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Minelli gets pregnant and, not so remarkably, hasn't a clue as to who the father might be.one of her homosexual lovers or one of her old men who 'befriend' her.Another distorted character is introduced. This movie is an intelligent and colorful presentation of pre-Hitler, Weimar Germany and.I think.demonstrates the decadence and moral decay that made the ascension of the ultra-moralistic Nazis a possibility.The setting is primarily the weird cabaret scene in Berlin with its denizen of oddballs, transvestites and general weirdos. Recognizing that the Jews are facing persecution, she rejects his advances. Primarily they are in the background as brownshirts collecting donations and passing out propaganda leaflets.
Beautiful young girls in the crowd stand up and pick up the strain. For just a moment we are let into the secret of Nazi success. At one point, during a beer-drink, a lovely blond boy.one of the Hitlersjugend.sings a song of Volk und Vaterland. The above statement refers to Sally [Liza Minelli] who, although an attractive and talented girl is as superficial of a person as can be. York and Minelli establish an odd relationship, all the more strange because York is a homosexual and Minelli is having sex with anyone who will give her a bauble or offer to 'get her into pictures.' Another homosexual man is introduced producing a weird, three-way menage. He makes his living as a giggolo but falls in love with a beautiful Jewish woman. Finally everyone, with the exception of a couple of old skeptics, belt out a song of love and national power.
It feels absolutely wonderful to be part of a group striving for national love and unity.hope and change.Of course it was a lie.a highjacking of the ideals of youth. Our protagonists.the Minelli and York characters.inhabit this world and aren't even German, being American and English respectively. Her giggolo, however, 'fesses up' that he's a Jew passing as an Aryan.Perhaps not so remarkably, the Nazis don't come off all so bad. I think we something of the same process now although I doubt that present day Americans are nearly as naive as post Great War, Weimar-era Germsns. We see Communist and Nazi posters and graffiti posted everywhere on the walls.
It could be one of her homosexual friends but, just as likely, it could be one of the numerous elderly lovers who will get her 'into the movies.'Given the above, the Nazis in this film don't come away as all that bad. The primary characters are physically attractive but they are denizens of the moral cesspool that was the cabaret scene in Berlin shortly before Hitler's 1933 election. The camera pans down and we can see he is dressed as one of the Hitlersjugend. For a brief instant we can feel a little of what many Germans felt at the time.a powerful sense of community.a sense of REALLY belonging.
Potent stuff.Of course we know how all this enthusiasm was channeled. Liza Minelli's last song, 'Cabaret', is absolutely wonderful in it's performance. Lovely young girls, with their jaws set and heads thrown back, sing of their love of the Vaterland. I give 'Caberet' 5 stars based on both its entertainment value and insights. Sally gets pregnant and she doesn't know who the father is. The scene where a blond boy with a lovely voice stands up at a beer drinking fest and sings a Nazi Party song, is remarkable. Our heroes and heroine can't know and are caught in the maelstrom of cabaret decadence.
She belts out a song of artificial happiness and joy mixed with the tragedy of wasted youth and an increasingly disordered nation. Let me see.Sally is a two bit tramp; Brian and his homosexual lover are also Sally's lovers and one character is a giggolo who falls wildly in love with a lovely woman, who is the only one who seems halfway genuine. His song, although in English, is of Heimat und Volk. It's a terrific performance on the part of Minelli and her director.Yep, Joel Grey was terrific, too.Ron Braithwaite, author of novels, 'Skull Rack' and 'Hummingbird God', on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico One by one, with the exception of a couple of elderly skeptics, the crowd stands up to join into the song.
If you can say that a DVD has aged, then this would be the example. Fosse took this flimsy story of three characters that we are emotionally void for, and pulled in some great song and dance numbers to buffer the pain that was sure to follow. How did Minnelli win an Oscar for this mess.In addition to the horrid acting, the story felt rushed and unfocused as we try to keep up with the blend of music and drama. The transfer was poor, the special features were dated, and like the film itself - it left quite a bit to be desired.
Her flat voice matched well with her disassociated character, which carried no emotion, flaunted no values, yet tried to win our heart. Joel Grey brought it to the table, and will forever be a frightening, yet influential image in my mind. What is her true background. There are two instances where we have the opportunity to speak to York, Minnelli, and Grey (as well as a slew of producers) about their experiences, but they are double-dipped.
As an Oscar-winning film, I felt there should have been something more substantial. In one scene we are troubled by York's disagreement with one of Minnelli's haphazard choices (a big decision that was diminished by choice) and in the next, we are dissecting the idea of a German Jew. Does she love him. Dud.Overall, both with presentation and delivery, "Cabaret" failed. Fosse's direction and Grey's performance are the only two saving qualities of this film, as the flakey York does his best as a love interest.
"Cabaret" failed because there was nothing for the audience to hold onto. He made the nearly 2-hours redeemable. We hear them talking in one special feature, then in the other - the reiterate the same experiences. While there is quite a bit packed into this single disc, most is page turning instead of actors talking us through the process. (Does that hurt anyone else to say that).** Waves eagerly as you leave this review **Grade: * ½ out of ***** It was he and Minnelli's duet of "Money Makes the World Go Round" that saved this film from utter obliteration. His work on "Lenny" was outstanding, and while this didn't speak as greatly, you could see his influences on the script and final edit.
