Summary Of The Movie 'Murderess Row In The Cook County Jail'
Tara Anderson
English 104
Brost
27 September 2013
Jazz, Liquor and Sex Appeal,
Chicago
At a time where crimes of passion flood the newspaper’s headlines, Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart find themselves in Chicago’s own Murderess Row in The Cook County Jail. Broadway fanatics everywhere raved about the 2002 award winner of best picture, Chicago, starring Renée Zellweger, Richard Gere and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The glitz and glamour of jazz, liquor and sex shine through in this film, but are all these things worth murdering someone for?
Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) the nightclub sensation had killed her sister, Veronica, and her husband, Charlie because she walked in on them doing “number seventeen, the spread eagle” (Chicago). …show more content…
Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger) was always trying to find a way to be in the spotlight. When she met Fred Casley she thought she had found someone who could help her. She soon found out he had been lying to her about his connections down at the local nighclub. “I would’ve said anything to get a piece of that” (Chicago), she then got infuriated and shot him multiple times in the chest. Her husband, Amos (John C. Riley), came home and she had him convinced that he was a robber and had him try and take the fall for her. While he was making his confession he finds out the victim was Fred Casely, their furniture salesmen, he looses it. He says “Say it was self defense, she said. That they’d for sure let me off” (Chicago). Roxie has no choice but to confess to the murder
The two find themselves in the infamous Murderess Row. Roxie began trying to befriend Velma. When Velma denied Roxie’s advances, Roxie became irritated. Roxie soon met Matron Mama Morton (Queen Latifah). Mama was a smooth money-seeking woman. She hustled every penny she could from the people in Murderess Row, having them pay for every phone call and every speck of information.
Mama introduced Roxie to the town’s slickest “sliver tongue prince of the courtroom” (Chicago), Billy Flynn (Richard Gere). Flynn was known for turning Chicago’s notorious murders into legends. He hadn’t lost a case yet. Every one of his defendants was the talk of the town and always made the front headline of every paper.
Flynn splashed Roxie’s melodramatic story all over Chicago. When Roxie found herself on the cover of every magazine and paper in Chicago, Velma got jealous. Everyone wanted to be Roxie Hart. Velma and Roxie competed to see who got the most attention from the public.
The tables soon turned and Velma was seeking out Roxie’s heart, saying they could be big together after Billy got them off. Roxie turned down Velma’s request and continued to soak up the publicity that her trial was giving her. A new murderess was added to the row. Flynn was on top of it. When the new girl showed up all the reporters were there. Roxie was trying to get their attention and just when she saw the light go out on her spotlight she came up with an idea. She passed out. Flynn flew to her side and the light of her spotlight flickered back on.
Roxie’s trail date was approaching fast and she was still the center of everyone attention. The day of her trail was intense. Flynn smooth talked his way right though the trail, tap dancing his way around all the misconceptions that had been on everyone’s mind. The jury reached a verdict, not guilty. As soon as the verdict was read Roxie’s spotlight went out completely. Attention was now on the woman who shot a man in the courtyard.
The story then flashes forward to an audition Roxie was singing at. The judges literally ran away before she had finished. Then you hear Velma in the back of the room offering Roxie a proposal. They start an act together; consisting of singing and dancing in all the bars, swing clubs and all the major stages throughout Chicago. Together, they were a sensation, and became the biggest two Jazz singers ever to be convicted of murder.
This 2002 adaption of the Broadway musical “Chicago” took place in the mid-twenties, directed by Rob Marshall.
This movie is geared toward the people who enjoy musicals and those who are Broadway fanatics. It’s a comedy, a crime, and a musical. This movie is definitely meant for adults of a mature stature. It’s full of violence, vulgar language and sex.
Each musical number that was performed throughout the movie conveyed strong emotionally depth. For example, The Cell Block Tango, each murderess on the row told their story. A line from the song was “And then he ran into my knife. He ran into my knife ten times”, when the woman said this line she said it with a strong start forward voice, the kind that one doesn’t trust. It is very hard to establish a sense of trust with any of these women’s stories, because all they wanted was to get off, but as they sang this song you could tell which one’s were innocent and which ones were guilty by the way they explained their crimes. Some cried and others said it like they were happy that they did …show more content…
it.
The trials in the film were supposed to be based off facts but somehow Flynn was able to take the facts and switch them around to be false statements.
It’s a tricky thing in this movie but the audience knows Velma and Roxie are guilty for sure. There’s one minor character though that sang a part of the “Cell Block Tango” and was later hung for her crime, but you really couldn’t tell if she was guilty or not when she sang her part in the song and dance number. It leaves the viewers in awe. What really happened? Who was innocent and who was really guilty? Was this murder justified or was it in cold blood?
Flynn had to wait for just the right time to say some of the statements he makes throughout the movie, to make the reporters believe the story he’s conveying to them. Such as when Velma showed up to Roxie’s trail with evidence that had been planted, Flynn made it look like the prosecutor planted it when really it was him the whole time. He had to wait for just the right moment in the trial to bring this evidence to light otherwise it would’ve been thrown out. The whole case depended on his timeliness to make the
argument.
This film deserved every award it was granted, from the amazing star filled cast to the elaborate song and dance numbers. Chicago took its audience by storm, conveying every twist and turn perfectly and portraying every emotion dramatically. A movie filled with arguments, crime and sex is always appealing to any audience of a mature stature, and Chicago definitely contains all the elements to make any mature audience swoon.
Works Cited
Chicago. Dir. Rob Marshall. Miromax Films, 2002. Film.
