Review of To Be or Not to Be (1998) by Nate W — 03 Sep 2010
Ernst Lubitsch's "To Be or Not to Be" satirizes the Nazi invasion of Poland by combining unforgiving wit, broad farce, and a slick spy thriller story line about a troupe of Polish actors who use their acting skills and supply of German military costumes to stop a Gestapo agent and dupe the Nazis.
Lubitsch came to be known for the care and tact with which he directed his comedies, and it's on full display here, balancing the darker elements of Melkior Lengyel's plot with the uninhibited hilarity of writer Edwin J.
Mayer's dialogue â?? never before has â??Heil, Hitlerâ?? made for such a consistently droll punchline. Of course, without the right performances, the material could have been made insensitive and morbid (especially upon its release in 1942), but the cast delivers.
Jack Benny and Carole Lombard possess great timing, while supporting player Sig Rugman nearly steals the show as the bumbling S.S. Colonel Erhardt.
This review of To Be or Not to Be (1998) was written by Nate W on 03 Sep 2010.
To Be or Not to Be has generally received very positive reviews.
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