Cabaret (1972)

Berlin 1930, a time when political unrest racks the country, the economy has been destroyed, and millions of unemployed roam the streets. The story follows an American cabaret dancer, Sally Bowles (Liza Minelli), working at the downtown "Kit-Kat club" where anything goes on the stage including hilarity. Into this young dancer's life come several characters such as a rich German politician (Helmut Griem), a young Jewish man (Fritz Wepper) struggling with his identity, an Englishman teacher Brian (Michael York) from London, and of course the all-knowing, all-seeing Master of Ceremonies (Joel Grey).

Trivia: In the original Broadway version, the main characters are an American writer and English singer. In the film version, they are an English writer and an American singer. Brian expresses surprise that Sally Bowles is an American, a sly reference to the fact that in the musical on which the movie is based, Sally is British. In an interview given at the time of the film's release, Liza Minnelli said you could tell she was the star of the Kit Kat Club because she's the only performer with shaved armpits. Cabret has the distinction of winning the most Oscars (8) without winning the Best Picture Oscar. Liza Minnelli designed all her own hair and make-up with the help of her father, famed musical director Vincente Minnelli. Many of the interiors of the film were done on sound stages in Munich recently vacated by the cast and crew of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Yesterday it was Doom, today it is Cabaret. No one can blame me for not reviewing diverse films now, can they? (tomorrow will be Rabbit Proof Fence). This was a pretty good film and I can see why it won the Oscars (it lost the Best Picture Oscar to The Godfather, which is no slouch). There is only one thing I would complain about, it needed more Joel Grey. His Master of Ceremonies was easily the best character in the whole movie, but I guess it was necessary as he was the all knowing sage and you only briefly see him off stage and only in the Kit Kat. But he was great. Liza, Liza, Liza. My only real experience of Liza Minielli has been in the press and popular culture from the last 20 years or so, so in my mind she is an aging starlet that is at times, just a creepy old lady. Well, guess what, she used to be pretty cute in her own way, but I kept looking at her hair, especially at her bangs, sometimes they were pointed, sometimes not, sometimes they came down and covered her eyebrows, and sometimes not. It was a little disconcerting at times. The love triangle was a little novel and probably caused more of an uproar at the time then it did watching it today. I did like the musical cues that corresponded to plot points, that was pretty cool. So all in all, it was a solid movie.