Oklahoma! Screening Report.docx

Llewellyn

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John H. Llewellyn Prof. Andrew Ritchey Music 170H 23 March 2017 Oklahoma! Screening Report The film Oklahoma! (1955) directed by Fred Zinnemann and adapted from the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical follows the charming young cowman Curly (Gordon MacRae) as he tries to win the heart of the beautiful young Laurie (Shirley Jones). When Curly acts “too fresh and too big headed” for Laurie’s liking, she promises to go to the town party with the villainous hired farmhand Jud (Rod Steiger). The couple then must overcome his threating presence and end the film with their marriage and departure for their honeymoon. The music in this film is an important part of the plot. The non-diegetic score is driving force throughout the film, and following the nature of a musical, the characters often sing and dance. Rodgers’s now iconic melodies are found frequently in the score. After their initial use in their songs, many comeback as leitmotifs in the score. Throughout the whole film the music serves as a plot enhancing device whether it is sung or underscoring scenes and dances. The score has a constant presence throughout the entire film. It appears mostly as nondiegetic underscoring. When the characters break out into song, it follows the formatting set up in the classical era of musicals where the song is just an extension of the scene. One exception occurs towards the end of the opening number "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'" when Curly arrives at Aunt Eller's (Charlotte Greenwood) house diegetically singing to her. Laurie comes out of the house singing the same song. Another exception is in the song "The Farmer and the Cowman" which opens the party. Here the line between diegetic and non-diegetic music blurred

Llewellyn

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because the instrumentation for the music played is not represented on screen, but there is diegetic dancing and Aunt Eller makes everyone sing. Some songs that are sung are used to highlight important sections of the plot. Often they provide an insight to the character's feelings, like in "Many a New Day" when Laurie is trying to show the girls that she does not care about Curly, but in the end reveals she indeed cares for him deeply. Another use for songs is to create the appropriate atmosphere for a scene or a personality for a character. Will Parker (Gene Nelson) and Ado Annie (Gloria Grahame) are used as a comic parallel to the main couple in the movie, and their upbeat introductory solos "Kansas City" and "I Cain't Say No" are used to set up their joyful and comic personalities. Recurring musical themes are used to enhance the plot in several places. The opening song "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" is connected to the relationship between Curly and Laurie. The both sing the song as the film opens, Curly singing the extended version and Laurie just the chorus. It is once again sung when the large group of people arrives at Aunt Eller's house on their way to the party. Curly sings it with another woman while Laurie watches, showing a strain in their relationship. It also appears at the end of the film sung by the whole cast of characters as Laurie and Curley are finally able to go off onto their honey moon. Another prominent use of recurring melodies is found in the infamous "Dream Ballet". This sequence illustrating Laurie's inner thoughts, dreams, and fears is composed of leitmotifs taken from sections of most of the songs previous to this one in the film. These snippets of melodies embedded in the music help to give meaning to the long dance sequence. For example, it begins with "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'" and a dance between Curly and Laurie, further connecting the song with the two. It is followed by several other melodies creating new meanings to the context of the dance.

Llewellyn

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The music in this film is a direct extension of the characters and the plot. The nature of the format of a musical weaves the score and singing into the lives of the characters. The film relies on the audience’s understanding of the music functioning and a key form of storytelling for its success. The iconic music from Oklahoma! is used to enhance the plot, making it as iconic and memorable as the score. The songs sung by the characters gives snapshots into their minds as well as displaying their personalities. Frequent repetition of leitmotifs in the score like in the “Dream Ballet” create mood and further the plot as an alternative to the way it functions when characters sing. From start to finish, this movie is filled with the score of Richard Rodgers and could not be the same without it.