I’ve long considered music to be the greatest form of art due to its unparalleled ability to evoke emotion in those who consume it. Literature or film is often highly dependent on the preconceptions of the viewer, and thus its messages can be muddied, the artist’s intent becoming blurred during the journey to the audience’s mind. Other forms of art have difficulty impart any meaning to the viewer; I would imagine I’m not in the minority when I say that dance does nothing for me. I find the act itself impressive, but am not left with much else for it. Music alone is the form of art that speaks to everyone, no matter who they are, as it has been around for thousands of years. Some people don’t read books, some people don’t enjoy art galleries, some people may not even watch movies. But everyone listens to music in some form or another, and it elicits the strongest emotional response out of every other medium.
That being said, I’ve come to reconsider my assessment of music as the greatest art form. Kind of. I’ve shifted my position to a different medium, which although similar to music, is a different thing altogether. I now believe that musicals are the greatest form of art.
If your first response to that is to roll your eyes and call me a theater kid, then I suggest you reflect on that stance and hear out what I have to say. Hopefully, by the end of this blog, you’ll be willing to engage with more musicals yourself.
A lot of people say that they dislike musicals, but I’ve found that oftentimes these people haven’t even really watched a musical before. They immediately write it off as boring, maybe because they find the idea of singing a story to be stupid or something. On the contrary, however, singing a story might just be the best way to tell it. Musicals have all the benefits of music that I’ve listed above, while at the same time also holding the power of storytelling like books and films do. If you like music, and you like stories, there isn’t any reason why you shouldn’t like musicals. I strongly suspect that the general public’s distaste for musicals has something to do with today’s culture of insincerity, or that people are generally unwilling to experience new things. Whatever it may be, I do encourage you to watch some musicals and genuinely engage with it.
Now, you may wonder what inspired me to shift my perspectives on the greatest art form. There have been a few factors, but it’s mainly due to one particular musical. Over the past year or so I’ve watched a few musicals like Chicago and Legally Blonde, both of which I enjoyed thoroughly, and do recommend you check out.
The one that stands out to me most, however, is Les Misérables. I genuinely believe it to be a masterpiece, and unlike pretentious video essayists on Youtube, that is not a term I use lightly. Even my favorite films and movies I struggle to earnestly call masterpieces. But Les Misérables is probably the most powerful and impactful piece of media I have ever seen in my life. The story itself is taken from Victor Hugo’s novel of the same name, which is already great by itself, but turn it into a musical, and suddenly there is a whole new layer of emotion added to it.
As the greatest pieces of art do, the story of Les Misérables is one that connects with everyone, presenting the human condition in all its shame and glory. Based off the title, you can probably guess that all the people in the story are very miserable; however, the point of the story is not to be depressing, but to rather show the perseverance of man through his suffering. Set during the French Revolution, it follows several different characters as they fight for their beliefs against a society that won’t le
t them: an ex-convict seeking redemption while society perpetually brands him a criminal, a group of young students willing to risk their lives in rebellion for their cause, most of the characters being destitute yet still hoping for a brighter future.
While we likely can’t claim to have been in any of the people’s shoes, it’s hard not to emotionally connect with them on a personal level. I am not personally an ex-convict, yet I empathize with Jean Valjean as he struggles to do what he knows is right, even when he only ends up being punished for doing so. I have not participated in a bloody revolution, yet I am inspired by the strength of the youth’s resolve to stand up against the government, to fight for their beliefs, to die knowing that they are fighting for the future of those after them. The story mainly revolves around Jean Valjean’s redemption arc, but Les Misérables is still able to weave together several plotlines that show every shade of the human condition.
If this story sounds the least bit engaging to you, then I urge you go see Les Misérables, be it Victor Hugo’s novel, the 2012 musical film adaptation, or my preferred version, the musical stage adaptation. The novel is of course a fine way to experience it, but as I’ve said, musicals bring a whole new layer to the story.
I think this is best represented in the video I’m linking below. When I first heard this song, I almost cried, though I was in school at the time so I didn’t. Regardless, it sent shivers down my spine, and is one of the most powerful scenes in anything ever. For context, the singer, Fantine, is a young girl who fell in love with a man one summer and had his child. However, the man immediately abandoned her. To care for her daughter, Fantine pays a pair of corrupt innkeepers to take care of the child while Fantine works in a factory in the city and sends money back to them. But then, she is fired after the other workers find out she had a child out of wedlock, and as a result is forced onto the streets, selling her hair and teeth to get by. The corrupt innkeeps lie to Fantine about her daughter and make up false reasons for why the ransom payments need to increase, forcing Fantine to go into prostitution to meet their demands. In the end, she is left used and broken. This song is a culmination of her grief at likely never being able to see her daughter again, of having all her dreams crushed by the reality of life, and of the pit of misery she has found herself in, which is probably why they called it Les Misérables. Again, I cannot say I have ever been in her situation. But I still relate. After all, we have all felt such intense grief before, of having all of our hope stolen for us with no way out in sight. In a book or movie, whether or not you empathize with Fantine is up to how much empathy you have in general. But in musical form, you’re forced to care, and the expression of grief through song is one of the most emotionally powerful things I’ve seen in a long time.
In other words, if there’s one musical you end up watching, let it be Les Misérables.