So, let's see where we have travelled, shall we? First, we dragged ourselves through the slough of despond that was the First World War, then we discovered that we are all desperately alone and you can never really know another person, a small detour ensued through the gritty world of down and out New Yorkers, only to land on our feet in a desolate Alaskan landscape, hurtling toward our death albeit with a smile and the words, "I am free" on our lips.
I'd say we deserve a break.
Our next film is a song and dance hit from 1935 called "Top Hat," starring Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers. The plot is pretty simple. Astair meets Rogers, is immediately smitten, complications arise that take exactly 89 minutes to resolve. They dance several numbers and finally waltz off into the sunset, arm in arm. No questions of the ultimate meaning of life, the existence of God, the nature of free will, or anything else.
Of course, every film I show is subject to some kind of critical analysis, and this is no exception.
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I was looking forward to motoring, pell-mell, throttle wide open (film class style) into medieval Europe to play chess with death.
ReplyDeleteYay! Old school song and dance musicals make me happy!
ReplyDeleteInteresting next film choice, although I do like Danny White's overt illusion to a forthcoming film, namely the Seventh Seal, a film that was enjoyed last year by myself and many others, but a hurdle into a musical from 1935 sure sounds interesting, but not completely Mr. Bennett-esque. I do look forward to this change of pace, however.
ReplyDeleteI'd much rather see another film that makes us take a deep look at ourselves and question what it all means than a light musical. Sorry to say, but I loathe musicals. Just the thought of people actually braking into song right in the middle of normal life just sickens me. After this one, I say bring on the existentialism flicks and make me ponder.
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