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Chapter 241: A Brand-New Experience
🕑 Added 2025-01-12 20:11:34 +0000 UTCIn prison, Roxy learned about the "unbeaten feats" of the famous lawyer Billy. With flattery and her husband's generous support, she managed to win Billy's favor from Velma. Under Billy's shaping and media hype, Roxy transformed from a ruthless seductress into a sympathetic sweetheart.
Thus, the puppet double act began. The press conference was designed as a puppet show, where lawyer Billy was the puppet master, and the reporters and Roxy were the puppets. Billy's dance movements led, while the reporters and Roxy moved passively, following his cues.
At this moment, Billy's cunning dominance, the reporters' blind compliance, and Roxy's manipulated state were fully displayed to the audience.
The puppet double act wasn't a movie innovation—it already existed in the original musical. However, Gru could clearly feel that the movie was different from all the musicals he'd seen before, and even better.
First, everyone's faces were painted with such wooden expressions. On stage, the characters' deceptions were hidden under thick layers of greasepaint, perfectly fitting the theme.
Second, the interplay of lighting and plot was impeccable. The rose-red lighting bathed the stage in a warm, lively glow, making the satirical humor of the scene all the more enjoyable to watch.
In the sequence of Roxy's rise to fame through interviews, all the camera shots were desaturated, giving a sense of restoring reality's original appearance. Yet, in the face of actual reality, these scenes appeared laughably absurd and filled with satire. These images, clearly based on lies, were presented with such authenticity—where, then, does the line between truth and falsehood lie?
Needless to say, this desaturated cinematography added a low-key yet striking effect to the narrative.
Roxy became famous, turning into a celebrity in Chicago, the city of sin. Her hairstyle, the items she used—under media manipulation—became wildly popular among the public, with people even paying to buy them. Meanwhile, through clever operations, Billy earned his $5,000 lawyer fee.
The scenes were filled with joy, yet everyone could sense the black humor within.
What would happen when a vulgar, malicious, and ignorant woman like Roxy gained fame? It wasn't hard to imagine. She refused Velma's offer to collaborate, mocking her viciously. Then, the film used another dance sequence to convey Roxy's shifting mindset.
In prison, Roxy's cell was filled with flowers and fan letters. Clad in luxurious attire, she lazily flipped through articles and news about herself.
When the warden asked about her plans after release, she casually replied, "I want to perform on stage."
Then came Roxy's narcissistic monologue.
It began with a woman's seductive reflection. The polished floor mirrored Roxy's obsession with her own image.
The camera panned upward and lingered on Roxy's face as she reminisced about her bitter past. But soon, her smugness and inflated self-esteem became apparent. She twisted her body, and beneath her flirtatious performance lay an irrepressibly arrogant heart.
During the filming of this sequence, Duke deliberately added mirrors in the dark, empty setting.
On one hand, the mirrors reflected Roxy's overflowing joy. On the other hand, the increasing number of mirrors—from one to many—symbolized the constant expansion of her desires, shattering her personality into fragmented pieces.
As Roxy embarked on her fantasy-filled journey, she encountered challenges. A plantation heiress who had shot her lover was imprisoned. Not only did the media flock to this new arrival, but even Billy abandoned Roxy. Desperate, Roxy resorted to what she thought was her best trick—faking a pregnancy to attract Billy and the media's attention. She then bribed a doctor with her body to obtain a false certificate.
At this point, the audience burst into laughter. Wasn't such a satirical scene hilarious?
At the same time, they wondered: Who was the actress playing the plantation heiress? Her entrance was dazzling, effortlessly stealing all the spotlight. Even Tom Cruise seemed dim in her presence. Her aura was extraordinarily powerful!
A new farce unfolded. Roxy's husband also took the stage for a solo performance. Though just a minor character, the unique set design—especially his monologue as an invisible, ignored figure—was striking. The pure white front lighting completely obscured his face, emphasizing his loneliness and despair as a marginalized figure.
This, in turn, highlighted the absurdity of the era depicted in the film.
