As I have said many times over, I was never much of one for musicals, but over time, I have gotten a bit more interested in them, particularly when I can see them on the big screen. I am less likely to get distracted there, but the biggest problem for me with a lot of old musicals is they tend to feel a bit frivolous. Problems rarely seem overly serious, and singing a song can often solve problems.
But then there’s something like Cabaret where the “problem” is the historic rise of Nazism in the Wiemar Republic. That doesn’t seem to be the sort of thing a song can fix…
It’s 1931, and the place to be in Berlin is the Kit Kat Klub. That’s where Sally Bowles (Liza Minelli) among others performs in a somewhat risque show that was basically burlesque with some suggestion of hanky panky of all kinds without actually doing anything that would threaten the movie’s PG rating. Sally is an American who loves to perform and have a good time. Meanwhile, there’s British expatriate Brian Roberts (Michael York), moving to Berlin to take some time as he finishes his Ph. D dissertation and figuring he can tutor locals in English for money. He and Sally share a boarding house and, soon after, a bed. The two run around Germany, share a lover for a period, and neither of them notice how much the Nazis seem to be taking over Germany. Or, at least, Sally doesn’t.
That would seem to be the key to the movie. Sally is blissfully unaware, most likely by choice, of what is going on around her. Sure, at the start of the movie, one Nazi will get kicked out of the Kit Kat Klub, but by the end of the movie, the entire audience is Nazis and the good time vibe seems to be gone for everyone but Sally. Brian sure knows about it given what happens to him at the end of the movie, but Sally’s party time attitude might remind a lot of viewers of the “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” character type. That’s when a flighty woman shows up and makes life for a more straitlaced man more hectic before he realizes he loves the chaos she brings. However, most movies don’t show what this one does: that a woman who can’t stop the good times is not the sort of woman anyone should want to settle down with. She’s good for some fun times, but there’s nothing long term to be had with her.
That said, the ending of the movie does imply that even Sally can only keep the good times going for so long. Sure, Brian may be the forgiving type, but the Nazis probably aren’t. Director Bob Fosse does structure the movie initially as a very traditional musical, but the longer the movie goes, the more dread creeps in as the fascists take over. Even if Sally is unaware or uninterested or apathetic to these instances, the movie itself isn’t, and it plays out in other ways as seen with various supporting characters being extra careful or underestimating the power that the fascists are starting to weld.
It makes for a grim ending to what started off as a cheerful musical. About the only thing I can’t quite figure out is why Joel Grey won an Oscar for his role. His Master of Ceremonies keeps the Cabaret show running smoothly, he sings and dances well, and…his character doesn’t really have a name or a storyarc or anything. About the only explanation I can think of for how he got the award is because three of his four competitors were all from The Godfather so maybe they canceled each other out. Regardless, Cabaret is just a well-crafted warning of what happens when people don’t pay attention to serious issues as they distract themselves with nonstop good times.
Grade: A-
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