This article has been marked for a re-write.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an operaA) based on the story of Joseph and his brothers from the book of Genesis. This article is mostly focused on the 1999 film, which I’m most familiar with.
Re-write progress:
This film is…honestly, one of my favorites. I can’t help but have a big smile on my face every time I watch it. And that’s the whole way through.
The songs are really good and super catchy. They are also frequently quite funny. Joseph’s song in prison (Close Every Door) also hits you right in the feels.
The transitions between the songs are also very natural.B) They all go from one to another, making it feel like one long song at times. Though there are a few cases where this doesn’t happen. This also helps with the pacing of the story, which is fairly fast, but never feels rushed.
I don’t like all of them equally (obviously), but that’s down to personal preference.
Also: the Pharaoh as Elvis is a stroke of genius.
The film is presented as a play for school children. This really helps with selling the (frequently) absurd content of the songs, plus it helps ‘excuse’ the simple visuals.
There are a few issues. I think the song where Joseph interprets dreams in prison suffers from tonal whiplash. (Go, Go, Go Joseph)
What do I mean?
When we hear the baker is going to be executed, it immediately (and I do mean immediately) cuts to the the upbeat part of the song with all the colorful outfits and dancing.
That segment also (coincidentally) has the worst outfits in the film. They’re extremely 60s, which means it’s extremely out-of-place.
Dare I call it a masterpiece? Yes. Everyone should watch it.
Also, I had a personal theory that the narrator is…god. Yes, that explains why she knows the story and what’s going to happen and what she’s doing in this story. Alternatively, she’s an angel. But that one isn’t as fun.
At some point I’ll have a comparison to the Biblical narrative…once I bother to read it.