Cabaret - 30th Anniversary Special Edition (DVD)

...and fluffy stuff, think again! Cabaret the film is the result of a long evolutionary process, being loosely based on two short stories written in the 1930s by Christopher Isherwood, ‘Sally Bowles’ and ‘Goodbye to Berlin’. It then became a stage musical, with songs written by John Kander and Fred Ebb (who also wrote Chicago), and finally it made it onto the silver screen in 1972, courtesy of director Bob Fosse. However, compared ...
...Cabaret has a far darker, more sinister, sleazy tone.

Cabaret is set against the backdrop of the rise of Nazi Germany and centres on the character of Sally Bowles (Liza Minelli), an American cabaret singer at the Kit Kat Klub. When Englishman Brian Roberts (Michael York), arrives in Berlin with the intention of teaching English, he encounters Sally while looking for a place to stay and rents a room in the same building. Despite the ... more

Ladies and Gentlemen, wilkommen… bienvenue… welcome to the Kit Kat Klub, a world of decadence, delight and depravity- a world where your innermost fantasies and darkest thoughts can be played out in the world of cabaret.

If you thought all musicals were light and fluffy stuff, think again! Cabaret the film is the result of a long evolutionary process, being loosely based on two short stories written in the 1930s by Christopher Isherwood, ‘Sally Bowles’ and ‘Goodbye to Berlin’. It then became a stage musical, with songs written by John Kander and Fred Ebb (who also wrote Chicago), and finally it made it onto the silver screen in 1972, courtesy of director Bob Fosse. However, compared to the glitzy dream song and dance sequences of Chicago, Cabaret has a far darker, more sinister, sleazy tone.

Cabaret is set against the backdrop of the rise of Nazi Germany and centres on the character of Sally Bowles (Liza Minelli), an American cabaret singer at the Kit Kat Klub. When Englishman Brian Roberts (Michael York), arrives in Berlin with the intention of teaching English, he encounters Sally while looking for a place to stay and rents a room in the same building. Despite the fact that Brian hasn’t had much luck with women in the past, Sally sets about seducing him and he becomes sucked into the world of the cabaret. But will Sally and Brian’s relationship survive once rich aristocrat Maximilian von Heune is initiated into their circle of friends? And what will become of Brian and Sally’s friend, Fritz, a gold-digger, when he becomes involved with Natalia, a jewish heiress?

Joel Grey plays the sleazy, grotesque Emcee, or the Master of Ceremonies, who acts as an overseer of the entire film, commenting on the action as well as appearing on stage in the cabaret. Fosse described the film as ‘a drama with music’ and this is very much the vision presented in the film. The songs are confined to the stage platform and the characters don’t suddenly burst into song. In fact, the recent film of Chicago steals ideas from this film by the handful! That’s not to say that the songs aren’t any good though- every one is catchy and guaranteed to be popping into your head weeks later! Kander & Ebb wrote 3 songs especially for the film, ‘Maybe this time’, ‘Mein Herr’ and ‘Money, money.’ From the disturbing Nazi anthem, ‘Tomorrow belongs to me’ to the stupendously sexy ‘Mein Herr’, the songs are just fabulous, very influenced by the musical style of Kurt Weill, with each one providing an enlightening insight into a character or a situation.

Armed with the information that this is a Bob Fosse film, it’s not surprising that the choreography is stunning. One of the most iconic images of the twentieth century is that of Liza Minelli singing ‘Mein Herr’, with her Louise Brooks style haircut, dressed in a bowler hat, waistcoat, stockings and suspenders, draped, legs spread, across a chair in one of the most fantastically energetic dance scenes ever filmed. Like the songs, the dances aren’t just there to look good, there is always a thought and an impulse behind each step, investing the dances with an strong impact.

The political tension casts a huge shadow over the film, and one of the most shocking scenes involves the cabaret performers performing a sort-of Austrian style spanking dance while, outside the club, the camera cuts to a group of Nazi supporters violently beating a man up. The tension and building atmosphere of violence in the ‘real’ outside world alongside the decadence of the ‘dreamlike’ cabaret world give this film an uneasy but powerful impact. In fact, despite being over 30 years old, Cabaret has aged very well and still maintains the same impact.

Michael York’s portrayal of the quiet Englishman struggling with his sexuality amid the wild decadence of the cabaret is perfect, while Liza Minelli truly sparkles in the role of the ‘divinely decadent’ Sally Bowles, unsurprising when you learn that the part was originally written with her in mind. Portraying a character who is at once brash but vulnerable, and infuriating but loveable, Minelli was thoroughly deserving of the Best Actress Oscar she won for this film (and I am one of Ms. Minelli’s biggest critics!) and she belts out the songs as only she can. Joel Grey was another Oscar winner, this time for Best Supporting Actor, and he plays the Emcee perfectly, knowing exactly when to camp it up and give a knowing wink or a suggestive smirk to the camera. The chemistry between Grey and Minelli is sensational, especially in the gloriously materialist ‘Money, Money’, where they seem to delight in feeding off each other’s responses.

The only possible disadvantage of Cabaret is that, compared to the slick production of modern films, the lighting and picture quality look slightly dated but, to me, this seems to add to the atmosphere and effect of the film.

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Special Features

If you’re looking for a DVD with a vast amount of special features you’ll be delighted with the 30th Anniversary edition: It contains the 1997 documentary “Cabaret: A Legend in the Making”, which includes interviews with the cast and the production team, as well as a glimpse at initial the screen tests. The 1972 documentary “The Re-creation of an Era” is also included, although this is shorter and less informative. The ‘Kit Kat Klub Memory Gallery’ features reminiscences from the cast (including Liza Minelli, Michael York, and Joel Grey) and creators (Kander & Ebb, Cy Feuer- the producer), showing how the characters were styled and costumed.

Moving onto more traditional DVD extras, we have the original US theatrical trailer, songs menu, photo gallery and production notes and trivia.

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Overall, this is fantastically made film, providing an almost nightmarish, thought provoking glimpse into the world of 1930s Berlin. It’s not an enjoyable film as such, more a well made piece of art, but if you like the darker, grittier side of cinema, you’ll certainly appreciate this and if you’re a fan of musicals this is a must-have for your collection. If you enjoyed Chicago, go see this now- it’s much better! Just don’t expect a sugar-coated, Disney-style happy ending.

The Standard price for this special edition DVD is £19.99, but dvd.co.uk have it for only £13.99
 

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