Kat's Film Reviews: A Night at the Opera

Monday, September 05, 2005

A Night at the Opera

I've watched a couple of Marx Brothers films (the one in the fake country, the one in the country house), but neither have come close to being as funny and brilliant as this one. It's as if all the classic jokes are told for the first time all in the span of an hour and a half. When Groucho is on screen, it's one- liner after one-liner, constantly interrupting all the "serious" actors. And you can barely keep up with him -- you're finished laughing at the first joke while he's through telling the second one! When Chico enters the picture, the brothers engage in extended comedic dialogue -- witness the contract scene, which while not a leg-slapper has wordplay that rivals the Who's on First skit. What I wasn't aware of (or had forgotten from the previous films) was the musical talents of at least two of the Marx Brothers. I knew Harpo played the harp, but that he and Chico also played the piano, and marvelously at that, was a surprise to me. The film is daring in that it pits musical numbers, and not just the individual talents but full-blown ensemble singing and dancing pieces, against the comedy. At first, you're not sure if this juxtaposition works, but when Harpo plays a most haunting, and not-at-all-silly, composition on the harp, it doesn't matter anymore. (And that little number Chico plays on the piano -- gosh, that sounds awfully like the music in the Coconut Grove dance in Singin' in the Rain, hmm?) There's actually a plot to this film, and real romance, but of course also Groucho bidding for the attentions of Margaret Dumont, their ever-present foil. And although basic, the plot works. It effectively gives the film a grounding and provides context for some of the sillier numbers (like, baseball in the orchestra pit!). Until I see a better one, this remains my fave film of theirs.

year: 1935
length: 96 min.
rating: 4.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026778/combined

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