To Be or Not to Be

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Ronald F Simply another classic by Lubitsch and the cast. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/15/24 Full Review Michael L Come on Carole Lombard and Jack Benny...how can it miss! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/29/24 Full Review Lars N Hilarious and ingeniously put together. What a joy. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/12/24 Full Review Red T All Time Classic. The closest I can describe this is it feels almost like a Hal Ashby movie except this is 60% Comedy and 40% War rather than 50/50. The editing is excellent. While there really isn't a main character the entire way this is a very heavy plot driven story and it moves at a very focused and balanced tone wise progression. The cinematography is excellent and so is the pacing. The visual jokes are excellent, well shot, and filled with a lot of memorable scenes which is surprising given how complex the story is. I never found this difficult to follow though at all surprisingly. This is able to ramp tension up instantly from comedic situations into serious ones and that's a testament to the excellent comedic acting that also knows how to play it straight. The comedy in this doesn't come from slapstick, gross out, or spoofing but rather an intelligent witty screwball type script that's really smart, and that's where the laughs come from. There also a few witty jokes as well and the "Heil Hitler" gag becomes funnier the more it's done. Add a really good musical soundtrack onto this and you get a really unique comedy that is something everyone should give a try once. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/13/23 Full Review Matthew D A fun bit of espionage and humor at the expense of Nazis. Director Ernst Lubitsch's war espionage comedy To Be or Not to Be (1942) is very funny, but also has heart and empathy for the invaded Polish people. It's interesting that the original concept from Ernest Lubitsch and Melchior Lengyel sets the story at the start of WWII in Warsaw, Poland. Taking actors and making them into spies against the SS is funny. I most enjoyed screenwriter Edwin Justus Mayer's wordplay and repeated gags that just get funnier as the film goes onwards towards its silly finale. Casting director got serious comedic talent for this absurd ensemble. Carole Lombard hilariously plays up the flirty, famous Polish actress Maria Tura. Her insistence in doing what or whom she wants is quite modern and Lombard nails all her lines. I do wish she was in the movie more than just a supporting role. Even her dramatic part of having to entertain the awful Germans as they try to seduce her is compelling due to her sympathetic performance. Jack Benny steals the film as the insecure Polish actor Joseph Tura. His ego and fragile sensitivity make each inquisition funnier than the last as he disguises himself as various German officials. Robert Stack is great as the concerned and charming Lt. Stanislav Sobinski, until you realize his Polish airman wants to subjugate Maria into a farming housewife. Felix Bressart is surprisingly touching as Jewish actor Greenberg, who simply wants the opportunity to show his acting prowess as Skylock from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. Lionel Atwill is hysterical as usual as Rawitch, the foolish ham actor. Stanley Ridges is fearsome and sleazy as the duplicitous spy Professor Alexander Siletsky. I got chills when he corners Carole Lombard in his SS hotel office. Sig Ruman actually hilarious as the violent and foolish Gestapo commander Col. Ehrhardt. Tom Dugan is amazing as Bronski, especially with his outrageous impersonation of Adolf Hitler. Editor Dorothy Spencer has very swift cuts for precise comedic timing and a fast pace. Cinematographer Rudolph Maté creates a brooding Warsaw in shadows and swarmed by German soldiers in stunning wide shots. Production designer Vincent Korda recreates Poland and the stage for a touching backdrop for this war era picture. I can see why audiences at the time were moved. Art direction from J. McMillan Johnson shows Germans in shadows and darkness for all their cruel evils, while lighting the heroes in illuminating brightness. Composer Werner R. Heymann's plucky orchestral score is melodramatic and delightful. I find it adorable his musical cues are timed to visual gags for extra cute laughs. Sound editor Frank Maher ensures each moment is accentuated by the music in sharp cuts. Irene's lovely costumes give Carole Lombard dazzling dresses and evening gowns. Makeup artist Gordon Bau does funny mustaches for all the guys with real care. In short, To Be or Not to Be is a fun 99 minutes! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/09/23 Full Review Steve D Ends up being quite amusing. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

To Be or Not to Be

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