by Julia Comerford

(Kevin Stoltenborg/The Fordham Ram)

Directed by Michael Gracey, The Greatest Showman is a captivating musical drama film that entices an audience of all ages in telling the true story of P.T. Barnum’s life and his creation of the Barnum and Bailey Circus. His circus, known today as Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth, ran for 146 years closing recently with its final show on May, 21st 2017. Starring Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman is inspired by the true fulfilling story of a destitute man whose magic, spirit and hope leads him to spark the birth of show business, creating a world renowned circus show.

What makes Barnum’s Circus so renowned in the film are the acts that he features in it. He finds people with physical deformities, “unique” or odd talents and puts them in the spotlight, literally in his show. The film takes place in 1860s New York City where “unique” people were not celebrated like they are today. In 1860s New York City, these people were seen as “freaks” and outcasts that were shunned, mocked and laughed at by society. Barnum does not see these people as freaks but as people who should be brought out of the shadows and celebrated for their uniqueness.

Some of the “unique” acts portrayed in the film are directly based off of the real original cast of P.T. Barnum’s Circus in 1871. These characters include: bearded lady, a man covered with fur from head to toe, a midget General named Tom Thumb, and a man with tattoos on every inch of his body. Other characters (added by the filmmakers) in Barnum’s Circus include a trapeze artist, portrayed by Zendaya, a ten-foot-tall man and a five-hundred-pound man.

At first, Barnum’s acts are ashamed of their uniqueness when he throws them into the spotlight with no warning. But as the film progresses, they develop a confidence in themselves and celebrate their own unique qualities along with Barnum. They grow to see that they are not freaks who should be ashamed, but people who should be proud of who they are.

The Greatest Showman is not only a musical masterpiece but an inspirational one because it includes two themes to which the film’s target audience of all ages can relate: never give up on your dreams, and be proud of who you are despite what others may think. By making his own dreams a reality, while helping others along his path, P.T. Barnum wins over the hearts of people of all ages and truly proves himself to be the greatest showman.