“In the Heights” A new masterpiece that overlaps the history of musical movies and is also future-oriented.

Authentic musical scenes shot on-site

What is the point of turning a stage musical into a movie? This means being able to leave the limited space of the stage and freely project the outside world as much as you like. Some works, such as `` A Chorus Line '' (1985), preserve the original worldview and purposely avoid spreading to the outside world. But just as `` The Sound of Music '' (65) captured the vast mountains of the Alps, ` `Les Misérables '' (12) recreated the streets of 19th century France, and above all, `` West Side Story '' ( 61) moved the camera freely in Manhattan, New York, so ``In the Heights'' (21) makes extensive use of locations, and the group dance that takes place there comes close to you with an overwhelming energy.

The video was shot in Washington Heights, the northernmost part of Manhattan, where the story takes place, and the light and atmosphere are integrated with the singing and dancing characters. It's a joy.

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The grocery store where the main character, Usnavi, works is located at the corner of 175th Street and Audubon Avenue, and a dance scene centered around Usnavi unfolds on the street in front of the store. Hollywood movies tend to use locations that are easier to shoot in, changing only the appearance of the street to create a setting, but ``In the Heights'' is set in Washington Heights, a place that has been sealed off. The photo was taken.

Another effective location shot is the musical scene in the pool. The song ``96,000,'' about ``If you won $96,000 in the lottery, what kind of dream would you make come true?'' was filmed at the Highbridge Park public pool at 173rd Street and Amsterdam Avenue. This number pays great homage to Busby Berkeley, who is also a history of musical film.

Berkeley was a director and choreographer who supported the golden age of MGM musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s, and established a style that used huge sets and special effects to make a large number of dancers look like a kaleidoscope pattern. His talent is still talked about today. This ``96,000'' scene is reminiscent of ` `A Million Mermaids '' (1952), in which Berkeley participated in the choreography and starred Orphan Williams, the queen of MGM's underwater revues. In addition to being filmed underwater, a crane was also used to capture the ``formation'' of dancers swimming in the pool, making for an impressive video.

“One Million Mermaids” Preview

By the way, the lyrics of ``96,000'' in the original version, ``When I go around the golf course, Donald Trump is my caddy'' were changed to ``Tiger Woods is my caddy'' in the movie version. The reason seems to be that Trump, who was just a symbol of wealth when it premiered in 2008, has become a stain on democracy after becoming president.

Homage to masterpieces and deep links