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Amazon.co.uk Review
Cabaret is one of those film musicals whose cultural and stylistic influence extend well beyond the cinema. It confirmed Bob Fosse's status as one of the boldest choreographers of the 20th century and gave Liza Minnelli an early peak in a film career which would never scale such heights again. Minnelli is both the film's strength--on its own merits her performance is an Oscar-winning tour de force--and weakness. The real Sally Bowles was a third-rate performer and just one of a rich gallery of characters; here, the constant allowances for Minnelli's star turns and mannerisms ultimately throw the story off balance. But the source material is impeccable: Kander and Ebb's stage show, based on the autobiographical stories of Christopher Isherwood, has long since been acknowledged a classic. The songs, augmented by some new numbers in the film, are ageless.
Joel Grey from the original Broadway production is the Emcee, the master of ceremonies who, with his Kit Kat Klub girls, provides a depraved Greek chorus satirising the rise of the Nazi regime and the lazy complacency of the 1930s Berlin cabaret-goers. The "divine decadence" tag is only part of the story, though. Cabaret still works a sinister, uncomfortable magic which sets it apart as a uniquely powerful film musical.
On the DVD: Cabaret's 30th Anniversary Special Edition is packed with extras which include a scratchy "making of" documentary from 1972 and a retrospective from 1997, the latter featuring reminiscences from the cast. There’s also the original theatrical trailer, though in the absence of the late director Fosse the lack of some kind of commentary is a disappointment. The picture itself, presented in widescreen 16:9 letterbox format with a Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo soundtrack, gleams as sharply, visually and aurally, as it did on its first release. --Piers Ford
DVD Description
DVD Special Features:
1997 Documentary Cabaret: A Legend in the Making
1972 Documentary : The Re-creation of an Era
1997 Kit Kat Klub Memory Gallery - remimiscences from the films stars and creators
1972 Original US Theatrical Trailer
Songs Menu
Photo Gallery
40 Pages of Production Notes and Trivia
Dolby Digital 2.0
Aspect Ratio 16:9 Letterbox
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A stunning film: Liza Minelli is truly knockout - sadly never to again have such a perfectly fitted role - and Fosse's choreography is superb - reinforced by brilliant photography, lighting, and editing. Joel Gray as Emcee matches and supports her impeccably - and their "Money" duet is just wonderful.
Loving this film, I paid to see it several times in the cinema, and have bought several versions of the DVD since - always hopeful of a proper-format screen-filler appropriate for all those fabulous shots and routines. In vain!
Why, why, why....isn't this barnstormer of a film available yet in a proper anamorphic transfer?
Is the argument that it's been out long enough that everyone who wanted this film will have already bought it? So there won't be a big enough market for a new version?
NO....! I think that all the lovers of this film would absolutely flock to buy a top-quality anamorphic transfer. But please shout that it's NEW on the cover - don't try to fool us again with any more letter-box mini-versions. No-one should be palming off these versions in 2011!!! Cameron gave us an anamorphic Titanic after the initial shoddy letterbox-version. It's time this was done for Fosse's gem!
Loving this film, I paid to see it several times in the cinema, and have bought several versions of the DVD since - always hopeful of a proper-format screen-filler appropriate for all those fabulous shots and routines. In vain!
Why, why, why....isn't this barnstormer of a film available yet in a proper anamorphic transfer?
Is the argument that it's been out long enough that everyone who wanted this film will have already bought it? So there won't be a big enough market for a new version?
NO....! I think that all the lovers of this film would absolutely flock to buy a top-quality anamorphic transfer. But please shout that it's NEW on the cover - don't try to fool us again with any more letter-box mini-versions. No-one should be palming off these versions in 2011!!! Cameron gave us an anamorphic Titanic after the initial shoddy letterbox-version. It's time this was done for Fosse's gem!
