Last year, the musical Rocketman was released as a film about Elton John’s life. This film was directed by Dexter Fletcher and Taron Egerton starred as Elton John. According to John and Fletcher, they didn’t want this film to be a traditional docudrama. For Fletcher and many others, “Elton is all about fantasy and imagination and magic” (Greene). Rocketman was going to be more than a biopic, the intention was to create a magical fantasy that tells the story of his life, or the most important elements of his life through his songs (Greene). In the 70s, as Elton John’s career grew and grew more, his private life became public, and it even came to a point where his personal life and career were seen as one. This movie serves as a homage that displays how the incredible Elton John came to be.
The musical shows the neglect Elton John received from his parents, the way he met his musical partner, Bernie Taupin, the launch of his musical career, his exploration of sexuality, his drug addiction, alcohol addiction, and his biggest accomplishments. Taron Egerton portrayed Elton John is a magnificent way, he did all of his own singing and spent a lot of time with John to portray his character to the best of his ability. Fletcher and Egerton made an incredible job in giving this film meaning and staying true to John’s intentions. Throughout the creation of the movie, it was very important for them to capture every moment cinematically and musically (Greene). Elton John’s character was the narrator, and this is incredibly important because the way the story is told, is the way he recalls it (Greene).
An iconic scene in the film is when Egerton sings “Rocketman,” this song serves as a transition from John’s suicide attempt to his iconic Dodger Stadium performance. To many people, including myself, the suicide attempt came as a surprise. Before watching this film, we weren’t aware of the closeness between both events. The power of this scene is the rawness and reality it portrays. In a way, it humanizes Elton John. It is common for many celebrities to be considered these superhuman people who are always happy and have no hardships with their life, but this scene and Rocketman as a whole, tell the real story behind the great Elton John. The film was such a success that it won two Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Taron Egerton and Best Original Song for Elton John and Bernie Taupin for “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again”.
Rocketman Trailer:
Paramount Pictures
“Rocketman” Scene
Paramount Pictures