Escape to the greatest show

Rating: 9/10 (24 January 2018)

The Greatest Showman is the most perfect movie to come out of Hollywood in recent years.
I don't mean that it was my favorite, and it perhaps not even reach into my top 10. There are many movies that I hold dearer for their flaws and quirks.
That said, everything about the greatest showman was polished to perfection. The sets - magical! The broadway production - on the mark! The story - sensational!
The biggest hint of its success was the nonstop train of tension which seemed to switch tracks constantly. There was racial notes, generational divides, and multiple love stories. However, most movies would struggle to pull all of these together into a single theme. Which sets up the question, what is The Greatest Showman's greatest theme?
My answer would ultimately be escapism. There is a certain meta-aware aspect of this. The movie experience is our modern circus, and we go to escape a diverse and multiplying set of tensions outside the theatre. The true value of the Greatest Showman is pulling us away from constant and evergreen struggles like race relations, progressive vs. regressive powers, and finding love.
And it succeeds.