Hugh Jackman takes the lead role in a musically-charged film centered on one of the world's greatest entertainers. The film is called "The Greatest Showman" and it follows the story and exploits of P. T. Barnum.
Jackman brings Barnum's adventures to the big screen and brings the reality of circus life in the recent adaptation. The movie's tone seems to favor the lighter side, with the New York Times review noting that it feels similar to a "montage sequence that occasionally turns into a movie musical."
The movie is the debut of director Michael Gracey, who seem to successfully capture the "synthetic" aspect of circus life. It also succeeds in portraying the ambitions of Barnum, then a struggling businessman and entertainer who wants to gain the respect of his audience.
This is in addition to enchanting the audience's attention with "curiosities" collected from around the world.
The Barnum of real life is recognized as one of the greatest showmen in the world, thus the movie's title.
His real-life circus "P.T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan, and Hippodrome" was founded in 1871 and closed only earlier this year.
Barnum found his calling as a salesman when he was young— at age 12 he was already selling candy and alcohol. His first foray into entertainment started with his acquisition of a slave named Joice Heth in 1835.
The showman bought Heth for $1,000, after which he created a fictional story about her being the nurse of George Washington. He also said that the woman was 161 years old at the time.
Barnum traveled Northeast and exhibited Heth in his travels. People listened to the old lady "rehearse many [Baptist Church] hymns and sing them according to former custom." The businessman earned an average of $1,500 per week because of this.
"The Greatest Showman" is not the first attempt to bring Barnum's life into the film. 1934's "The Mighty Barnum," 1952's "The Greatest Show on Earth," and 1986's "Barnum" are movies that featured the businessman's life, as well.