English 104
Brost
27 September 2013
Jazz, Liquor and Sex Appeal,
Chicago
At a time where crimes of passion flood the newspaper’s headlines, Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart find themselves in Chicago’s own Murderess Row in The Cook County Jail. Broadway fanatics everywhere raved about the 2002 award winner of best picture, Chicago, starring Renée Zellweger, Richard Gere and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The glitz and glamour of jazz, liquor and sex shine through in this film, but are all these things worth murdering someone for?
Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) the nightclub sensation had killed her sister, Veronica, and her husband, Charlie because she walked in on them doing “number seventeen, the spread eagle” (Chicago). …show more content…
Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger) was always trying to find a way to be in the spotlight. When she met Fred Casley she thought she had found someone who could help her. She soon found out he had been lying to her about his connections down at the local nighclub. “I would’ve said anything to get a piece of that” (Chicago), she then got infuriated and shot him multiple times in the chest. Her husband, Amos (John C. Riley), came home and she had him convinced that he was a robber and had him try and take the fall for her. While he was making his confession he finds out the victim was Fred Casely, their furniture salesmen, he looses it. He says “Say it was self defense, she said. That they’d for sure let me off” (Chicago). Roxie has no choice but to confess to the murder
The two find themselves in the infamous Murderess Row. Roxie began trying to befriend Velma. When Velma denied Roxie’s advances, Roxie became irritated. Roxie soon met Matron Mama Morton (Queen Latifah). Mama was a smooth money-seeking woman. She hustled every penny she could from the people in Murderess Row, having them pay for every phone call and every speck of information.
Mama introduced Roxie to the town’s slickest “sliver tongue prince of the courtroom” (Chicago), Billy Flynn (Richard Gere). Flynn was known for turning Chicago’s notorious murders into legends. He hadn’t lost a case yet. Every one of his defendants was the talk of the town and always made the front headline of every paper.
Flynn splashed Roxie’s melodramatic story all over Chicago. When Roxie found herself on the cover of every magazine and paper in Chicago, Velma got jealous. Everyone wanted to be Roxie Hart. Velma and Roxie competed to see who got the most attention from the public.
The tables soon turned and Velma was seeking out Roxie’s heart, saying they could be big together after Billy got them off. Roxie turned down Velma’s request and continued to soak up the publicity that her trial was giving her. A new murderess was added to the row. Flynn was on top of it. When the new girl showed up all the reporters were there. Roxie was trying to get their attention and just when she saw the light go out on her spotlight she came up with an idea. She passed out. Flynn flew to her side and the light of her spotlight flickered back on.
Roxie’s trail date was approaching fast and she was still the center of everyone attention. The day of her trail was intense. Flynn smooth talked his way right though the trail, tap dancing his way around all the misconceptions that had been on everyone’s mind. The jury reached a verdict, not guilty. As soon as the verdict was read Roxie’s spotlight went out completely. Attention was now on the woman who shot a man in the courtyard.
The story then flashes forward to an audition Roxie was singing at. The judges literally ran away before she had finished. Then you hear Velma in the back of the room offering Roxie a proposal. They start an act together; consisting of singing and dancing in all the bars, swing clubs and all the major stages throughout Chicago. Together, they were a sensation, and became the biggest two Jazz singers ever to be convicted of murder.
This 2002 adaption of the Broadway musical “Chicago” took place in the mid-twenties, directed by Rob Marshall.
This movie is geared toward the people who enjoy musicals and those who are Broadway fanatics. It’s a comedy, a crime, and a musical. This movie is definitely meant for adults of a mature stature. It’s full of violence, vulgar language and sex.
Each musical number that was performed throughout the movie conveyed strong emotionally depth. For example, The Cell Block Tango, each murderess on the row told their story. A line from the song was “And then he ran into my knife. He ran into my knife ten times”, when the woman said this line she said it with a strong start forward voice, the kind that one doesn’t trust. It is very hard to establish a sense of trust with any of these women’s stories, because all they wanted was to get off, but as they sang this song you could tell which one’s were innocent and which ones were guilty by the way they explained their crimes. Some cried and others said it like they were happy that they did …show more content…
it.
The trials in the film were supposed to be based off facts but somehow Flynn was able to take the facts and switch them around to be false statements.
It’s a tricky thing in this movie but the audience knows Velma and Roxie are guilty for sure. There’s one minor character though that sang a part of the “Cell Block Tango” and was later hung for her crime, but you really couldn’t tell if she was guilty or not when she sang her part in the song and dance number. It leaves the viewers in awe. What really happened? Who was innocent and who was really guilty? Was this murder justified or was it in cold blood?
Flynn had to wait for just the right time to say some of the statements he makes throughout the movie, to make the reporters believe the story he’s conveying to them. Such as when Velma showed up to Roxie’s trail with evidence that had been planted, Flynn made it look like the prosecutor planted it when really it was him the whole time. He had to wait for just the right moment in the trial to bring this evidence to light otherwise it would’ve been thrown out. The whole case depended on his timeliness to make the
argument.
This film deserved every award it was granted, from the amazing star filled cast to the elaborate song and dance numbers. Chicago took its audience by storm, conveying every twist and turn perfectly and portraying every emotion dramatically. A movie filled with arguments, crime and sex is always appealing to any audience of a mature stature, and Chicago definitely contains all the elements to make any mature audience swoon.
Works Cited
Chicago. Dir. Rob Marshall. Miromax Films, 2002. Film.