stuart-70
Joined Jun 2000
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stuart-70's rating
Brace yourself for a shock - according to a recently-discovered and authentic legal document that is centuries old, Brooklyn belongs to Iceland! Consequently, people travelling to and from Brooklyn must now carry a passport or visa, declare items of value at the Brooklyn Customs points, and perhaps even converse in Icelandic!
It is a similar, mind-bending assumption (with hilarious practical implications) that British viewers have to make when watching "Passport to Pimlico" (a London district near Buckingham Palace, no less). In the film, much of Pimlico (or "Burgundy" as it is now called) looks like a bomb-site, which it probably was still at that time in the aftermath of World War II.
As one of the so-called "Ealing comedies", it ranks alongside other films in this group like "Kind Hearts and Coronets" and "The Lavender Hill Mob" which parody - but in an affectionate way - various aspects of British social life. Conversation is always very parochial and petty. At the same time, this film preserves certain other conventions of the time - for example, there really was a restriction on how much money people could take out of Britain which lasted until the 1970s. In "Passport to Pimlico", people travelling on the underground railway have to declare there currency at the "Burgundy" Customs points. Above all, Margaret Rutherford stands out as the unworldly history professor with sweeping convictions. This charming films preserves a way of life which, though long gone, is not forgotten.
It is a similar, mind-bending assumption (with hilarious practical implications) that British viewers have to make when watching "Passport to Pimlico" (a London district near Buckingham Palace, no less). In the film, much of Pimlico (or "Burgundy" as it is now called) looks like a bomb-site, which it probably was still at that time in the aftermath of World War II.
As one of the so-called "Ealing comedies", it ranks alongside other films in this group like "Kind Hearts and Coronets" and "The Lavender Hill Mob" which parody - but in an affectionate way - various aspects of British social life. Conversation is always very parochial and petty. At the same time, this film preserves certain other conventions of the time - for example, there really was a restriction on how much money people could take out of Britain which lasted until the 1970s. In "Passport to Pimlico", people travelling on the underground railway have to declare there currency at the "Burgundy" Customs points. Above all, Margaret Rutherford stands out as the unworldly history professor with sweeping convictions. This charming films preserves a way of life which, though long gone, is not forgotten.
Life, the late P.G. Wodehouse once sagely observed, is like a piece of lead piping - he was thinking of the innumerable occasions when, quite unexpectedly, we can be zapped by some sudden and unpleasant situation that knocks us for six. High on that list of potential pices of lead piping are - unfortunately - our own children! As this film so splendidly illustrates.
The central character (Reb Tevye) has three daughters who each represent some dilemma for their father. One wants to marry a poor tailor; another (unthinkable for Tevye) wants to marry a gentile. And so on. How can these demands be squared with tradition? wonders Tevye. And if this isn't bad enough, there are additional worries for him to think about such as the problem of personal survival amidst increasing anti-Jewish pogroms. In other words, it is a stressful situation for Tevye and his family. And faced with stress, a strong-minded parent can so easily (but mistakenly!) try to solve all these problems personally.
But no: Tevye has the ability to stand back and see BOTH sides of the problem, and ultimately, he has the emotional courage to let go, so that each of his daughters is free to solve the problem as SHE thinks best.
This is a warm, compassionate film. If it is too long - as some users have suggested - this is to allow the full story to emerge in all its rich, cultural complexity. The music considerably enhances the mood - sometimes sad, sometimes more jaunty. A shorter film could not do justice to either the cultural background or the nature of the problems.
The person of the fiddler is perhaps better understood not simply as a minor musical distraction, but rather as a symbol of survival or empowerment. Lehayim - TO LIFE!
The central character (Reb Tevye) has three daughters who each represent some dilemma for their father. One wants to marry a poor tailor; another (unthinkable for Tevye) wants to marry a gentile. And so on. How can these demands be squared with tradition? wonders Tevye. And if this isn't bad enough, there are additional worries for him to think about such as the problem of personal survival amidst increasing anti-Jewish pogroms. In other words, it is a stressful situation for Tevye and his family. And faced with stress, a strong-minded parent can so easily (but mistakenly!) try to solve all these problems personally.
