In yesterday's lesson within the unit, Film Genres and National Cinemas, students began their genre deep dive investigation into biopic genre films. Like all films, biopics provide a representation of a story, with layers of meaning and room for personal interpretation. It is however very important to keep in mind that there is almost always more to the story, and that audiences viewing biopics should also conduct their own research and fact checking. Without this, the truth may become buried under layers of glitter, gloss, and showmanship.
Short for biographical pictures, biopic films portray the life stories of real people. It is however important to keep in mind that nobody’s life could possibly fit into a two and a half hour time slot, and that the attention spans of audience members tend to wander. This causes for details to be left out, real people to be reimagined as characters, and their lives to be shoved into the meat grinder that is the ‘three act structure’, so that they can be packaged neatly with the unrealistic but perfect completeness of having a beginning, a middle, and an end. Thus, while films may be marketed as ‘based on a true story’, the key word to take into consideration here is ‘based’. Even if a biopic has a realistic and factual style, and keeps over-dramatisation to a minimum, there is still an inevitable process of selection and emphasis that takes place as the story is converted into a film. Even vigorous research is not enough to overcome inherent personal bias that a filmmaker takes into each of their projects. This is just like when a class of students studying the same novel will come up with different essays. Even if there are popular points and quotations used for evidence, choosing what is most important to include is something that is the result of personal choice and perspective.
While biopics can certainly spark interest in different topics, social issues, and invite the audience to empathise with a range of characters and life experiences, it can be problematic if a film becomes the beginning as well as the end of a person’s investigation into the story. While we looked at a range of biopics, the film that appeared to strike the deepest chord in the class was The Greatest Showman (2017). This beautiful musical drama film portrayed the story of PT Barnum, creator of the Barnum and Bailey ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ circus, and according to the film’s trailer, ‘show business’ itself. With a truly star studded cast including Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Zendaya, and Australia’s own Hugh Jackman as PT Barnum, the film weaves an enchanting ‘rags to riches’ tale of an inventive and loving man with the idea that would change entertainment forever. While his idea was a ‘freak show’, featuring ‘human curiosities’, the problematic plan of getting these outcasts off the streets and into the spotlight was painted as a celebration of difference. Exploitation of persecuted individuals (those with physical deformities, and targets of racism and slander) was packaged as a mission to spread joy for audiences and performers alike. Barnum’s ‘white lies’ about his acts (i.e. he adds pillows to the fat man’s costume, and calls the man with hereditary hypertrichosis (aka werewolf syndrome) ‘Dog Boy’ on his promotional poster) are quickly dismissed as innocent and whimsical imaginings, as the audience sings along with this film that champions the resilience and imagination of this extraordinary man, and his ability to sell a controversial idea.
While The Greatest Showman is a beautiful musical drama film, it certainly isn’t an ethical or responsible biopic. In class, we began with a viewing of the trailer, which led into a discussion of the purpose, focus, and the intended target audience of this biopic. After coming to similar conclusions; that this film focuses on bravery and strength of character in the face of adversity, and that it would be a great viewing experience for families young and old, I read my class the following article from The Wrap. According to Lange in her piece entitled ‘Why Celebrate ‘Terrible’ PT Barnum at All in ‘The Greatest Showman’?’, Barnum lived a life funded by cruelty towards vulnerable people and animals alike. He introduced inhumane methods such as the bullhook (heavy metal baton with sharp hooked end) and hot pokers into elephant handling. Elephants shipped from Sri Lanka died on their way to America, and two beluga whales were dead within two days of being kept in the basement of his New York museum (Lange, 2017). While the film was still in production, PETA was in contact with the team in regards to their concerns of glorifying a person who had caused so much pain. They did however commend the film for using computer generated animals in the film rather than life ones.
In regards to his mistreatment of people, while you may have heard of the bearded lady, the fat man, and dog boy, you may not know that Barnum ‘owned’ an elderly, blind African American woman named Joice Heth, and “advertised her age as 161, and claimed that she had been nursemaid to the young George Washington” (American Social History Productions, 2023).While he made $1,500 a week from her, she received no pay. Barnum also identified himself as Heth’s ‘proprietor’, even though slavery had been abolished in New York for seven years already. This is certainly a confronting truth to face, especially when Hugh Jackman’s performance of PT Barnum is so loveable and very much like how we would imagine Walt Disney to behave. According to Lopez, Barnum is misrepresented as being a “white saviour” and an “able bodied ally” to those with visible disabilities (Lopez, 2017). This however was certainly not the case. The film itself with its modern and extravagant singing and dancing numbers also masks the reality of a real freak show. In the film, the cast of eccentric individuals are dressed to the nines and performing happily together on stage, whereas some of these people (or ‘sideshow attractions’) would be made to simply sit in cages while paying customers came to gawk at them. Freak show ‘talents’ were certainly not treated as respected performers, but as subhuman, and that was sadly the key selling point in this business.
Therefore, while The Greatest Showman is a wonderful film, it is a prime example of a biopic that leaves painful truths out for the sake of the narrative and commercial profit. It is definitely okay to enjoy the film, but it is also important in honour and respect of those who were hurt and exploited in the making of the Barnum and Bailey circus to be familiar with what really happened; the good and the bad.
References:
American Social History Productions, (2023). "The Joice Heth Exhibit’, https://lostmuseum.cuny.edu/archive/exhibit/heth, accessed on 2/3/23
Fox Family Entertainment. 2017, The Greatest Showman | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX, online video, viewed on 2 March 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXCTMGYUg9A
Lange, L. (2017). "Why Celebrate ‘Terrible’ PT Barnum at All in ‘The Greatest Showman’? (Guest Blog)”, https://www.thewrap.com/celebrate-terrible-pt-barnum-greatest-showman-guest-blog/, accessed on 2/3/23
Lopez, K. (2017). “‘The Greatest Showman’ Fails Disabled Audiences by Masking P.T. Barnum’s Monstrous Past”, https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-greatest-showman-fails-disabled-audiences-by-masking-pt-barnums-monstrous-past, accessed on 2/3/23
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