Review of My Fair Lady (1964) by Paul B — 01 Jul 2011

Movies being what they are, I am in the interesting position of knowing all about Audrey Hepburn's performance as Eliza Doolittle, without ever having seen Julie Andrews in the role. Further confusing things is Andrews' colossal performance as Mary Poppins (who is, of course, nothing like Eliza) the same year this movie was released.

As such, my mindset is that Hepburn was perfect for the role, while I have difficulty seeing Andrews really pulling it off. Ironic, that. But in any case, Hepburn was a fine replacement. Her clothing, the smudges of dirt on her face, and the way her hair is messed up might not be sufficient to hide her beauty on their own.

Hepburn was a great actress, and the way she carries herself in the first parts of the movie really completes the picture of a poor Cockney flower girl. Plenty of actresses have put on ugly makeup to try to win an Oscar, but Hepburn does just enough to be convincing while retaining a hint of a winning personality under the dirt and that wonderfully grating accent.

She is no less a valuable human being at the beginning than at the end. Still, the movie is an ode to the power and beauty of the English language. It convincingly shows how the ability to express oneself well can transform a person even more than material blessings.

Henry Higgins unwittingly empowers Eliza with nothing more than words. Given my own love for the language, this would be reason enough to appreciate the movie. On top of that, it's a great musical.

The Lerner and Loewe songs are energetic, funny, and memorable. Cukor stages them each differently, and they are all in their own way fun to watch. The film is positively gorgeous to look at, with great costumes and sets.

It's delightfully old-fashioned, filled with classic Hollywood musical aplomb and gentility. And at least they got Rex Harrison and Stanley Holloway, who are both hilarious and were also responsible for creating their roles on Broadway.