Review of Cabaret (1993) by I Don't Know W — 01 Aug 2011

Hollywood loves a musical, and Cabaret was the first of a new generation of musicals that split from the mould of wholesome family values and took the musical in new directions. Until that point, musicals were generally bright and happy affairs with children singing in the alps and lovers singing through the streets on roller-skates. In stark contrast to this, Cabaret delved into a darker world, using music to highlight it. In short, it revolutionised the genre.

The plot of Cabaret follows a British freelance journalist, Brian (Michael York), who travels to Berlin to see the political heart of Germany and teach English on the side while he completes his PhD in philosophy. He winds up boarding in a house with cabaret dancer Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli), a young American who is the star of the notoriously sleazy Kit Kat Club. At the Kit Kat, Brian is introduced to Fritz (Fritz Wepper), a young German businessman trying to survive in the economic depression that swept through Germany between the wars, and who straddles the divide between the Communists and the Nazis, afraid of both and yet tempted to ally himself with either in order to survive economically. Through their interactions, Brian finds himself becoming increasingly more attracted to Sally, but their mismatched personalities and lifestyles lead to friction and a slow spiral towards self destruction, a metaphor for the insidious rise of fascism in Germany.

There is little that can be said about this film that has not already been well transcribed in various literature reviews and student theses over the years. It has been a hallmark of the industry for so long, and it has only been with the recent re-popularisation of the musical as a cinematic storytelling vehicle that films such as Moulin Rouge and Chicago have usurped its role at the head of the pack. Given that I cannot elaborate further on what all these critics have said, in brief all I can say is that Cabaret is a unique gem from its time, an unusual and affecting tale featuring great performances, an unusual yet surprisingly catchy array of musical numbers, and great production values. While Minnelli is the centrepiece of this show in most respects, it is the writing, the costumes and set designs and the music that make this movie what it is. Truly a classic and one well worth owning as you will find yourself returning to it.