Review of Cabaret (1981) by Devon B — 05 Apr 2013

Bob Fosse's "Cabaret", from the celebrated Broadway show, is brilliant vignette-driven musical tragedy that hauntingly concludes before the tragedy strikes.

Liza Minnelli's Sally Bowles is a marvelous creation; an unabashed free-spirit who perpetually sabotages her chances at true happiness by entertaining her girlish delusions. The cabaret she sings in represents all she wants life to be: easy sexuality, relaxed morality, eternal youth, and a place where her dreams are safe from the realistic skepticisms of the outside world. The dramatic irony is that we recognize the growing power of the Nazi party means that her fantasy is not to last. We don't need to see what beomces of Sally to know that she's doomed herself.

Fosse's ingenious staging practically makes the camera one of the dancers, invigorating the musical asides that colour the subtext of the narrative. Strong performances abound besides Minnelli's legendary turn. Michael York makes a sympathetic protagonist and audience surrogate, while Joel Grey's manic master of ceremonies drips with uncontrollable Vaudevillian panache.