Leonard Maltin's 151 Best Movies You've Never Seen - Maltin, Leonard [34]
Three of the singers are Jewish, and three are not, but by the early 1930s they are all affected by the demands of the National Socialist Party. Here the film effectively dramatizes the way many Germans responded to anti-Semitic outbursts and capricious orders, dismissing them as little more than a nuisance, at first, and refusing to believe that their country could succumb to such a fringe movement.
When I first saw this film I was so intrigued that I sought out the Comedian Harmonists’ music (which is quite wonderful, and available on various CD collections) and went out of my way to see Eberhard Fechner’s long, exhaustive documentary about the group, filmed in the mid-1970s when most of the original members were still alive to tell their story. (One of them, Roman Cycowski, became a cantor in San Francisco and lived to be ninety-eight.)
But even if you’ve never heard, or heard of, the group, their story is undeniably interesting. The unkindest word most critics had for it was “conventional,” noting its resemblance to a vintage Hollywood biographical drama. That it may be, but it is also evocative of its era, and solidly entertaining.
47. HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
(2001)
Directed by John Cameron Mitchell
Screenplay by John Cameron Mitchell
Adapted from the stage musical by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask
Actors:
JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL
MIRIAM SHOR
STEPHEN TRASK
THEODORE LISCINSKI
ROB CAMPBELL
MICHAEL ARONOV
ANDREA MARTIN
MICHAEL PITT
ALBERTA WATSON
While traditional movie musicals have made a welcome comeback in recent years, with everything from Hairspray to High School Musical finding favor with audiences, other less conventional films have expanded the genre’s boundaries. The offbeat content and themes of Hedwig and the Angry Inch virtually ensured that it wouldn’t find the same level of acceptance as, say, Mamma Mia! But if people would just give it a try they would discover a funny, bracingly original piece of work with a terrific song score.
Like many contemporary movie musicals this one originated onstage, where its star, John Cameron Mitchell, and his cocreator Stephen Trask, created a flamboyant performance piece about Hedwig, an “internationally ignored” German-born rock star. A self-styled diva, she has survived a botched sex-change operation (hence the “angry inch” reference) but hasn’t gotten over being dumped by the boy-toy rock idol she helped nurture on his way to success. He’s even stolen Hedwig’s highly personal repertoire of songs. This has left Hedwig (née Hansel) dazed and embittered, as we see during her current tour of low-rent restaurants called Bilgewater’s, where she has the misfortune of tracing the same route as her much more popular protégé.
Even if transsexuality isn’t normally your cup of tea, you may find yourself drawn into this buoyant film. First off, Mitchell’s performance as the glamorous, self-deluded Hedwig is astonishing. She’s an ego-driven oddball, to be sure, but she’s not a freak, and her expressive songs help to flesh out a memorable, curiously touching character. The songs are clever and funny, and their staging is so inventive it’s hard to believe that this material was originally designed for theater instead of film. In many ways, first-time director Mitchell’s greatest achievement is turning that stage piece into a fresh movie concoction that never belies its origins. Clever animation by Emily Hubley adds to the cinematic quality of the piece. (There’s even a sing-along with the bouncing ball.)
Most of all, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is fun to watch: audacious and entertaining, a musical that doesn’t seem tied to any familiar traditions but knows how to make perfect use of the medium.
48. HIDALGO