As Roxy's fame grew and her name became increasingly prominent, she naturally dismissed everyone, including her savior Billy. But she wasn't entirely beyond redemption. When the only innocent member of the "Six Merry Murderesses," a Hungarian woman, was executed by hanging, Roxy was shocked into awakening.
"This trial, this whole world… it's all just an act."
Billy's words seemed to reveal the essence of Chicago in that era. Awakened, Roxy joined him in the courtroom to face the law's judgment.
This was Tom Cruise's moment to shine.
To be honest, even Duke had to admit that Cruise was a hardworking actor. Despite his limited talent and tendency to rely on his good looks, which often led to accusations of shallow performances, he excelled in exaggerated roles like Billy.
Here, Billy's character called for theatricality, which masked Cruise's weaknesses. Through extensive physical movement, he concealed his usual stiffness in facial expressions.
"Roxy, partnering with you is like teaming up with an acting legend!"
Billy's line might have exaggerated Cruise's performance, but in Duke's eyes, Cruise was far better than Richard Gere.
Whether in acting, dancing, or charisma, Cruise completely outshone his predecessor.
The courtroom scenes interspersed with numerous musical numbers, most of which featured Cruise's solo dances. One particularly memorable tap dance earned him thunderous applause, proving that six months of dance training had paid off.
These dance sequences blended Billy's psychological state with reality. The standout feature was the "rhythm," which perfectly encapsulated Billy's mindset and cunning defense strategies through dance.
Ultimately, both Roxy and Velma were acquitted.
"The media satire is relentless."
This was the reaction many viewers had after the courtroom scenes. The trial was broadcast live on the radio, and newspapers prepared two entirely different editions in advance. When Roxy's acquittal was announced, the corresponding papers were immediately sold.
However, just as Roxy thought she had achieved true stardom, the media quickly discarded her, chasing after fresher stories like sharks pursuing blood.
Amos was the only one who still cared about Roxy, but she heartlessly rejected him.
Trying to perform on stage, Roxy faced repeated rejections. Velma approached her, and faced with harsh reality, Roxy had no choice but to compromise, forming the "Chicago Murder Sisters" duo with Velma, despite their mutual dislike.
The film reached its conclusion. As a musical, it naturally ended with a grand finale.
The final number was dazzling. Under the spotlight, Roxy and Velma shone brightly, embodying star power. Set against a dazzling, chaotic backdrop, their wild, passionate dance captivated the audience.
After countless takes under Duke's direction, Naomi Watts and Catherine Zeta-Jones delivered a performance that was perfectly matched, mutually enhancing each other's charm. By the finale, they abandoned their characters' personas, showcasing their individual allure. This didn't break immersion but instead heightened their appeal.
As the stage lights brightened, the "Murder Sisters" re-entered with Chicago typewriters perfectly complementing their silver short dresses.
Laughter erupted from the theater's sound system.
In front of the big screen, the audience also burst into laughter. Whitney even involuntarily clapped her hands. On-screen, Roxy and Velma fired bursts of bullets at the backdrop, leaving behind two large, flashy signatures.
Applause thundered in the on-screen audience, echoing the theater's reaction.
"This was amazing—unexpectedly amazing!"
Gru clapped vigorously, turning to his wife and daughter. "The director retained the brilliance of the musical while adding just the right amount of adaptation. It's both a tribute to the original and a fresh experience. Truly remarkable."
"Yes, Dad, it's an incredible film."
His twenty-something daughter admitted, "I didn't originally like this genre, but this is entirely different from musicals of the '60s and '70s. It's fantastic. I'm convinced of your taste now. I'm taking my friends to see it again this weekend."
On-screen applause faded, but in the theater, it peaked as the audience stood, clapping intensely. Even after two minutes, the applause showed no sign of stopping.
"Robin, notify everyone to go on stage for a bow!"
Following Duke's instruction, the entire cast and crew stepped onto the stage in front of the screen. After four curtain calls, the applause gradually subsided as audience members began to leave. With that, Chicago officially debuted on the North American cinema stage!
