CABRET (1972)

Neha says

Apart from composer/lyricist duo John Kander and Fred Ebb’s classic soundtrack that’s part-whimsical, part-comical, part-sensual, part-profound and part-emotional with tracks like “Life is a Cabaret, old chum” or “Maybe this time” or “Money makes the world go round” or “If you could see her through my eyes” sublime even today in composition, vocal power, staging and Rob Fosse’s creative execution, what really captivated my attention was how skillfully Fosse was able to create and intertwine two parallel worlds-one of dark “divine decadence” a.k.a The Kit Kat Club where as the film’s narrator croons at the start and end of the film “In here life is beautiful. The girls are beautiful and even the orchestra is beautiful. Beautiful…” In here Fosse pushes the envelop of theatrical realism that’s almost bordering on surreal with his tour-de-force narrator played by Joel Grey oscillating between being endearingly Chaplinique and sinister and made even more dynamic by his look in the film-a cross between a gothic vampire and a circus buffoon. The other world, outside the doors of the club, the “real” world follows the drama of larger than life club singer Sally Bowles played with a contagious charm and vulnerability by Liza Minnelli and her love interests- a poor, British academic Brian Roberts played with a chocolate boy goodness by Michael York and a rich, German Baron Maximilian played by a suave and aristocratic Helmut Griem. Along with the grey moral values and guarded realities of these three characters that make for a complicated yet intriguing love triangle, Fosse empowers his story with a solid yet underplayed sense of time and space- 1931 Berlin riddled with post depression trials, unemployment, pathos and a growing civil unrest with the expanding Nazi tyranny. I love those suggestive bursts of violence and Nazi patriotism; the occasional dialogue between the Baron and Brian where questions such as “Can you control the Nazi’s?” are casually raised and even the more heightened, dramatic moments that have a dance number intercut with Nazi brutality. There are two things happening here quite marvelously. (1) Inspite of the turbulent political climate, the film never steers away from the characters and their perspective-emotional, cynical or manipulative and (2) Even the placement of the music tends to reflect, mirror, enhance or bring an audience surrogate view that adds a “strange and extraordinary” dimension to the film. The play on words, the balance of drama, comedy and music; the art design and thoughtfully executed character looks; the dedicated performances; the commitment to marry style with substance without compromising on any of the genre prerequisites and Fosse’s ability to take the stage hit and personalize it pays rich dividends as we completely get transported into the mesmerizing world of Cabaret and its characters.

Ira says

I may have said this before but I will say it again. When I stop taking notes while watching a film, it’s either a bad thing, or a really good thing. And with Bob Fosse’s multi Academy Award winning darkly comic musical feature film CABARET, it is most certainly the latter! As soon as the opening image and the blurred reflection of painted faces comes into a glimmering focus onto the screen, the camera glides across to reveal JOEL GREY (who is phenomenal in the film, sometimes I thought even better than Minnelli; both won Academy’s for their roles), and as the exaggerated makeup of Grey’s hugely expressive face fills the screen, hell, I left my troubles outside, if life was or is disappointing, I did forget it, because Fosse does take us into a beautiful world. A world where the ‘girls are beautiful’ (albeit often men beautifully made up as women), the ‘orchh-estra is beaautee-fful’ and everything is unusual, strange and extraordinary.

Topping that list is SALLY BOWLES (Liza Minnelli), an American star attraction at Berlin’s wonderfully recreated, famously political KIT KAT CLUB circa Germany, 1931. Right from her no holds barred, scintillating first musical number, “Mein Herr”, Minnelli takes centre stage in this one, a sexy, strong, girly, wide-eyed, and thick eye-lashed force of nature who for the most part, completely steals the dances, the words, the music and the scenes from under the men’s noses. Masterfully told through Fosse’s expressionistic, dark mood, experimental, intimate and skewed camera work, vivid color palette, superb production design, and the often edgy but seamless editing, CABARET is delectable to hear, sense and experience with food for thought to offer.

Not just a super musical with fabulous music, each song complementing the narrative and its progression and none superfluous (my favorites along with “Mein Herr”; “Money Money”, “Life is a Cabaret” and “If You Could See Her”), Fosse’s film is also a socio-political slice of Berlin pre World War 2. A snapshot of life, art and culture in the Weimer Republic, and a fractured sense of a country that is Nazi ridden, living in the shadows of a growing Nationalist Socialist Party, with religious sentiment growing and divine decadence being the one outlet for art to rear its fascinating, bizarre, provocative, entertaining, escapist, and very necessary head. At the same time, it’s a story of love, friendship, sex, and the flapper era indulgence of alcohol, a lapse in sexual mores, rules, values and preferences. Pitting strongly opposing characters who range from wild to wilder and simple to protected against each other, and providing enough entertainment through the characters and central relationships of Sally and Peter, a British born English teacher from Oxford (Michael York), Sally, Peter and Max (Helmut Griem), a wealthy German aristocrat who adopts the pair for his private amusement, as well as Fritz and Natalia a Jewish couple who need to overcome barriers of class and social acceptance, CABARET is sexy, exciting, dark, totally alive and involving with lots to tap your feet to. Ps: Fosse, considered by many to be one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th century won his only Academy award for Direction for this one (the film won 7 more). Oh, and did I mention he won it over Coppola for Godfather?