Cell block tango (Chicago 2002)

Directed by Rob Marshall, Chicago is a film musical that follows the characters Roxy Heart and Velma Kelly as they try to escape the judicial system. In particular, I want to focus on the scene given the name of the ‘cell block tango’. This is a montage of varies inmates’ alibis spliced together with their musical renditions of such.

Starting the scene with a close up of Roxy Heart in her prison cell, we begin to hear a rhythmic increase in noises like water dripping and figure nails tapping. While this rhythmic buildup in sounds helps set the music in place for the song, I feel it is also relevant to our theme of movement. Movement through sound is something we do not think of very often and I feel like this is a good example of such. The increasing level of sound seems to drag us into the musical number by curiosity. It moves us through the song in the same way a camera would a scene.

In the same way that the music builds up, the action happening on screen does too. Each alibi is started off with calm music and an almost lighthearted setting.

The scene then explodes with murderous intent, and the music and lighting reflect this. The movement present here is one from calm to dangerous. This dramatic buildup of tension is apparent in many aspects of this scene and I feel that movement plays a major role in this.

While the camera placement and scene changes move us through the story of this number, I feel that the choreography and music play a very vital role in the visual representation of this scene. In terms of choreography, there the same form of buildup present. After each alibi, a new dancing couple is added to the chorus. Starting with just one and ending with a climax of all the inmates in their final chorus. This buildup of dancers, like with the music and the effects in the scene, moves us through the climactic buildup that is this number.

As a last thing of note, I feel obliged to mention the sheer use of line in the imagery of this scene. Every position of the choreography has these dancers in a strong and dynamic pose. These strong, often diagonal lines imply harsh movement, making it apparent that these women are ready and willing to put up a fight if need be.

 

Reference: Imdb-2014-Imdb.com[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299658/][Last accessed on 20/01/2014]