Chicago Opening Scene Analysis

I’m going to be writing about the film Chicago and focusing on the sequence of scenes where the cops are questioning the couple; these scenes all precede Roxie being jailed due to her crime. The loyal husband is sat down on the edge of the bed and asked a series of prying questions. Little to no noise takes place during this particular scene. The only thing that breaks the silence is the words spoken from questioner and the one giving the responses. The suspicious investigator pays little attention to Mr. Hart’s words and instead raises his flash light and focuses it on Roxie’s uneasy shifting face. While the spotlight is beaming on her, piano music starts up in the background all while her husband still desperately rattles away. The music steadily grows louder while at the same time Mr. Hart’s words continuously grow more distant and quiet and eventually are drowned out entirely by the bandleader who introduces Roxie to the fictitious

This is the beginning of a musical number where Roxie sings about her dear devoted husband. She sings away while the music accompanies her act in the background. During the musical number it briefly cuts back to the husband who is still being interrogated who says “it’s like I said even after I shot him he kept coming at me so I had to pull the trigger again.” As Roxie continues to sing a person playing the trumpet comes into focus in the background and the instrument begins to soulfully chime in as well. While sprawled out atop the piano squealing away it once again cuts back to the poor husband who is still getting grilled. The officer suddenly releases the information of the deceased and the tone of the husband completely changes. An alarmed surprise comes over the man as he puts two and two together. Once he reaches the adulterous conclusion his tone becomes more hardened and angry. He quickly changes his tune, and begins to the truth. This also causes Roxie’s musical