Turning a successful musical into a movie is always a risky endeavor. Some of them turn out great (think Hairspray or The Phantom of the Opera) and then there are those that, well, don’t (you’ve read the reviews of Nine, haven’t you?). But Spike Lee manages to pull off the transition from Broadway to film with ease in Passing Strange.
Passing Strange is the semi-autobiographical tale of Stew, a musician and the narrator of the story. The audience watches as an unhappy Youth (a younger version of the narrator), played by Daniel Breaker, leaves his home and family behind in South Central Los Angeles during the 1970s in a quest for “the real.” His journey leads him to Europe where he visits Amsterdam and Berlin, the former enticing him with drugs and sex, while the latter holds its appeal in much more political aspects.
This is not just your typical “coming of age” account in which the lead character goes off on a long, painful trek to find himself. Instead, the older, wiser musician reflects on his choices as the Youth, and his comments on and interactions with his younger self draw the viewer into the film. When the narrator suggests that he woke up one morning and found his whole life is based around a decision he made as a teen, the whole story becomes that much more relatable.
One highlight of the show is the music. The audio on the DVD is perfectly on point during the actual movie and you can’t get much better than the band selected to star in this Broadway musical, which was filmed during the closing weekend of the show for this DVD. Also, the lyrics are both honest and witty, and seem to be “the real” that the Youth is after from the start. It’s refreshingly different from the usual show tunes that most musicals today consist of.
Along with the music, I am very much impressed with the actual videography. It seems like it would be much easier to shoot the play than to start completely from scratch and make a film, but when you watch Passing Strange, it is clear that a lot of thought and effort went into selecting the best camera angle for every shot. This is just one more example of how every aspect of this film is carefully chosen to produce the ideal effect on the audience.
Spike Lee had quite a task ahead of him when he opted to take this musical from the stage and put in on film, but he managed to create a cinematic masterpiece by embracing the theatrical roots of the play and working with them, instead of trying to distract the viewer from them. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better musical, or film, out there than Passing Strange.
DVD Bonus Features
This DVD has a plethora of bonus features including interviews, behind the scenes footage and the original theatrical promo. The “Stew and Heidi Interview” is conducted by Spike Lee as he talks to Stew and his collaborator/composer Heidi Rodewald. “Last Show Cast Backstage,” “Last Make-Up Session,” and “Teaching De'Adre the Bolex” take a behind the scenes look at cast warm-ups, the make-up ritual and filming. And then there is “Heidi Gives a Tour” which is another backstage introduction to the crew and gives some interesting facts about the film. All of them are pretty short, and really informative, but the sound quality is not the best on a few.
"Passing Strange" is on sale January 12, 2010 and is rated NR. Musical. Directed by Spike Lee. Written by Stew. Starring DeAdre Aziza, Daniel Breaker, Eisa Davis, Colman Domingo, Chad Goodridge.
