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

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2021.07.30Hiroaki Saito

Homage to masterpieces and deep links

Another passionate homage to MGM musicals is `` Love Semi-Finals '' (51), starring Fred Astaire. A very famous scene will be recreated for musical fans. As Astaire begins to dance, his feet begin to climb the wall (his body also turns sideways), and eventually reach the ceiling (his body is turned upside down). In other words, this scene where gravity changes 180 degrees was achieved using a special effect in which Astaire dances on a rotating set with all fixed props, and the camera follows the rotation.

This analog rotating set has since been used several times in science fiction works, including `` 2001: A Space Odyssey '' (68) and `` Inception '' (10). ``In the Heights'' contains dance scenes that similarly shift gravity for the dancers. Here, as expected, the composition is done with the background, but if you think of it as a homage to Fred Astaire, a legend of musical movies, it increases the romantic mood even more.

In addition to these individual works by Busby Berkeley and Fred Astaire, by watching the three " That's Entertainment " series (74, 76, 94), which collects masterpieces from the golden age of MGM musicals, you can enjoy "In the... You can feel that the spirit of musical movies is still alive in ``In the Heights''. ``A Million Mermaids'' and ``Love Semi-Final Match'' are included in the first work of the series.

“Love semi-final match” preview

The main character of ``In the Heights'' is Usnavi, a Dominican immigrant, and the main characters are Caribbean and Latinx. Naturally, the plot revolves around a story that symbolizes the American immigrant society, such as the relationship with the homeland, and this is exactly what ``West Side Story'' is, a monumental musical. The famous song ``America'' from the same album, which compares life in his homeland of Puerto Rico and the United States, will be reminiscent of the overall image of ``In the Heights.'' ``West Side Story'' (21), a remake of ``West Side Story'' by Steven Spielberg, was also in production at the same time as ``In the Heights.'' At one point, the two films were filmed on location just a few blocks apart, and a catering truck from "West Side" was caught on camera from "In the Heights." It is said that it is gone.

In fact, Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the Spanish version of the dialogue and lyrics for the Broadway revival of West Side Story in 2009. Perhaps because of this connection, he visited Spielberg's location and watched the scene where "Maria" was sung.

In any case, the movie versions of two classic musicals, old and new, ``In the Heights'' and ``West Side Story'' being released in the same year, 2021, have nothing to do with the themes that society is currently seeking. I don't think so. ``In the Heights'' was made into a movie with greater diversity in mind, such as changing one of the main characters to be gay.

And in terms of diversity, director Jon M. Chu is an Asian American, and Crazy Rich Rich! has an all-Asian cast. ” (18) was a success. However, there are also dance movies such as `` Step Up 2: The Streets '' (2008) and ` `Step Up 3 '' (10), as well as 3D movies such as `` Justin Bieber Never Say Never '' (11). His experience in making music documentaries was put to good use in this work, ``In the Heights,'' and it is not just a selection based on his awareness of diversity. After ``In the Heights,'' Jon M. Chu, who is scheduled to direct ``Wicked,'' may become a great musical film master.

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Interview and text: Hiroaki Saito

Became freelance in 1997, contributing movie reviews and interview articles to various media such as movie magazines, theater pamphlets, and movie sites. The column is constantly updated on Yahoo! News.

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"In the Heights"

Nationwide roadshow on Friday, July 30th!

Distribution: Warner Bros. Pictures

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