Heterosexuality and the musical: The Couple Introduction: (PP2) Rick Altman In the musical the couple is the

plot (p.35) In the American film musical it seems natural and part of the normal course of events that an adult human being ends up in the arms of another adult human being of the opposite sex. As Rick Altman shows it pairing-off is the natural impulse of the musical; everything in the musical is here to illustrate this male-female coupling: from the plot to the splitting of the screen, the choreographies, the songs, the images (PP3) Most of the musicals rely upon the plot device boy-meets-girl which is magnified by the celebration of this process through singing and dancing. Even when the main theme of the film is something else, the progression of an intimate relationship (normally between the lead characters) is typically the most important subplot. (PP4) It is usually not a surprise for the spectator for the couple to end up together. As Rick Altman say it The spectator must sense the eventual lovers as a couple even when they are not together, even before they have met p.28. This can be illustrated by the fact that we find in the American film musical some famous pairs, couples of actors that would act together in several films as for example Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers who have been in ten films together, or Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy with 8 films together. (PP5: Questions): In our presentation today we are going to try to answer at some main questions concerning the couple in the musical:
1. How is the heterosexual relationship between the characters represented in the

musical? 2. How is the progression of the relationship represented in the musical? (courtship ritual) 3. How are the sexual roles represented in the American Film Musical? 4. Do the characters always have to give up something for the relationship to work?

(PP6) How is the heterosexual relationship between the characters represented in the musical?

(PP7) For Rick Altman there is a male-female duality that is transferred to all the aspects of the film. This duality is usually shown through five main fields: the setting, the shot selection, the music, the dance and the personal style. But some other categories are used to emphasize that duality like color, age, costume, background, national origin, size, attitude, profession, competence, manners This duality is often shown through parallelism and symmetry for the setting. For the shot, the music or songs and the dance it is usually illustrated through a duet, or a solo paired with another solo of the other member (example in Grease Hopelessly devoted to you followed by (Oh) Sandy), or an unmarked shot (no particular pairing).

As we saw last week in Summer Nights songs delivered in echo fashion are effective to show this duality, they echo each other and their voices merge together at the end (p.38) But for Altman, the sexual dichotomy is also reinforced by the actors personal styles, like their particular voices or dance styles. As he says Style is style, no doubt, but in the American film musical, style comes in matched pairs (p.45). (PP8) But there are usually in most musicals secondary dichotomies, linked to the sexual dichotomy, that determine the films thematic. Those are usually oppositions found in the characters themselves, in their actions, in their temper, in their lifestyles, (example in the sound of music he is cold and discipline conscious, she is joyful, free and impulsive), we usually find social differences as well. Those thematic motifs run parallel to the love plot and serve the love plot as well. Each musical finds its own specific thematic pairing to support the main male/female coupling. But for Rick Altman there is always a part of this thematic dichotomy associated with the work ethic and its values and the other devoted to the activities and qualities identified with entertainment (example Saturday Night Fever, The Sound of Music). This is a dichotomy usually found in the society that the American film musical has adopted as his thematic.

(PP9) How is the progression of the relationship represented in the musicals? (courtship ritual)

(PP10) In most classical and modern films the basic theme of the narrative is the creation of the couple. And this process of creating the couple typically works in some attractionrepulsion cycles that motivate the twists and turns of the narrative. Usually the strong and important moments of that creation of the couple happen during the numbers (songs and dances): they meet, they fall in love, they are confronted to some obstacles, they fall in love again and they live happily ever after. For Altman the dancing creates an atmosphere of make-believe. They can find out their feelings while they dance. The dance provides an opportunity to rehearse that rhythm, to slide imperceptibly from indifference to passion The duet is usually reserved for moments of maximum tension or exultation for the couple as says Altman. CLIP: The laendler: The Sound of Music

(PP) How are the sexual roles represented in the American Musicals?

(PP) As we said earlier there is a dichotomy between the two characters, they are often opposites, and this dichotomy is represented in every aspect of the film. For Richard Dyer Man embodies sexuality, dangerous, low, exciting; the woman embodies morality, social positions, niceness. A perfect human unity is achieved by their coming together.

(PP) Do the characters always have to give up something for the relationship to work?

We usually have two well-defined characters that try to get together and they obviously find some difficulties and run into obstacles. For their unity to happen they usually have to give up something, to change, or as Altman think let the repressed part of their personality emerge. He indeed think that the characters are complementary each one representing the hidden aspect of the other. What is sure is that they have a strong effect on each other. The musicals thematic resolution is often symbolically figured by a trading of styles on the part of the principal characters. P.52. The surface personality of each member of the couple corresponds to the repressed personality of the otherp.81 In theory they come to an agreement where everyone is happy; but is that agreement equal? Or does someone has to give up more? And who? Examples: My Fair Lady,The Sound of Music, Grease CLIP: Youre the one that I want- Grease (PP) The resolution: The typical romantic resolution in the musical also goes by pair with the thematic resolution. The couple is united and their values and opposite lifestyles merge Usually symbolized by marriage, the couples union achieves a balance, a stability, a complete unity and complementarity. The unity of the couple is here to serve the traditional values of the American society (except for grease), the melting of two opposite persons can create the perfect couple, stable and happy Conclusion: We cant deny that the couple is really important in the American film musical. Not only because the majority of the musicals are about a love story and constructed to illustrate that creation of the couple but mostly because these musicals have created some unforgettable couples whom songs and dances are still in all our minds.