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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
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 Iâm most familiar with.
Review
This film isâŠhonestly, one of my favorites. I canât help but have a big smile on my face every time I watch it. And thatâs the whole way through.
The songs are really good and super catchy. They are also frequently quite funny. Josephâs 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 doesnât happen. This also helps with the pacing of the story, which is fairly fast, but never feels rushed.
I donât like all of them equally (obviously), but thatâs 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 âexcuseâ 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. Theyâre extremely 60s, which means itâs extremely out-of-place.
Dare I call it a masterpiece? Yes. Everyone should watch it.
Also, I had a personal theory that the narrator isâŠgod. Yes, that explains why she knows the story and whatâs going to happen and what sheâs doing in this story. Alternatively, sheâs an angel. But that one isnât as fun.
Speculah & Analysis
At some point Iâll have a comparison to the Biblical narrativeâŠonce I bother to read it.
Trivilinks
- You can actually watch the film for free on YouTube! Here it is.
- I first saw clips of it in elementary school.