A Review of Cabaret (1972)
A Look at the Academy Award Winning Musical featuring Liza Minnelli
Jul 30, 2008
Much of Cabaret is bright, sassy and exciting. However, the Nazi-Jewish conflict is always haunting the outside of the film, providing a necrotic counterbalance to the liveliness of the cabaret.
Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Many Others in Love
This film is a straightforward romance. It’s about the ups and downs in a relationship between an American burlesque performer- Sally Bowles, played by Liza Minnelli- and a British doctoral candidate- Brian Roberts, played by Michael York.
There are a couple peripheral plots and locations. The film is set in Weimar-era Germany as Nazism is on the rise. Through the film the attitudes of the German characters shift from violent- an early scene has a Nazi roughed up for entering the Cabaret- to conciliatory- by the end the German residents of the house are defending Nazi ideology and talking about the Jewish conspiracy.
More directly affected by the Nazi subplot is the romance between two pupils of Brian Roberts, one of whom is Jewish. Their story parallels Sally and Brian’s, but is set in the darker world of native Berlin.
The Kit Kat Club is a Magical Musical Place
The way the Kit Kat Club is used is what makes this movie great. It hosts all of the movie’s musical numbers, and is the only space where we see the MC. It’s bright, pretty and fun to watch.
It works a little more subtly than that, too. Though none of the musical numbers affect the plot (a departure from the original Broadway show), they never fail to comment on it. This can happen directly, as when Sally Bowles’ performance of “Maybe This Time” is intercut with the first time she and Brian sleep together, or it can happen indirectly, as when the MC’s commentary on Nazism, “If You Could See Her Through My Eyes” is applied directly to the story of Brian’s two pupils.
The cabaret is also an important space for exploring the themes. Brian’s a- or bisexuality throughout the movie is complex and difficult for characters to deal with. However, in the Kit Kat Club characters can switch genders, partners and preferences at the drop of a hat. Also, unlike Brian and Sally’s immutable views of Nazism, the changing German people’s thoughts can be tracked by how Nazis are treated in the Cabaret.
Multiple Oscar Winning Cabaret is a Must See
Cabaret is a strong, solid movie. It’s a romance with the slightest hint of an experimental twist. As an adaptation of the play it succeeds well despite making significant changes to the song line-up and plot. This Oscar-sweeping musical is a must-see.