But no: Tevye has the ability to stand back and see BOTH sides of the problem, and ultimately, he has the emotional courage to let go, so that each of his daughters is free to solve the problem as SHE thinks best.
This is a warm, compassionate film. If it is too long - as some users have suggested - this is to allow the full story to emerge in all its rich, cultural complexity. The music considerably enhances the mood - sometimes sad, sometimes more jaunty. A shorter film could not do justice to either the cultural background or the nature of the problems.
The person of the fiddler is perhaps better understood not simply as a minor musical distraction, but rather as a symbol of survival or empowerment. Lehayim - TO LIFE!
Have you ever considered what a thankless job angels must have? For 99.99% of the time, they do good deeds but their human recipients rarely show the slightest gratitude or recognition. And if, for the remaining 0.01% of the time, angels have the bare-faced nerve to say who they really are, what is the most likely consequence? - being hit over the head with the nearest frying-pan, or being tossed in the mental hospital! Or both!! Furthermore, as far as we can tell, they have no access to parties, booze or the opposite sex. And being an angel in the movies is even more demanding: have you ever seen a movie angel that is short, fat, with knock-knees and a squint? No sir, being an angel is no cushy number!
Which brings us to Carey Grant's role as the angel (Dudley) in "The Bishop's Wife". Appearing suddenly in the home of Bishop Brougham (David Niven) in response to the latter's heartfelt prayers, Angel Grant not only says who he is - information that is received with about as much interest as today's TV menu . He also performs cute tricks like opening a locked door without the key, ensuring that a certain bottle of sherry is permanently kept topped up, and dictating sermons to typewriters. Not to mention ice-skating and making a restrained play for the bishop's wife. If all angels had such interesting work, there would be no shortage of them. But then who knows - perhaps there isn't.
For my money, the real hero of this film is neither the angel (with his parlour tricks), nor the bishop (with his grandiose plans for a new cathedral), nor even his pleasant wife (Loretta Young) (whose penalty is being stuck with the bishop). The real hero is the world-weary Professor (Monty Woolley) who has been vainly attempting to write a history of antiquity seemingly since Adam was a boy, while at the same time, trying to come to terms with the demands of this world. Thanks to Angel Grant's efforts, the Professor suddenly discovers that only he is able to translate certain ancient texts that remain unintelligible to everyone else - an ability that is certain to bring him recognition at long last.
Now if my own guardian angel has been peeking while I write this, I can only promise that......
Which brings us to Carey Grant's role as the angel (Dudley) in "The Bishop's Wife". Appearing suddenly in the home of Bishop Brougham (David Niven) in response to the latter's heartfelt prayers, Angel Grant not only says who he is - information that is received with about as much interest as today's TV menu . He also performs cute tricks like opening a locked door without the key, ensuring that a certain bottle of sherry is permanently kept topped up, and dictating sermons to typewriters. Not to mention ice-skating and making a restrained play for the bishop's wife. If all angels had such interesting work, there would be no shortage of them. But then who knows - perhaps there isn't.
For my money, the real hero of this film is neither the angel (with his parlour tricks), nor the bishop (with his grandiose plans for a new cathedral), nor even his pleasant wife (Loretta Young) (whose penalty is being stuck with the bishop). The real hero is the world-weary Professor (Monty Woolley) who has been vainly attempting to write a history of antiquity seemingly since Adam was a boy, while at the same time, trying to come to terms with the demands of this world. Thanks to Angel Grant's efforts, the Professor suddenly discovers that only he is able to translate certain ancient texts that remain unintelligible to everyone else - an ability that is certain to bring him recognition at long last.
Now if my own guardian angel has been peeking while I write this, I can only promise that......