Apologies for the delay, life got a little crazy for the past couple of weeks.
Musical theatre is a monster of an art form. It requires years of practice and talent, even which may not bring a person close to the pinnacle of the medium. So when actors try, and by and large, succeed at giving a successful performance, it is worth noting. Because there is a lot more going on than a person may realize, and even the least successful musicals still take more work than a person may realize.
Stephen Sondheim’s commentary on classic fairy tales, Into the Woods, is a hard story to get right, and even harder to bring to the proper audiences. It’s too dark for children, too campy for serious scholars, and too complicated for the everyday audience member. So a movie of it has to find some fun while still staying true to the material, or, bring in star power to up the level of interest. Enter the cast of the 2014 movie.
All stars of the screen come to join this iconic story, even in minor roles, and the entire thing is billed as a new musical masterpiece led by three-time Oscar Winner, Meryl Streep, in the lead role. But she’s not actually the lead, nor is she given a ton to do. And the few moments she does have, while solidly designed, lose something because the focus is different in the film medium than on stage.
Stephen Sondheim writes incredibly complicated music. It’s fast, dynamic, and wordy. And to perform it takes a level of talent and practice that cannot be overstated. And Meryl is giving it her all in this role, but the framing of that role, and the way this movie limits the audiences view, ultimately hurts her performance and the impact it can have.
The role of the witch, within the stage show, is much more present, often looming in the background and watching before she enters the scene herself. The movie removes much of that, it makes the character less powerful and ominous than the stage show allows her to be portrayed. And it hurts the work, no matter how good it is; and know that Meryl is doing a phenomenal job given all the limitations she’s been given.
What Meryl does is humanize this role to new and unforgettable depths. It makes this character, who could be wildly cliché and over the top, come down and become human, and that humanity is what drives her performance to a place of genuine skill, even without the full power of her presence to carry that power beyond her big moments. And to do this musically, is an even more phenomenal thing than you may realize.
Singing, choreography, and rhythmic talking all limit what an actor can do and to give the same depth of performance is a staggering thing to witness. It’s a sign that Streep truly has talent as an actress, and her skill is well beyond the level we may even realize. She’s clearly got talent as an actor, but by pushing that talent, she’s showing just how far she can go with her abilities and that makes the work even better.
So let’s breakdown this performance.
My criteria for judging each performance is as follows:
Intentions and Choices – What was Meryl doing as a performer and did it come across in a way that was interesting and compelling?
Physicality and Vocal Choices – Was there a select set of choices for Meryl’s posture, gestures, rhythms, accents, and all other physical aspects, and did they help add to the character or distract from it?
Character Backstory – Were there choices Meryl made that showed us secrets beyond the script or screen? Did those choices add to her work or were they something that took us out of the present story.
Stand Out Moments – What scenes from the movie worked the best, or worst, and how did those reflect on Meryl’s performance?
Overall Movie Quality – How is the movie outside of Meryl’s performance? Is it a brilliant work because of her, in spite of her, or is her performance the only thing that makes the movie redeemable?
So let’s break down The Witch in Into the Woods:
Intentions and Choices – The Witch has a lot of power for much of the movie but ultimately loses something towards the end. Her moments where she’s really given room to flourish are phenomenal pieces, but overall she’s not allowed too much beyond a few fleeting goals and limited things to do to achieve them. (7/10)
Physicality and Vocal Choices – Meryl’s not given a lot to do with her vocal choices because of how musical the role is, but the singing is solid. Her work physically shows a range between the two sides of the witch but again it’s so quick that it’s hard to notice even when it is good work. (8/10)
Character Backstory – I think there is a lot there. And I think Meryl is doing what she can with how muddled that backstory is, but she’s not solidly defining the moments herself, and the narrative style of dialogue doesn’t help clarify everything. (6/10)
Stand Out Moments – “Children Will Listen” is a standout number in this show and Meryl does it justice. Her pain, her regret, her love, her longing, and so much more come through and you can see that even though there may be better singers out there, her ability to create emotional responses and showcase deep thoughts is second to none. (8/10)
Overall Movie Quality – It’s fine, but compared to the versions there have been on stage, and the quality of many other, far better, movie musicals, this one just lacks the full power it should have and ultimately needs a lot more to be fully successful. (5/10)
Total Score: 34/50
Current Ranking:
The Devil Wears Prada
Kramer vs. Kramer
Doubt
The Deer Hunter
Postcards From the Edge
Sophie’s Choice
The Iron Lady
One True Thing
Julie & Julia
Silkwood
The Bridges of Madison County
Ironweed
August: Osage County
Into the Woods
Adaptation.
Music of the Heart
The French Lieutenant’s Woman
A Cry in the Dark
Out of Africa
And we have 2 to go. I will try not to get behind again, but no promises. It’s coming down to the end and I don’t know if anything is going to take the top, but maybe something will come close.
So until then, as I always say, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!
Ploominate 