We are delighted to welcome critic, writer and historian Pamela Hutchinson to introduce this landmark film!
95% fresh on Rottentomatoes!
"the context of Germany on the eve of the Nazi ascent to power makes the entire musical into an unforgettable cry of despair.” - Roger Ebert, Chicago-Sun Times.
An iconic, incredibly stylish study of the hedonism and sexual ambiguity of pre-war Berlin, Cabaret was a huge, multi-Oscar winning hit for choreographer and director Bob Fosse in 1972 and made Liza Minnelli (who won Best Actress) a star. Deptford Cinema’s season celebrating the American movie musical is also a tribute to Fosse; with three films that bear his influence playing in the season.
Often described as a musical for people who don’t like musicals, it sets its scene in Berlin during the 1931 Weimar Republic, against a backdrop of increasing antisemitism and the growing Nazi Party. Loosely based on the 1966 Broadway musical by Kander and Ebb, itself adapted from Christopher Isherwood’s novel Goodbye to Berlin, it follows Brian (Michael York), a new British arrival in the city, as he befriends Sally Bowles (Minnelli), a talented performer at the risqué Kit Kat Klub – with whom he navigates the decadence and nihilism of a city on the brink of war.
Full of brilliantly choreographed set-pieces, Cabaret influenced generations of filmmakers and remains a key queer cinema film with its early exploration of bisexuality on screen. It is also still a vibrant and incredibly singular musical, with its focus on the dark heart of 30s Berlin centred around a truly fabulous performance from Minnelli as Bowles, evincing both exuberance and vulnerability as she wields glamour against despair.
Starting October 2019, Deptford Cinema joins in the BFI's nationwide three-month celebration of the musical film genre with our own special and spectacular season! From the 'Golden Era' of fabulous foot-tapping ruled by the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers double act, right through to more provocative takes like Bob Fosse's Cabaret, lesser-seen milestones such as the all-black cast of Cabin in the Sky, and on to the 21st Century smashes like La La Land, we will pick you and sweep you right through nine decades of Hollywood's musical history in eight screenings! Expect short films and programme notes at all screenings, and even some special guest speakers!
dir. Bob Fosse
1972
124 min
Rating 18+ - please note given we are playing unrated short films in this season, we are required to make all of our screenings 18 or over.
£6.00 (£4.50 conc.)
Doors 6.30PM
Film 7.00PM
Screening as part of BFI Musicals! The Greatest Show on Screen, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery, BFI Film Audience Network and ICO. bfimusicals.co.uk
