A Little Night Music

source: A Little Night Music

Moviecut—A Little Night Music

A Little Night Music

My one favorite part of this film has always been THE GLAMOROUS LIFE. If only the rest of the film had been as droll, dry, and on the mark as this segment. No one seems to have an opinion on Chloe Franks, the young actress playing Fredericka. I've always thought she was one of the best people in the film.

What must've seemed a good idea at the time, turns out to be one of the worst film musicals ever made. All the pace and energy that is so vital to the continuity of the story has all but vanished, resulting in a stilted, monotone dirge. The play works well as a theatre piece simply because of the emotional attachment that is built up between the audience and the characters on stage. But trying to recreate that on the cinema screen is fraught with danger, mainly because the writing doesn't develop the characters enough to work without that personal bond. Diana Rigg comes off best as Charlotte, but it is easily the best part, or at least the one that has all the best lines. Her 'Every Day A Little Death' is about as moving as it gets. The rest is an embarrassing mess.

Yes it's true, Hal Prince did really ruin his most sophisticated and gorgeous stage musical, by transferring the plot to turn of the century austria (nonsense), skipping the greek chorus and cutting some of the best songs of the show (the miller's son, Liaisons). Nevertheless, one has to be thankful, that the talents of the original broadway production were chosen to recreate their respective successes on screen, even if they finally have been butchered in the cutting room. Biggest miss is the final scene in which the night smiles for the third time and Mdm. Armfeldt (Hermione Gingold) passes away. Still, its the only thing visual, that's left from that great Broadway Cast and though I hate it, I love it.

With this much talent on the table this should have been so much better. Liz was a great star, not a singer though, just the wrong actress for the role she should never have been cast. Not only does she not seem comfortable in the role she is not looking her best. It is a shame they didn't cast Glynis Johns in the stage role she created, she would have been perfection as the flighty, melancholy aging actress and she and Hermoine Gingold make sense as mother and daughter. Hermoine and Elizabeth Taylor bear no resemblance in either feature or gesture making it even harder to get into the material. Diana Rigg, Hermoine Gingold and Len Cariou do what they can with their parts and the settings are lovely but the direction is flat, in this sort of whimsy that is deadly. It has moments of pleasure but overall a miss.

The most baffling thing about this disaster of a film is the fact that it was directed by Hal Prince..the director of the original Broadway production. Unfortunately Prince,who managed to create a stage masterpiece gave us a film flop! Miscasting,poor editing and excising of songs really hurt this one. Elizabeth Taylor is terrible as the wistful Desiree Armfeldt,clodhopping through the film like a bull in a china shoppe.Her singing is pitiful(in send in the clowns she actually can be heard trying to find the note!)Christopher Guard and Leslie Anne Down are dull as Henrick and Anne,no emotion,no passion. There are some strong performances however, Len Cariou,Laurence Giuttard and Hermione Gingold shine in the roles they created on Broadway (even with Guittard's and Gingold's big solos being cut)and Diana Rigg is outstanding as Charlotte,giving the film some much needed life. Altogether its a big miss,but with some small rewards.

I really wanted to like this film - the songs are fabulous, and, together with Follies and Company, it really is one of Sondheim's best musicals. But this is a wasted opportunity. The strongest overlapping trio (Now/Soon/Later) on stage sounds terrific, here it just doesn't work. Other songs - particularly Liaisons and The Miller's Son - are missing. It looks drab and empty. But it does have its good points - Send in the Clowns is quite touching (it doesn't have to be sung - look at what Judi Dench and Elaine Stritch have done with it if you're not convinced) and Elizabeth Taylor is the perfect choice for Desiree. It Would Have Been Wonderful works well and is by far the musical high point. As some kind of record of the show, it is adequate, mildly satisfying, and passes the time. But it certainly isn't great art and fails to engage any hint of interest in the characters.