Movie Review

View one of the movies listed below, or any other fictionalized film about the life of a jazz musician (not a live concert, documentary, or satire). Write a 750 word minimum essay contextualizing the movie within the matrix of concepts, personalities, and music examined in this course. In general, think of this essay as a “critical analysis” in which you need to explain any personal opinions that you assert. Please address the following points:
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• Give a brief (1 paragraph) biographical sketch of the principal character/musician.

• Socially and musically, how is the principal character portrayed?

• What historical phase of the development of jazz does the principal character belong to?
• How does the life and music of the principal character reflect the issues we’ve examined in relation to that historical phase?

• Describe the narrative of the film. How does the story unfold? – This is the core of you movie review.

Possible movies:

Young Man with a Horn (about Bix Beiderbeck) 1949
The Glen Miller Story (1953)
The Benny Goodman Story (1955)
The Five Pennies (about Red Nichols) 1959
Lady Sings the Blues (about Billie Holliday) 1972
Round Midnight (about Dexter Gordon) 1986
Bird (about Charlie Parker) 1988
The Mambo Kings (about the Castillo brothers) 1992
Sweet and Lowdown (about Emmet Ray) 1999
For Love or Country (about Arturo Sandoval) 2001
Ray (about Ray Charles) 2004
De-lovely (about Cole Porter) 2004
El Cantate (about Hector Lavoe) 2007
Bolden! (about Buddy Bolden) 2015
Miles Ahead (about Miles Davis) 2015
Born to be Blue (about Chet Baker) 2016

Solution Preview

He is not mentioned in the film, but, it is evident that Rick Martin’s role is based on the real-life musician, Bix Beiderbecke. Martin is an exceptional jazz trumpeter. Martin began playing in the 1920s at a juvenile age following his mother’s demise. Martin dislikes the restraints of performing in orchestras he performs with and one night, he improvised and got sacked.

(857 words)