A Night at the Opera
|
List Price: Our Price: $11.86 You Save: $8.11 (41%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.96 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Canada
Movie Reviews of A Night at the Opera
Movie Review: Review of Warner's DVD edition
Summary: 4 Stars
The 1935 comedy A NIGHT AT THE OPERA is a grab bag of a movie that includes physical gags, verbal gags, a romantic subplot, backstage intrigue, an operatic aria, an elaborate dance number, stunts, absurdity, and sentimentality. The main attraction is, of course, the patented zaniness of The Marx Brothers -- the acerbic Groucho, the mute Harpo, and the dim-witted Chico -- whose unique brand of comedy is often edgy, subversive, and even surreal and other-worldly. Count me as one of those who thinks that such style of comedy loses some edge in A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, where the comic trio seem out of place in a methodical plot, realistic settings, and among ordinary people. These mundane elements are also, surprisingly, engrossing enough to often upstage the comedians. Groucho's usual anti-establishment stance also seems softened in order to give way to crowd-pleasing sentimentality. The Marx Brothers, like Jacques Tati, are creators of their own comic universes, and that's where they need to inhabit, such as in the whimsical delight DUCK SOUP, the Brothers' previous film, where their presence is more dominant. With that said, A NIGHT AT THE OPERA does have some of most memorable gags in the Brothers' history. A verbal confusion with Santa Claus, a tiny room cramped with 15 people, mixing opera with baseball, and Harpo's stunts with the ropes are some of the highlights.The new Warner DVD of A NIGHT AT THE OPERA is encoded for Region 1 and 4, and has a cleaner video transfer than I expected considering the age of the film. Obviously, a video restoration has been done, as were the cases for many of recent Warner DVDs of old movies. The original mono audio is fine, save for some age-related hisses in the background. There are some jarring momentary losses of frames in a few places, such as in the scene of Groucho riding a carriage early in the movie. However, I noticed these "jumps" in older video versions as well. Both English subtitles and closed captioning are present for the film's dialogs. The lyrics to the songs "Alone" and Cosi-Cosa" are also captioned, but not subtitled. During the Verdi opera sequence, the caption simply says "[Singing in Italian]." French and Spanish subtitles are also provided, but, of course, many of the wordplays are simply lost in translation ("C'est ce qu'on appelle une clause 'sanitaire'.") None of the supplements on the disc are subtitled or captioned, however.
Leonard Maltin provides an engaging and informative audio commentary for the film. He points out that the film was cut for its 1948 re-release (the version used for this DVD) in order to remove all references to Italy, which fought against America in WWII. The original opening was supposed to be a musical number showing people in Milan singing, thereby establishing the setting of the film. Although wishing to avoid analyzing the film, Maltin does try to elucidate some of the ingenious touches in the comical gags. In the famous stateroom scene, he points out the way Groucho talks at just the right moments and all the people seem oblivious to the situation are what make the scene funny. He praises the great pantomimic skills of Harpo, and thoughtfully suggests that although he might have been a great silent film star, his talent really belongs in a sound world. He gives his thoughts on Chico's patently fake Italian accent. He also laments that in the age of political correctness, Marx Brothers' films may seem passé. He says although there seems to be improvisations, the dialogs are often so intricately constructed that improvisations are often not possible. He also recounts a few anecdotes, such as the Brothers' showing up naked in producer Irving Thalberg's office at one time.
The disc includes a typical half-hour making-of featurette "Remarks on Marx, which is interesting, for me, mainly for the few minutes of appearance by Kitty Carlisle, who recalls how she was originally not allowed to sing with her voice. A 20-minute musical short from 1937, "Sunday Night at the Trocadero," is included, and it features performances by Connee Boswell, The Brian Sisters, George Hamilton and his "Music Box Music" Orchestra, and a cameo by Groucho. The audio quality is so poor on this piece that I can only hear every other word. An amusing ten-minute short "How to Sleep" from 1935, starring Robert Benchley, is also present, as well as the theatrical trailer for A NIGHT AT THE OPERA. There is also a 5-minute TV appearance by Groucho in which he also recalls the naked incident in Thalberg's office.