The excitement in his swagger coupled with his level of pizzazz completely overshadowed his co-star Minnelli whenever the two shared the screen. yet it felt long, dull, and convoluted to say the least. In various moments "Cabaret" felt like it was directed by Terry Gilliam, complete with the flash and darkness subsequent in his features. In another scene, we are forced to listen to a young Nazi soldier sing a ballad that evokes singing from everyone - and our characters just drive away. Bravo to small part and big directors, "boo" to those that think Minnelli can carry her weight as an Oscar winning actress. What was attempted as original just felt stale after the first several scenes.
Thank you to Fosse and Grey for transforming this drab film into cinematic mediocrity.To bookend the positive, one must also ask "Where did `Cabaret' fail." Without wasting pages of words, "Cabaret" failed because of the sloppy editing, the poorly developed historical slant, and due to the massive disappointment from the actors. For me, to best summarize this film would be one of the final scenes between York and Minnelli as she takes him to the train station. Does she love money. Her entire relationship with Michael York is flippant. I was eager to witness this film, but nearly 40 years later, this film has not held up.
The dual sexual roles are just too abashing for both the actors and the viewers. In theory, this would be a great idea - but it failed because of again, the lack of focus with our characters. Edging on the historical, but focusing mainly on a squabble of young love, the muddled themes of originality, independence, and sexual revolution seemed to take backstage for overacting, choppy editing, and a twisty story that begs for more but desires nothing. VIDEO: This DVD is old.
As we get close to the middle of the film, our writer seems to realize this and the extremely vague Maximilian is introduced as a man who enjoys the company of both Minnelli and York. This was cropped on all the sides, providing a small box within your screen to watch the action unfold. Where should the blame fall. From Minnelli's undefined character, to the passive aggressive York duel-jobbing as both language educator and African safari supporter, there just isn't a character you can stand behind. One must also applaud Bob Fosse for his direction, for without him, these dark scene filmed with Grey would have just been as bland as the story. It was reminiscent of a modern day "Moulin Rouge", but it was the surrounding story - without surrounding characters - that caused the pain known as "Cabaret". If discussing this film around the cinematic water cooler, there would be no doubt Joel Grey would be discussed.
Minnelli's acting and eyes told a different story, and portrayed a character that just didn't fit for a feature film. Don't blame Bob Fosse for his direction. In the Oscar world of "The Godfather" vs. "Cabaret", the obvious winner is Coppola's film - but how did "Cabaret" even get in the running. As a first time viewer of Liza Minnelli, an amateur young Michael York watcher, and my only experience with Bob Fosse was the dramatic experience of "Lenny", "Cabaret" boasted big songs, big ideas, and big actors.
When this film was over, I took it out of my player, walked away waving unemotionally. While the picture may be utterly distorted, the music felt vibrant and clear. What does she want from life. She sang decently, but I just couldn't stand behind her as a central focus. She leaves by merely waving her hand, demonstrating her care for the characters and ours as well. EXTRAS: What do I hate more than a poorly planned musical made in 1972, how about page flipping extras. His portrayal, as small as it was, as the infamous Master of Ceremonies has yet to be repeated in any film to date.
Don't blame the incredibly spooky yet intensely real Joel Grey as the Master of Ceremonies. When the breakout actor was someone that didn't speak but merely sang that should speak about how the film as a whole turned out. There was quite a bit of graininess and lack of color that hurt the final production of this film. Beware for those who loved "Cabaret", this is not the format in which this film, or any film, should be viewed.SOUND: Obviously, a key element to the film - it actually sounds decent here.
So, why isn't "Cabaret" a better film. Whatever you do, don't blame the choreography. His performance alone, the transformation itself, is what made "Cabaret" worth a view. Don't blame the song "Money Makes the World Go Round". This could have been a memorable song-and-dance rooted with historical symbolism-esque film, but instead fell flat thanks mainly to the horrible nature of Liza Minnelli. For "Cabaret" to work, there needed stronger characters for us to follow - ones that were defined, yet complex, not just jumping from emotion to emotion. As it took me nearly three viewings to conquer this behemoth, one has to question the 1972 value, and whether this musical stands up next to the others nearly 40 years later.
VISUAL: Again, whoever put this DVD together should be fired. In this reviewer's opinion, it is an obvious "no", but arguments will apparently follow.Where did "Cabaret" work. Mix these unanswered questions with the uncomfortable hint of sexuality between York and Minnelli, and you have nearly 90% of this movie. It just didn't flow well together. Outside the of intermittent use of Grey, our writer - Jay Presson Allen - tried to incorporate what was happening in Germany at the time with the Nazi movement, with the chaos of a cabaret show.
I tried it in 1972; it was a stinker. Many sporty fellows, of course, adore it; it seems to be magnetic for that taste. Now I've tried it again and find that nothing has changed.
I have been wanting this movie for a long time, and it was just great to be able to purchase it at such a reasonable price, in such good condition.
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