Brigadoon
by Vincente Minnelli
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ann Miller, Cyd Charisse, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'connor, Leslie CaronDirector: Vincente Minnelli
Brand: Warner Brothers
Narrator: Stanley Tucci
Other Contributor: Leonard Bernstein
Other Contributor: Saul Chaplin
Other Contributor: Nacio Herb Brown
Other Contributor: Lennie Hayton
Other Contributor: Edens Roger
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Restored, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Widescreen, 2.55:1
Running Time: 108 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-03-15
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Model: 67239
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- Gene Kelly, Van Johnson and Cyd Charisse recapture the charm and beauty of the 18th-Century Scottish Highlands in this enchanting fantasy of music, dance and romance.Year: 1954Running Time: 108 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: MUSICALS Rating: NR Age: 012569672390 UPC: 012569672390 Manufacturer No: 67239
Movie Reviews of Brigadoon
Movie Review: Brigadoon an Overlooked Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
Brigadoon is widely considered as one of Vincente Minnelli's lesser achievements. The critics were somewhat disenchanted that Brigadoon was filmed on a sound stage in Culver City rather than "on location" in Scotland. MGM had not helped matters by actually dispatching Minnelli and Producer Arthur Freed to Scotland to scout for suitable filming locations. MGM, like the other major studios, were finding themselves in somewhat dire financial straits due to competition from television and certain pieces of anti-trust legislation that loosened their monopolistic grip over the entertainment industry. When MGM pulled the plug on the concept of an "on location" shoot (they were well aware of Minnelli's obsession with perfection and expected that he would go well over budget if given a free rein), the entire project became saddled with an image problem. By 1954, movie audiences expected something more than fixed indoor sets and painted scenery, especially from a work so site specific as Brigadoon.Minnelli faced other obstacles. Ansco was a cheaper and somewhat inferior colour processing system than Technicolor, which no doubt irritated his refined sensibilities. He also had to come to terms with the new demands of Cinemascope and full stereophonic sound, with somewhat mixed results.
Even more troubling is that the choreography was in the hands of Gene Kelly, who seemed determined to emphasize the dancing rather than musical element at the heart of Brigadoon. The two had worked wonderfully together on "An American in Paris", but on the set of Brigadoon their artistic visions clashed. It is telling that Brigadoon was their last collaboration.
Critics in the 1950's were also a better informed breed than they were 20 years earlier and they were quick to pounce on certain "inaccuracies", such as the outrageous blends of tartans, which cerainly would have made any Laird wince, and the suitability of much of Mr. Kelly's choreography; hardly Scottish by a long stretch.
Yet in spite of these encumberances, I love this film. The painted diaramas are in keeping with the preposterous nature of the storyline, and what beautiful sets they are! Minnelli's artistic flourishes are evident eveywhere, such as the ample plantings of heather which must have caused a state of full employment for local florists. Minnelli"s outstanding contribution to American Film was his refined palette of colour schemes, and in Brigadoon his genius achieves its climax. Make no mistake, Brigadoon is a feast for the eyes.
The music by Lerner and Loewe is superb, with haunting melodies and stirring choruses. Cyd Charisse, always more celebrated for her dancing than her thespian skills, in Brigadoon achieves her finest hour, even though her singing voice is dubbed. Gene Kelly's type of acting is perhaps an acquired taste, but there is no denying his cat like grace and radiant boyish good looks.
On the whole, the imperfections of Brigadoon only make it more endearing. It is the one musical I never tire of seeing over and over again.
Summary of Brigadoon
BRIGADOON - DVD MovieAnything is possible in Brigadoon, the Lerner and Loewe musical put to celluloid in 1954 by director Vincente Minnelli: a village can reappear for only one day each century, and Gene Kelly can tap-dance on a dirt path. Kelly and Van Johnson play a pair of New Yorkers who go on a hunting vacation in the highlands of Scotland. But what Tommy Albright (Kelly) captures is the heart of a bonny Scottish lass, Fiona Campbell (Cyd Charisse). The catch: Fiona lives in Brigadoon, an enchanted town that appears for only one day every 100 years. If Tommy stays, he must give up everything (including his fiancé back home); if Fiona leaves with Tommy, Brigadoon will vanish into the highland mist, never to be seen again. Not that this keeps anyone from having a good time. The men are clad in vivid tartan kilts and leggings, and the women swish about in multicolored petticoats. Fiona's sister Jean is getting married, and the whole town is drinking ale and singing cheery songs--except for Jean's ex-beau, who threatens to leave and thereby end the town's existence. Brigadoon is a charming escape into a sweet fairy tale. Some of the songs may be less than memorable, but Kelly's choreography is often as witty as the banter. When the hectic pace of the modern world threatens to overtake you, consider a brief vacation in the highlands of Scotland. As one character says, "There must be an awful lot of folk searching for a Brigadoon"--even if it only lasts for a couple of hours. --Larisa Lomacky Moore
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