Movie Review: Two Classic Marx Bros. Films Are As Different As Night & Day
Summary: 4 Stars
After 70 years, "A Night At The Opera" is still considered one of the finest comedy films ever made, and is often called the funniest film the Marx Brothers ever made; there's also a handful of fans who consider "A Day At The Races" to be the funnier of the two. Die-hard fans already have them both in the five-disc box set; if you've only got room on your shelf for one Marx Brothers film, this review should help you decide between the two.
Both films were supervised by Hollywood genius Irving Thalberg, who realized that the Marx Brothers' raucous style of humor was not enough to sell tickets; it was his insistence on adding glamour and romance that made the films successful. Both films feature Allan Jones as the handsome singer who needs a break so he can marry his sweetheart. Both films feature Groucho and Chico as fast-talking con artists; Groucho swindles Margaret Dumont while Chico swindles Groucho. Both films feature Harpo as a mischevious mute who is sadistically whipped by the villain. Both films end in surrealist chaos, devilishly orchestrated by the brothers Marx. Of course, all is forgiven before the closing credits roll.
In "Night", Margaret Dumont can barely tolerate Groucho's incompetence; in "Day", she blindly ignores it because she's in love with him, allowing him to get away with a lot more comic mischief. In "Night", Allan Jones and Kitty Carlisle are both given ample time to sing, bringing the action to a halt; in "Day", Kitty is replaced by the non-singing Maureen O'Sullivan, a better actress who never wastes screen time with a sappy duet. In "Day", the Marxes get revenge on crooks who want to fix a horserace and build a casino, in "Night", they get revenge on a mean opera singer who wants to steal Allan's girl, making him less of a villain and more of a pest. The songs in "Night" are far more tolerable than the music in "Day", but let's face it - the only songs you need in a Marx Brothers movie are the ones played on piano and harp.
Extras on the "Night" disc include a witty essay on curing insomnia by humorist Robert Benchley, along with a Leonard Maltin commentary track. His remarks lack the spontaneity and informality of the commentary track for "Day", suggesting that it was scripted by Maltin or his research staff. At one point, he suggests that sharp-eyed viewers may be able to spot the father of the Marx Brothers twice in one scene: first on a pier and again on a ship. My research indicates that he could not have appeared in this 1935 film, as he had passed away two years earlier. Maltin may have confused this scene with a similiar one in "Monkey Business". There's also a rare talkie for star-gazers featuring cameos by dozens of MGM contract players, including one Julius Marx (aka Groucho sans moustache) but most of the dialogue is muffled or inaudible.
Although both films are highly enjoyable with a higher-than-average amount of laugh-out-loud moments, I'm giving "Day" a slight edge over "Night" on the basis of its comedy-to-music ratio. In addition, the dramatic final horserace in "Day" makes for a much more satisfying conclusion than the lovers' duet in "Night". Head for the races before you see the opera.
Movie Review: A little overrated but still quite good
Summary: 4 Stars
I personally feel this movie is a little overrated, but overrated in that while I don't think it's their greatest or funniest movie, I don't think it's their worst or unfunniest either (far from it, in fact). This was their penultimate truly great film, though with their move to MGM and away from Paramount, you can see a plot is starting to take more precedence over crazy anarchic antics, along with supporting players starting to assume more of a role in the story, along with the dreaded romantic/musical subplot. The brothers were slowly starting to lose their edge with this move to making movies that may have had more of a plot but half the laughs, as Irving Thalberg told them he wanted to do. Although I know they regarded the first two they made at MGM, before he died, as the best they ever made, so it's not like they lost their edge or began their decline and loss of creative control overnight. Although at least here the lovers involved in the subplot really belong there and are a full part of the plot, instead of feeling like boring pointless appendages slowing down an otherwise good movie. And since they're both singers, the musical numbers don't seem superfluous like they do in too many of their other MGM films (although "Cosi-Cosa" is one I could easily skip ever hearing again). Our sympathy with Rosa and Riccardo is established right away, so the viewer really cares for them instead of feeling annoyed whenever they're onscreen taking time away from the comedy. Allan Jones was also the best pseudo-Zeppo they ever worked with by far, although I've read that the three of them really missed their baby brother while they were making this film and wished he'd stayed in the act and been able to make that film with them. Unlike most of their later MGM films, too, here we really have a feeling that the bad guys are really bad and need to be defeated, not just boring generic villains you don't really get a feel for the true meanness of, of their need to be defeated and humiliated, wishing they'd never been born. We know right from the first time we encounter him in the second scene that Rodolfo is cruel, mean, and evil (I can barely watch the scene where he's beating Harpo, first hitting him with a stick and then whipping him, and then a few scenes later roughs him up again), and deserves exactly what he gets at the end.
