defending grand ideas that gave birth and nurtured a nation state. It is in that sense, fantastically inventive and creative.
It’s also impossible to examine this film from a technical perspective without considering the massive role that the musical on stage has. Kail assembled the final recording currently found on Disney Plus from video taken of three separate shows, and put simply, a major reason why Hamilton the film is so excellent is because Hamilton the stage musical is already a phenomenal combination of writing and music. The cast and crew give it a breathtaking sense of momentum and energy with their performances, while the music effortlessly blurs the line between past and present, bringing the struggle of these men and women alive. Over the course of two and a half hours, it’s an unstoppable progression from hit song to hit song, so much so that its R&B tracks, rap battles and the occasional Britpop ballad from King George III, come to define the idea of a musical just as much as the arias and duets of more traditional musicals. It’s smartly and efficiently written, hilarious and dramatic, and genuinely something of a wonder to behold. Having never spent hundreds of dollars and pulled many strings for a seat like many of those fortunate (and indeed rich) enough to see it live, this is probably the closest most of us will ever get. It’d be tempting to draw the conclusion that this recording used a typical set of static cameras and therefore owes all of its excellence to the work on stage rather than because of what’s happening behind the camera.
That’s what I expected, and I was both pleasantly surprised and glad to be proved wrong. Kail’s film does justice to all of the writing, the singing and the dancing that happens on stage, at least as far as it’s possible to do so. It’s not some terribly unimaginative take; rather it's wise enough to understand it shouldn’t get in the way when it doesn’t have to. There are little extra touches of cinematography and flair scattered throughout that make it a proper experience – closeups and careful framing bring us closer to the characters on stage - and I daresay I got a better look at what was going on than some of the people seated in the back rows. It does nothing to interfere; the cast barely seem to bat a single eyelid between them at the idea of being filmed. They’re totally absorbed in what they’re doing, and thanks to this recording, I was totally charmed.
It almost seems odd to talk about Disney and democratisation in the same sentence, but here we are. For those of us without the means, a more than passable recreation of an incredible show is now available to stream. While it doesn’t quite convince me that I shouldn’t endeavour to reach a point in my life where the live show lies within my reach, this makes for a more than entertaining replication in the meantime. I can’t quite fault it for not capturing the full experience of this particular bundle of cultural dynamite on film – that would be impossible – and as it stands, this recording puts us pretty close to the ensuing explosion as it is.
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