Running Time: 99 minutesDirected By: Ernst Lubitsch
Written By: Melchior Lengyel, Edwin Justus Mayer
Main Cast: Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack, Stanley Ridges, Sig Ruman
THE BEST COMEDY ABOUT NAZI'S!
Seeing as how it was leaving the streaming portion of Netflix as of tomorrow, I figured I'd catch "To Be or Not to Be" while I still could, without having to get it in the mail. I didn't have high hopes for this one and even within the first quarter of the film, my hopes weren't being heightened. However, the film actually turned out to be a really funny comedy and helped me to discover two new gems...Jack Benny and Carole Lombard.
The film's plot is quite intricate, especially for a comedy, so bear with me as I try to explain it. Benny and Lombard play Josef and Maria Tura, a married couple that are also a part of a troupe of actors who work out of Warsaw, Poland. They put on various shows as part of their troupe, including Hamlet. The married couple constantly quarrel and in the midst of one of their quarrels, Maria receives flowers from an anonymous gentleman. She eventually gets word to the gentleman to meet her in her dressing room, in the middle of the play, right as her husband is to give the famous "To Be or Not to Be..." speech. Maria and her anonymous caller meet and he is revealed as Lt. Stanislav Sobinski. They continue their meetings, every night as Josef begins his speech and while Josef's self esteem is hurt when he sees a member of the audience leave every single night as he is performing, he knows nothing of the rendezvous with Sobinski and Maria. Soon war is declared in Warsaw, as the Nazi's invade and Sobinski is sent off to war. Later, we meet Professor Alexander Siletsky, a man first introduced to us as the leader of the Polish resistance. When Siletsky announces to the Polish division of the British Royal Air Force that he'll be returning to Warsaw, the rest of the men jump at the chance to find out if their loved ones are okay. All of the men give the names of their families to Siletsky and beg him to bring back word of their safety. Sobinski also confides in Siletsky, giving him the name of Maria Tura. Later, Sobinski suspects Siletsky of being a Nazi spy and informs his superiors, who send him into Warsaw to retrieve the names of the families of all the Polish pilots. Let's suffice it to say that the acting troupe winds up getting involved and it's a romp from there on out, as the acting troupe along with Sobinski must retrieve the list of names and help further the resistance's plans.
Like I said above, the movie wasn't exactly grabbing me at first. I did love the beginning though and the very amusing anecdote about the seemingly impossible appearance of Hitler in Warsaw in 1939. From there it goes downhill, but not for long, once the character of Siletsky is introduced and arrives in Warsaw the fun meter is turned back on full blast and Jack Benny is cut loose to grab us by the funny bones and not let go until the end. I was enamored with both Jack Benny and Carole Lombard, but especially Benny, who really strut his comedy stuff and showed that it's the little things (mannerisms, the precise delivery of his dialogue, etc.) that made him a comedic genius. Lombard, who's beauty didn't strike me as much in "My Man Godfrey", shines here and makes the story of her real life death, a more tragic one.
I feel that the genre of comedy is the most inviting genre that there is. This is a genre that doesn't want anything from us, except for our laughter and happiness. Most great comedies invite us to cuddle up, relax and be entertained and that's exactly what this one does. This film, for me, had sort of a warm quality, even though it was dealing with questionable subject matter. However, it still managed to convey a feeling of warmth and hilarity throughout. Also, speaking of the subject matter, you can complain all you want that laughter shouldn't be brought on by the tragedies that were committed by the Gestapo, but I will argue back and say that there was nothing here that should be taken very seriously and in the end, it's the Jewish man who really saves the day for the acting troupe. There are so many terrible films that remind us of the horrors that took place during Nazi times, but this one reminds us that the Nazi's were terrible men, with the added pleasure of allowing us to laugh at them, without feeling guilty for about it.
RATING: 7/10 It's not a '10' film, but it's a hilarious one that gets a recommendation from me. I immediately added Charley's Aunt to my "watch list" for more Jack Benny fun.
MOVIES WATCHED: 173
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 828
October 27, 2010 2:09am
No wonder mel Brooks wanted to remake this. His theory about humour and Nazis is that you put people off Nazism by ridiculing them. I guess to a certain secort in society going 'these guys are to be avoided because they are horrible' is more an invite, making the sort of person who may be tempted by extreme right wing groups go 'Hey, I want people to be scared of me'
ReplyDeleteIf we can make Nazis look laughable, your average street thug will not be interested.
Sorry, a diversion from the topic in hand.
This was a hugely controversial film, treating the bombing of Warsaw etc as a 'joke', but it WORKS. I may dispute your assertion 'there is nothing here to be taken too seriously' (Although I feel I may be quoting you out of context). IFor above reasons, I think this is a wonder mix of serious, made memorable by being so funny..
Ray
Thgis is a great film, much better than the remake.
What I meant when saying "There is nothing here to be taken seriously" is that there really isn't. Sure this film has "controversial" written all over it, but if you allow yourself to simmer down, it's something that can just be enjoyed without having to get into a hubbub about. That's my opinion anyway.
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