Hamilton (2020)

Hamilton is a musical play written, produced, and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda.  The musical tells the story of Alexander Hamilton detailing his start in poverty and subsequent rise and fall within the United States government.  The biggest enemy that Alexander Hamilton faces is constant opposition from Aaron Burr.  This rivalry comes to a head and Hamilton loses to Burr in a duel.  Along his journey Hamilton meets and allies himself with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

When I heard about how popular this Broadway musical had become and that the play was being filmed for a streaming service I was excited.  I had already seen an off Broadway production of the musical and thoroughly enjoyed myself throughout the films considerable run time.  I asked myself while writing this review what about my perception of this particular story could have changed between viewing it on TV vs the play and the answer is surprising.

Hamilton is essentially an American dream story.  Someone from international waters coming to the United States to make something of themselves.  As much as this type of story has been told and told well across many mediums is how diverse the cast is for a story that is largely about men of European decent and the ways they built not just a country but a nation.  Aaron Burr is played by Leslie Odom Jr. and what’s fantastic about his performance is that he is not played like a moustache twirling villain.  He is portrayed as a rich man with strong ideals.  Miranda and Odom Jr. play the rivalry two ways.  The first way they represent the clash is by making the two men be an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object and the second way they illustrate the distaste both men have for each other comes in the form of rap battle MC’s.

The music in this musical is what makes this historical biography really shine.  A lot of the songs have lyrics that have catchy rhymes or are about the situation at hand and that makes the audience both virtual and in attendance on that night in 2016 when this was filmed more immersed in the action.  There is a slight love triangle within this play and the most memorable songs are performed by two of the three Schuyler sisters.  The Schuyler Sisters song is motivated by Angelica and Eliza trying to find a suitable man to marry because they are poor.  Helpless and Satisfied the other two strongest songs in the film take place one after another and they are strong based on the fact that both songs allow you to get inside the headspace of Angelica and Eliza.

The use of the cameras filming this place does something sitting in the theater cannot its puts us in the center of the action.  I love the use of close up shots as well as well as the use wide shots because they both bring us in but give us a full sense of space throughout the performance.  This allows us to be in on the action when we need to be.  The major set piece they do the best at filming is the rap battle between Hamilton and Burr.  The director does a fantastic job at moving with the action and making us feel for both men and their ideals.

I love this movie because it imparts knowledge many people didn’t know about a man who helped build the country to what it is today.  The fact that the musical cast all the roles so that diverse voices could play them is just a beautiful bit of symmetry about the melting pot America is supposed to be.  There is some coarse language a few times throughout the film but I would strongly say that regardless of age this movie should been seen and experienced.  Do not throw away your shot.