In Appreciation: Cabaret (1972)

For all of the talk about Chicago revitaling the musical genre, one film managed to do the same in 1972--Bob Fosse's groundbreaking musical Cabaret.

This 1972 classic opened up the story from the bare bones of the Kit Kat Club. And while the movie is ostensibly about the failed love affair between cabaret singer Sally Bowes (Liza Minnelli) and Brian Roberts (Michael York), Fosse took full advantage of the setting--1931 Berlin during the growth of the National Socialist Party. The musical's most chilling number? At a beer garden, a young boy sings "Tomorrow Belongs To Me." As the camera pulls back, it is revealed that the boy is wearing the brown Nazi uniform, as he lifts his hand in a Nazi salute.

Cabaret was unique for another reason--no one just opened up and started singing in the middle of a scene. Only Sally Bowles and the Emcee (Oscar winner Joel Grey) sing, and only on the stage of the Kit Kat Club. The music, by Kander and Ebb, is totally organic to the plot of the film.

Amazingly, Cabaret was released the same year as another groundbreaker, The Godfather. And although The Godfather won Best Picture, Bob Fosse won the Best Director Oscar over Francis Ford Coppola. (Don't worry--Coppola actually won it for a film that deserved it--the sequel The Godfather Part II.)

Cabaret was restored for a showing at the TCM Film Festival this week in Los Angeles. Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey appeared to answer questions after the show. Let's hope a Blu-Ray edition isn't far behind.

To purchase Cabaret on DVD, please click on this link:
http://www.amazon.com/mn/search/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=reelclas02-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=cabaret&url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv">Name