From stage to screen, “˜Rent’ stays true to message
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 22, 2005 9:00 p.m.
The opposite of war isn’t peace. It’s creation.
In the case of “Rent,” war is the battle for love
““ and against the AIDS epidemic within a 1980s New York City
Bohemia. And creation is the long-awaited silver screen adaptation
of Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer and Tony-winning Broadway
rock-opera.
A prolonged snapshot of the lives of eight young Americans,
“Rent” portrays the life of the starving artist with
respect and sentiment, speaking to a youth culture constrained by
institution. AIDS and sexual identity become pervasive symbols for
these constraints, just as the characters must deal with police
corruption and media sleaze.
Director Christopher Columbus’ decision to cast six of the
1996 players in Hollywood’s latest stage-to-film adaptation
is what truly brings the film to life.
The original cast are the only actors to have ever worked with
Larson, who died of an aortic aneurism only hours before the
show’s opening night. In that tragedy, Taye Diggs (Benny),
real-life wife Idina Menzel (Maureen), Jesse L. Martin (Tom), and
the others shared a camaraderie still evident in their on-screen
performances.
This group dynamic is essential, considering the lengths to
which the characters are emotionally dependent on each other in the
narrative.
Rosario Dawson as Mimi joins the six original Broadway cast
members, along with newcomer Tracie Thoms (Joanne). Together, they
bring a necessary fresh spark to the film.
Dawson especially impresses, demonstrating with her musical
talents the increasing versatility of a rising actress. And her
comfort on screen balances the sometimes awkward theater-like
overacting of the other players.
The film’s musical decisions also contribute to the
outstanding performances. “Rent” is a genuine
rock-opera, and Rob Cavallo’s new musical arrangements
emphasize guitar riffs and heavy drum beats. The result is a sound
track more accessible and less theatrical than the original.
The process of adaptation, however, demonstrates the many
compromises the film must make, as Columbus must find a balance
between Hollywood formula and Broadway theatricality.
The “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Harry Potter”
director sadly leans toward Hollywood in an understandable attempt
to bring the film to wider audiences.
Lyrically, many lines sung in the original soundtrack are
converted to spoken word. For the “Rent” fanatic, this
will prove disappointing and quite disturbing, as memorable lines
lose their musical charm. But from a filmic perspective, the
dialogue is helpful in ensuring the clarity of the story
itself.
Despite such efforts, the film is still too theatrical for those
who do not already love the story and music of “Rent.”
Songs sometimes come out of nowhere, and dance numbers are over the
top.
On the other hand, for fans, the result is not quite theatrical
enough. The film loses some of its bohemian flair; the unnecessary
departures into the “real world,” away from their small
New York City community, are over dramatic and out of place.
Emmy and Oscar-nominated cinematographer Stephen Goldblatt
(“Closer,” “Angels in America”) falls into
the same difficulties.
The camera constantly moves, a tribute to the energetic
performance element of the film. Goldblatt uses a mixture of
styles, mostly sticking to realistic points of view as one would
see on a stage performance ““ but then erratically departing
into shots only available to a film. The result is an admirable
attempt to innovate the visual aesthetic of “Rent,” but
it doesn’t always fit together.
Nevertheless, the film becomes an exhilarating medium for
“Rentheads” (as “Rent” fanatics are
affectionately called) to see the music come to life without paying
$80 for an upper mezzanine ticket on the Broadway tour.
Much of the costuming and set designs are flawlessly consistent
with the original production. And though the film succeeds as
musical eye-candy, its greatest achievement lies in its devotion to
Larson’s ultimate message. While the story is saturated with
death each of these bohemians lives life to its fullest.
Life is short, the film maintains: no day but today.
– Devon Dickau
