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Think about what rock musicals have been like. It's no surprise that when most people think about the rock musical, they
think about midnight showings with tons of obsessed fans screaming as the movie plays out before them, decked in attire identical
to that of the characters up on screen. One thinks of cultish style, no substance. In other words, when thinking about the
rock musical, one immediately thinks "Rocky Horror", and there's a reason for that. Finally, someone has decided
to take the rock musical seriously and it works better than one could've imagined. Ladies and gentlemen, whether you like
it or not... "HEDWIG!"
Based on the off-Broadway hit of the same name, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is about
Hedwig Robinson (John Cameron Mitchell), and his journey to find his "other half". While living in East Berlin,
Hedwig (then Hansel) meets Sgt. Luther Robinson (Maurice Dean Wint), who over some gummi bears decides to marry him. The
only problem is, he has to marry him in Berlin, which would require a physical examination. "To get away, you've gotta
leave something behind," Luther tells Hansel. So it is agreed that Hansel must have a sex change operation. Unfortunately
for Hansel (who changes his name to Hedwig), the doctor botched the operation, leaving him with nothing but an "angry
inch". Luther and Hedwig run off to America, where Luther's wandering eye gets the best of him. Left alone, Hedwig
just puts on some makeup, pulls the wig down from the shelf and goes back to her first love of music. That too has its problems:
Hedwig gets involved in a relationship with Tommy Speck (Michael Pitt), who steals her music and becomes pop icon Tommy Gnosis.
When we meet Hedwig at the beginning of the film, her and her band The Angry Inch are following Gnosis world tour in hopes
of landing a successful lawsuit.
"Hedwig" rocks like no other movie I have seen in a long time. The soundtrack
is (in my humble opinion) full of classic songs, and the film is full of audacious numbers to match them. I could easily
be convinced that this film was made for upwards of $25 million. But obviously, style isn't dictated by budget (the film
was made for $6 million). Just look at "Wig in a Box," where a trailer wall is kicked down to become a stage.
Or "Angry Inch", where Hedwig's bold retelling of his past lashes out and causes the whole place to erupt. The
music could've easily been tacky, but no. The songs, written by Stephen Trask, are punk rock masterpieces (some highlights
including "Origin of Love", "Midnight Radio" and "Wig in a Box") that had me singing for days
after. I am now convinced that the music industry would be on its way to redemption if more people could write with the gusto
and originality of Stephen Trask's work.
The film's characters all have stunning emotional depth. Every character
is developed, the relationships seem real, and they are all acted to perfection. That there is already more than you can
say about most rock musicals. "Hedwig" is the brainchild of John Cameron Mitchell. He knows "this punk rock
star" up and down and thus turns in a near flawless performance. Hedwig is bitter, stubborn and sarcastic, but never
unpleasant for the audience to be with. Michael Pitt is impressive as the rip-off artist Tommy Gnosis, and Miriam Shor gives
a wonderfully layered performance as Yitzak, Hedwig's husband/wife obviously unsure of her place in the world (just like Hedwig
herself).
"Hedwig and the Angry Inch" has done what no other rock musical has done before. It refuses
to give up the music for the story, or vice versa. Instead, the songs complement Hedwig's journey in such a way that we understand
her position even more after each one. Now only one question remains: is "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" the greatest
rock musical ever made? Hell, yeah.
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