IndieWire's The 50 Best Movie Musicals of All Time, Ranked
Created by Fergenaprido.
Favorited 2 times, disliked 0 times, added to 3 watchlists.
From “Swing Time" to "In the Heights" and everywhere in between, these films represent the height and the incredible range of the genre.
By David Ehrlich, Christian Blauvelt, Kate Erbland
Jun 13, 2021 11:00 am
The musical often feels like a relic of a long-dead Hollywood studio system, but it remains a genre that captures movies’ ability to create story worlds that move freely between reality and fantasy. The worst examples come from filmmakers who give license to music, color, and movement run amok; the best musicals transcend artifice and integrate songs that become expressions of pure character emotion. It offers endless possibilities, but success demands a complete mastery of the medium.
Very few current stars could learn the choreography of Busby Berkeley, Jerome Robbins, or Bob Fosse, and adapting a medium developed and most suited for the stage requires innovative direction. In translating the joy of a live musical to the magic of cinema, some things are easily lost in the shuffle
From “Swing Time” to “In the Heights” and everywhere in between, here are 50 musicals that represent the height and the incredible range of the genre.
Eric Kohn, Anne Thompson, Ryan Lattanzio, Jude Dry, Kristen Lopez, Jenna Marotta, Jamie Righetti, Michael Nordine, and Siddhant Adlakha contributed to this list.
Filter
-
7 new
The Wizard of Oz
1939, in 37 top lists Check -
15 new
Mary Poppins
1964, in 15 top lists Check -
19 new
The Sound of Music
1965, in 25 top lists Check -
41 new
Fiddler on the Roof
1971, in 9 top lists Check -
43 new
Beauty and the Beast
1991, in 19 top lists Check -
44 new
Peau d'âne
1970 — a.k.a. Donkey Skin, in 3 top lists Check -
46 new
Meet Me in St. Louis
1944, in 15 top lists Check
Last updated on Jun 27, 2021; source