In the Heights

Colour Bursting Through a Blackout

4/5

Spoilers

I would like to begin by clarifying a fact, clearing up something that has grown from a misunderstanding into a misrepresentation of my opinion. I don't hate Hamilton. No, I really don't! To be specific, and to clear this up once and for all, I am ambivalent about Hamilton. I fully appreciate its landmark status in promoting diversity on Broadway. I can understand the strong message it says about migrant communities through America's history. I've been lectured on the wit, poetry, and intelligence with which Lin-Manuel Miranda constructed his lyrics. I get that it has inspired so many people that it must be the defining musical of our age. But it is hip-hop at its core and I just don't enjoy hip-hop.

"Oh, but you must see it to get it!" the reply often comes, frequently from those who haven't. I have. I've seen it live on stage. As I said, I didn't hate it - it was fine. The only thing I hated about that trip was the audience, raucous like a crowd at a pop concert, not listening to what was actually going on; the music playing through their memories rather than through their ears. But it was fine. The stage craft was interesting, though no more exciting that a dozen other shows I have seen. And, again, it was hip-hop. Classy hip-hop. Stagey hip-hop. Incredibly intelligent hip-hop. But hip-hop.

Interestingly, when I first heard the music of Hamilton, I assumed it had been written by some smug doofus who didn't know the first thing about Broadway. I assumed that the composer probably hated musicals and thought he could teach us Jerry Herman fanatics what real music was by dropping some sick beats. Then I saw Lin-Manuel Miranda interviewed. He was very much not what I expected - a composer steeped in Broadway with Dick Van Dyke levels of likability. No wonder he fitted so well into Mary Poppins Returns.

Having become someone who quite likes Miranda whilst not being an aficionado of his greatest work, I was somewhat excited by the film release of his first work, In the Heights. Composed when he was in college, Miranda struck gold as he rocketed to Broadway, with the 2008 production bagging four Tonys (including Best Musical and Best Composer for Miranda). It was a love letter to his community. Though not from Washington Heights himself, the show dealt with issues faced by Hispanic community groups in New York.

With anticipation to see what had propelled the young Miranda to Broadway, I hit the cinema with Mrs. C. We were in the small screen at the Birmingham New Street Odeon, which was a shame for such a big film, but the quality was unimpeded. I found the music somewhat more enjoyable than I'd found Hamilton. Yes, there is still quite a lot of rapping etc..., but this specific musical idiom is but a part of the mixed musical palate used. Cultural representations of salsa, Cuban riffs, ballads, and the aforementioned rapping blend together across the fun score. The big production numbers were brimming with musical joy and seemed to celebrate both their Broadway and community heritages.

What worked best in the movie was the fact the director knew he was creating a movie. Often, musicals on the big screen simply try to represent the stage show on film. Take Phantom of the Opera, for instance, which is beat for beat identical to the stage show staging. A good director sees that the magic of the movies can add further sparkle to what is already there. In the '96 000' number, the characters draw animation onto the screen, highlighting what they see in their minds. We get some Esther Williams inspired pool choreography. In the duet between Nina and Benny in the latter half of the film, Fred Astaire's gravity defying dance from Royal Wedding is alluded to as the pair dance up the walls of their building.

The film never forgets its purpose, though, which is exploring the lives of a community surviving in what is considered a rough area of New York. Some criticism of the film, I'd imagine from more conservative quarters, picked on the way this troubled area was displayed as somewhere 'full of colour and happiness'. Those people easily forget that these so-called areas of 'trouble' are not inhabited by faceless monster-filled shadows, but by people. These communities may be poor but they are communities. The nods to the golden age of movie musicals act as a juxtaposition. Where Astaire dances in a hotel room, Benny and Nina dance on the fire escape of a tenement block. Where Esther Williams was in a glamourous private MGM pool, the cast and hundreds of extras are squished into a public outdoor pool.

But they always revel in the joy of diversity and the joy of community. Bright colours drip from the fabrics of Vanessa's dresses, or the salon, or even the walls of the bodega. Banquets of homecooked dishes, brought to America from the Dominican Republic or Cuba, turn simple meals into mouth-watering banquets. Where society would normally turn away from such a community in such an area, this film lightly scratches the surface to show a people struggling to get by, despite working hard, but still finding the joys of life.

The long runtime has been a put-off for many, although I did not find much issue there. It is a musical and, going in, I would always expect a musical to run longer than an average film. I would rather the score's integrity was maintained that shave 30 minutes from the run time. What I did find that slightly misfired was aspects of the pacing in the second half. There was a demonstration for DACA, a bill that deals with undocumented migrants who entered the US as children. This scene, though carrying an important message, is rather dropped into the plot with little reference leading into it. From what I understand, this scene is a film addition and more care could have been taken to ensure a smooth positioning.

With a good cast, enjoyable score, and some excellent sequences this was a good movie musical. And the cheeky post-credits scene with Lin-Manuel was ultimately very welcome. Perhaps, after all, I've been too harsh on Hamilton. If I could enjoy the rapping in this maybe its time to give that show one more shot.

In the Heights, 2021

Director: Jon M. Chu

Writer: Quiara Alegría Hudes, based on In the Heights by Quiara Alegría Hudes & Lin-Manuel Miranda

Composer: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alex Lacamoire, & Bill Sherman

Starring: Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Olga Merediz, Jimmy Shmits, Gregory Diaz IV, & Lin-Manuel Miranda

Currently showing at major U.K. cinemas