The extras are hit and miss; the mini-documentary is quite good, but could have been better-served being a bit longer and more in-depth. The audio commentary is also nice; I'm not a big fan of audio commentaries, but they're interesting to listen to at least once, and can clear up confusion about a certain dated reference, shed some light on an in-joke, or just provide interesting tidbits about the movie you might not have found out anywhere else. The mood of the commentary is very informal and friendly instead of overly serious and scholarly. The rest of the extras are alright, but the shorts aren't really related to the movie apart from showing the kind of thing that might have been shown back in 1935 before the main feature began.
Movie Review: Great package of hilarious comedy, but poor print
Summary: 4 Stars
When the Marx Brothers came to MGM in 1935, boy wonder producer Irving Thalberg had the good commercial sense to package them in a genuine musical comedy. Their anarchic comedy may have been slightly better served in some earlier Paramount comedies but never were they better showcased than here, their most popular film because of the balance of entertainment on offer and the quality of the production values provided by MGM, the Rolls Royce of film studios at the time.
For those who know the Marx Brothers, there is little to say. Furthermore, there are lots of excellent Amazon reviews which can fill you in. For young people who may not know the team, do yourself a favour and have a look. You may baulk at the love interest sub plot and the music but don't miss some of the very best comedy ever - the stateroom sequence is as hilarious today as it was when it first appeared. The Brothers were specialists at sending up pomposity and convention and setting them among the New York Opera set was a great idea.
This DVD is a comprehensive package. The weakest aspect is that typical of the MGM films which appear on DVD, it has not been restored and is grainy and dirty in parts. Also, there are clearly a few places where the film splicing is less than perfect with jumps in the continuity.
The extras, however, are excellent. Leonard Maltin provides a beautifully paced commentary, confining his comments to suitable background information and the sheer pleasure at the delights on view. It was particularly interesting to learn that the film was cut when it was reissued during World War 2 when every reference to Italy was removed. I have never understood why the film starts so abruptly and now I do. I can't help but hope that the cut footage may one day re-appear. An adequate documentary is included, the best of which has clips of Kitty Carlisle Hart who played the romantic lead. Ms Hart was a very elegant elderly woman with excellent memories of the film and its subsequent elevation to genuine classic - delightful. Dom Deluise appears too and he is embarassing. The DVD also includes a Robert Benchley short which is droll and amusing and an Oscar winner. The other short is a promotion for the Trocadero restaurant and it is worth seeing singer Connie Boswell but the rest is awful. Last of all, there is a portion of a TV interview with Groucho in which he tells my favourite Marx Brothers story. Don't miss it.
This is an good package of a timeless comedy but the print should have been restored.
Movie Review: I Appreciate This One Now!
Summary: 4 Stars
I didn't fully appreciate this film until my second viewing. Now I think it's one of the better Marx Brothers film. The film - filled with funny lines - has all the familiar MB trappings: good slapstick, good and bad jokes and routines, wild scenes, several musical numbers and general overall chaos.
The only thing not appealing to me in the film were some of the songs - not all, just some. Otherwise, it was all fun as Groucho, Chico and Harpo all share humorous lines and/or sight gags. This is the film with the famous scene involving a ton of people being stuffed into Groucho's small cabin room. It's more amazing than funny. My favorite scenes were when Groucho and Chico got into discussions and trade lines back-and-forth. I also laughed heartily at the finale with Harpo swinging like Tarzan at the opera house.
In all, a funny MB film, one of the boys' better efforts. I play it with the English subtitles so as not to miss any of the great lines of dialog in here. In fact, that's not a bad idea for any of the Marx Brothers films, because the jokes are delivered so fast, you might miss some of the hilarious comments.