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Cabaret is an unusual sort of musical because nobody bursts into song in unlikely settings. The singing and dancing all takes place where you would naturally expect it to: mainly on the stage in a proper music hall-type venue, and once in a beer garden. The story is also darker and more realistic than most musicals. In 1930s Berlin, as the Nazis are rising to power, an ambitious young American woman, willing to do almost anything to become a famous actress, is working in the Kit Kat club as a cabaret artist. She forms a relationship with a liberal-minded but unworldly English teacher and later involves him in a trio-relationship with a rich German baron. It's a case of what she calls "divine decadence". And divine decadence sounds just lovely, but in light of what's happening all around them, with the Nazis attacking people in the streets and generating an atmosphere of fear among scape-goated minorities, the decadence doesn't seem quite so divine. It's just plain old "decadence" - the word refers to "a state of decay" and that's appropriate. The performers at the Kit Kat club certainly look worn out. They may look pleasant enough under their makeup but all, apart from Sally, the American actress (wannabe) are made up to look hideous and debauched. Even ordinary people, who seem wholesome on the surface, are showing signs of moral decay. This becomes frighteningly clear on a couple of occasions: 1) when the nice, friendly residents in the lodging house are discussing the problem of a Jewish/communist conspiracy against the German people and 2) when a handsome young man stands up in the beer garden and sings a deeply stirring and moving song about the Fatherland and most of the crowd of people enjoying their family day out, stand up and join in. The young man is wearing a Nazi uniform. Sinister forces are at work and Sally is trying to encourage everyone to think that life is a cabaret.
It's a fine film, a great musical and a story with depth and meaning.
It's a fine film, a great musical and a story with depth and meaning.
42 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
Cabaret is up there with the all time great movies. It is a sumptuous, elegantly shot cinematic classic which has stood the test of time and is as fresh to watch today as it was 30 years ago. Set in the seedy Kit-kat Club in pre-war Berlin, the story follows the entangled lives of Michael Yorke and the iconic images of Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles. With the ever present dangers of a world war breaking, the story follows Yorke/Minnelli's off-beat relationship and is accompanied by sleek choreography, an
amazing collection of songs and outstanding performances by the cast (especially Joel Grey's eerie performance as Master of Ceremonies).
This film is definitely a must-see movie,if not only for the Oscar winning performances then, watch it for the outstanding singing and dancing. This film should be in any serious film lovers collection.
amazing collection of songs and outstanding performances by the cast (especially Joel Grey's eerie performance as Master of Ceremonies).
This film is definitely a must-see movie,if not only for the Oscar winning performances then, watch it for the outstanding singing and dancing. This film should be in any serious film lovers collection.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Screen Masterpiece! But stunningly POOR DVD.
It is difficult to believe that there is no version of this brilliant film available in anamorphic transfer. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Cult Fan
A great musical, a great film
You sometimes forget just how good such and such a film is and that was certainly the case with me and "Cabaret"; it seems as good today as when I first saw it as a sixth... Read more
Published 3 months ago by M. Joyce
Wonderful
Normally I hate musicals,they just seems so unreal and break up the flow of events in a story.Not so this musical. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Dausubel
Awe-inspiring
Never seen this movie before purchasing this dvd. Never expected to love it so much, its now one of my favourite ever films. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Lucy Fer
Christmas present
I brought this item for a christmas present and the response from the resipient was good, they thoroughly enjoyed. The item arived safely and on time. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Trish
absolutely first rate musical drama
I have not seen this in 35 years, and I was utterly enthralled to see it again. There are so many ways to see this films that it has got to be one of the best I have ever seen. Read more
Published 9 months ago by rob crawford
caberet
Yeah spot on nothing like the books but what film is? Ok its not blue ray etc etc but for the pence I paid for it one really cannot complain . Read more
Published 11 months ago by daveco46
great value,arrived well in time for my Daughters birthday
ordered on line with amazon, arrived as stated well in time for my Daughters birthday,
will now use only amazon,great value dvd,
will now use only amazon,great value dvd,
Published 12 months ago by Davie g
excellent viewing
This was a brilliant movie I had to see it again after watching a stag e production of it still good to watch over again
Published 13 months ago by c.c.rider
Superb acting and history
This film gained most of its praise for the excellent acting of Liza Minelli, Michael York and Joel Grey. Read more
Published 14 months ago by PetePortsmouth
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