Chicago

What it is about

Chicago is a 2002 American musical black comedy directed by Rob Marshall. Set in the Jazz Age, it looks at a Chicago where vaudeville stardom and nightclub notoriety seem to matter more than anything else. The story follows Roxie Hart, a housewife determined to become a performer, and Velma Kelly, a cabaret star. Both end up in the Cook County Jail, waiting for trial, and both want the public's attention to keep them off the gallows. To achieve that, they will need a lawyer who knows how to handle the press and juries, and a matron who understands how the prison works. The film treats the mix of show business and justice with irony, alternating big musical numbers with a grittier look at life behind bars. Much of the music unfolds in the protagonist's imagination, a device that lets the film play with the gap between what is shown on screen and what is actually happening.

How it was made

The story goes back to 1926, when the journalist and playwright Maurine Dallas Watkins staged a play inspired by the Chicago trials she had covered, in which women were accused of killing their lovers or husbands. That play became the basis for the 1975 Broadway musical with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse. Fosse had considered filming the show, but he died in 1987 without making the adaptation. In 1994, producer Martin Richards, who had discussed the idea with Fosse, signed with the Weinstein brothers to bring the musical to the screen, though the project took several years to get going. The decisive push came with Rob Marshall, who had seen the show at fifteen and who, although he had never directed a musical, pitched Miramax a plan that won them over. Marshall, who also served as choreographer, worked with screenwriter Bill Condon, whose ideas closely matched his own. They decided that the numbers would play out as fantasies in Roxie's mind, which meant cutting a large part of the original score. One filmed number, "Class", was removed from the final cut and only later appeared in extended versions.

Casting also shaped the film in important ways. Catherine Zeta-Jones was proposed for Velma Kelly, and Richard Gere, who had to learn tap for the closing number, took on Billy Flynn. For Roxie, the team auditioned ten actresses, and Renée Zellweger, who asked to repeat the dance steps from her audition, was chosen after showing she could also sing. Rehearsals and choreography work took about three months before filming. The movie was shot in Toronto, Canada, from December 2001 to April 2002, using locations that included Osgoode Hall, where the courthouse scenes were filmed, along with several historic buildings around the city. The production won Academy Awards in several technical categories, including costume design, production design, editing and sound.

Reception and legacy

Chicago was warmly received by critics, who praised the performances and the energy of the choreography. It earned strong approval on Rotten Tomatoes and a universal acclaim rating on Metacritic. Roger Ebert called it big, brassy fun, while some reviewers felt the adaptation was too streamlined. At the box office it grossed over 306 million dollars worldwide, and at the time it was the highest-grossing film never to reach number one or two on the weekly charts in North America, where it peaked at number three. Its awards haul included thirteen Oscar nominations and six wins at the 75th ceremony, among them Best Picture, making it the first musical to win in that category since Oliver! in 1968. Zeta-Jones took the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, and Richard Gere won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy. Zellweger won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in the same category, beating her co-star. The soundtrack also earned recognition, including a Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. In 2006 the American Film Institute placed it among the best movie musicals of all time. Alongside Moulin Rouge! and 8 Mile, it is often credited with helping revive the film musical in the twenty-first century.