Review of The Saddest Music in the World (2003) by Ryan H — 04 Jul 2012

Ebert says in his review the more films you've seen the more you will like The Saddest Music in the World. I can agree with this up to an extent. I think what's more accurate is the more films you've seen the more you can appreciate what Guy Maddin does with the style and the world.

There's a unique mixture of comedy and melodrama but not in the way of Lynch. The acting feels like it's straight out of a film from the 30's and the look of the film accompanies this. The overall story might seem like something that came from that era too, but Maddin presents everything in such a strange way.

The Saddest Music in the World follows much of what the title says; Lady Helen Port-Huntley announces on the radio that Winnipeg has been listed as the saddest place in the world during the Great Depression, so she offers to pay $25,000 to someone who can come up with the saddest music in the world.

She does this in hopes that it will draw attention to her beer company and when the prohibition is done her sales will go over the roof. I was reading many critics saying this had no real message to it, but I really disagree.

There's a scene when the characters are trying to decide if sadness has anything to do with true emotion or is simply something people have to get the attention of others. There are plenty of scenes that show people from places all around the world and the ones who play solo tend to get turned down while the groups pass through.

And Maddin seems to be bashing on America pretty hard. The American keeps paying off people from other countries to drop out and become a part of his troupe. It's almost like Maddin's saying that it's hard for people to empathize with a single person, and the American part was saying that we steal everyone's culture.

On screen we don't show our own sadness. I disagree, but it was definitely funny to see. There are plenty of strange scenes that work for Maddin's style, which lets us know this is not some lost classic but a modern day film (other than the actors, of course).

Lady Port-Huntley has a scene where she can't get over her new glass legs and can even feel Chester touch them. She lost her legs in a car accident a long time ago when Chester's dad (and her other lover) was standing drunk in the middle of the road.

Pinned under the truck, Fyodor pulls out his saw to amputate her leg but he's drunk and cuts off the wrong one first. This is why she has no legs. She hates this part of her life. Nothing could be worse.

Hearing people play these sad songs probably helps her cope with her own life. She's not alone. We also get Chester's brother's story. Roderick's a weak guy who has lost his wife and son and wants to join the competition under his wife's country in order to win the money.

He goes far to compete with his brother in the end. Of course, or else this wouldn't be like the classic films. As all of this might seem like a typical movie, this is nothing of the sort. As things progress and Roderick goes crazy, the film gets even crazier.

It's hard to follow and you need to just go back and remember what it's ultimately about. I would have liked more story as to why Lady Port-Huntley and Chester are no longer together by the beginning of this film.

Is it simply because she can't have legs anymore, so when it becomes a possibility he's willing to be with her again? I believe this is the case, but I would have liked a little more to this. Perhaps more sorrow.

I felt like there could have been more regret and sorrow mixed in with the comedy. Not much, just a little. I did think it was hilarious to see people who won the round slide into the pool of beer. People in America are mad to see they can't drink beer, yet these people are splashing around in it.

I love Maddin's style which is probably why I like this so much. It's a great surreal film that only a brilliant mind could come up with.