Review of Funny Girl (1968) by Amodeo V — 12 Nov 2010

There is one very big, very loud, and utterly sensational reason to watch Funny Girl: and her name is Barbra Streisand. If you've ever wondered why Ms. Streisand is the legend she is today then your first port of call should be this movie. Her voice, beauty, comedic timing, and irresistible charms have never been so prevalent as in her original performance as struggling stage starlet Fanny Brice.

Okay so the costumes are incredible, Omar Sharif is utterly dashing, and Kay Medford did indeed earn an Oscar nomination for her turn as Brice's mother, but none of them come close to Streisand's brilliance in her Oscar winning performance.

From the opening scene Streisand's universal appeal is so powerful that even the most modern of audiences will struggle to not fall victim to her clumsy charms and Jewish elegance. Director William Wyler, himself a triple Oscar winner, captures Streisand's effortless performance perfectly, framing her face in mirrors and camera flashes as she plows her way through a familiar story of unexpected love and a less-familiar tale (at the time anyway) of gender struggles, as Sharif's once-rich Mr. Arnstein loses his fortune and must come to terms with the fact that his wife is now the breadwinner in their marriage.

For those viewing from a musical perspective, be warned that while there a number of catchy tunes, and some truly brilliant set pieces all helped along by the aforementioned excellent costume design and equally fine art direction, there is really only one stand out number. But what a number it is, 'Don't Rain On My Parade' has perhaps outlived the film itself and sums up everything that is so great about Ms. Streisand's performance not only here but throughout her body of work: it's powerful, brash, passionate and ultimately timeless.