Entertaining
Added 11/14/2009
This is the entertaining musical set in Scotland. The plot is pretty basic- a young American and his alcoholic friend want to go hiking in the highlands, and encounter a magic town which only appears once a year. Tommy (the hero) falls for a villager, and they spend time courting. The villager's sister is going to be married, and the two Americans are invited. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes, and a young scorned suitor (Harry Beaton), decides to leave the village which would break the miracle which protects the village and curse everyone.
I have long liked this film, although, there are several musical numbers that I could do with out as they are protracted and overly sentimental. I think the costuming is beautiful, as are the voices of the singers. As with most musicals... The plot isn't terribly deep... Don't expect an explanation as why people can emigrate to Brigadoon (for instance) and yet disatisfied people may never leave, or why a village of supposedly God-fearing people are so afraid of Witches. It seems the easy answer to their problems would be to run the witches out of town. What reason to make the entire village disappear?
I've always sympathized with Harry Beacham as the scorned 'other man.' It seems cruel that he must be trapped in Brigadoon, against his will and forced to watch his love marry.
4 stars. Beautiul singing, excellent sets, nice acting... But not particularly deep.
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Once in the "Highlands".
Added 11/10/2009
Vincente Minnelli's film of Brigadoon suffers greatly from its reliance on studio recreations of the Scottish Highlands. Instead of shooting on location, MGM provided very fake-looking scenery and landscapes, and although these perhaps add to the image of Brigadoon as a mythical town, they nevertheless rob the film of its potential grandeur. Additionally, the score is mutilated; 6 songs were cut from the original Broadway score, including the rapturous "Come to Me, Bend to Me", the lovely 2nd act duet between Tommy and Fiona ("From This Day On"), and the 2 'naughty' songs for Meg, the town squeeze. Gene Kelly is outstanding as Tommy, and the very flexible Cyd Charisse makes a wonderful leading lady, despite her dubbed singing voice. Their dance sequences are the film's most beautiful moments. Van Johnson provides some welcome humor that counteracts Kelly's dreamy and relaxed manner, and the cast as a whole performs with zest and folksey charm. Still, the film, despite its widescreen splendor and expert direction, is overall an underwhelming presentation of one of the musical theater's great shows.
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Brigadoon on DVD
Added 10/28/2009
Always a great choice if you love musicals, Brigadoon is even better on DVD. Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, and Van Johnson are outstanding, as is the score by Lerner & Lowe. A must-have for both musical fans and lovers of Scotland!
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Imperfect Enchantment....
Added 10/23/2009
By most accounts, this colorful 1954 feature was not up to the standard of the Broadway stage musical.But I found it enjoyable, albeit somewhat dated.
We hear the title song as we see the sunlight slowly spreading over the quaint Scottish village.
The day finds the villagers enjoying the fair, and the home of one Andrew Campbell(Albert Sharpe)bustling with activity as the widower's flock of daughters help prepare young Jean Campbell(Virginia Bosler) for her wedding to Charlie Dalrymple (Jimmy Thompson).
Jean's oldest sister, Fiona (the willowy and dramatic Cyd Charisse) dreams of finding her own sweetheart, as we learn from the sisters' pretty and comical number, "Waitin' for my Dearie" (In which Charisse is dubbed by Carol Richards).
As fate would have it, two wealthy hunters from America have stumbled upon Brigadoon. These include the kind, amiable, and receptive Tommy Albright(Gene Kelly), and his arrogant and smug friend, Jeff Douglas(Van Johnson) who are baffled because Brigadoon was not on a map.
The locals soon engage with the strangely-dressed newcomers and Meg Brockie(Dody Heath)- whose character is more fully developed onstage than onscreen-- tries to get a little too friendly with a reluctant Jeff.
But soon, Tommy and Fiona meet and are soon wandrin' through the heather on the hill...
In due time, Mr. Lundie( Barry Jones), the elder of the town, explains the mystery of Brigadoon to the American guests--how their minister made a deal with the Powers That Be to separate himself from the village permanently(in response to threats by witches), on the stipulation that the 18th century village's way of life would be preserved by allowing the town to come to life for just one day out of each subsequent century.
But the other part of the bargain is that the residents of the village can never leave Brigadoon. This causes much anguish for Jean Campbell's spurned suitor, Harry Beaton(Hugh Laing), who must suffer seeing his former sweetheart begin a new life with someone else, while he is unable to begin a new life of his own by leaving town to attend the University of Edinburgh.
After a single day of romancing Fiona and cavorting with the villagers, Tommy finds himself grieved by the imperfection of this enchantment as well.
He and Jeff return to their chaotic, upscale lives in New York, where we meet Tommy original intended, Jane Ashton (Elaine Stewart) about whom a changed Tommy has to make a decison....
In the end this is a story that will make a viewer both grateful for the passage of time, and yet also that it may stand still.
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Brigadoon
Added 10/22/2009
Brigadoon - the force of the love makes Gene Kelly returns to the place where would be the supposed asleep city of Brigadoon and miraculously the loved of his awakes of a sleep that would have to last one hundred years.
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I love this movie, mainly because I was in the musical. I would have given it 5 stars but it is relatively different from the stage version. At least four songs aren't in the movie, Jeannie's Packing Up, My Mother's Wedding Day, The Real Love of My Life, and a great song called Come to Me Bend to Me. Almost Like Being In Love is in the Campbell house, and Waitin' for My Deary isn't. Tommy and Jeff aren't in Bonnie Jean and there's more to Meg Brockie than what they have in the movie. And the Campbell family is actually the McLaren family. If you just watch the movie and not the play, then it is awesome. It shows true love is out there, you just don't know where you'll find it. "And that the hardest part in life is giving up everything, but that's the only way you'll get everything."
3 out of 6 people found this helpful.
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Entertaining
Added 11/14/2009
This is the entertaining musical set in Scotland. The plot is pretty basic- a young American and his alcoholic friend want to go hiking in the highlands, and encounter a magic town which only appears once a year. Tommy (the hero) falls for a villager, and they spend time courting. The villager's sister is going to be married, and the two Americans are invited. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes, and a young scorned suitor (Harry Beaton), decides to leave the village which would break the miracle which protects the village and curse everyone.
I have long liked this film, although, there are several musical numbers that I could do with out as they are protracted and overly sentimental. I think the costuming is beautiful, as are the voices of the singers. As with most musicals... The plot isn't terribly deep... Don't expect an explanation as why people can emigrate to Brigadoon (for instance) and yet disatisfied people may never leave, or why a village of supposedly God-fearing people are so afraid of Witches. It seems the easy answer to their problems would be to run the witches out of town. What reason to make the entire village disappear?
I've always sympathized with Harry Beacham as the scorned 'other man.' It seems cruel that he must be trapped in Brigadoon, against his will and forced to watch his love marry.
4 stars. Beautiul singing, excellent sets, nice acting... But not particularly deep.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Once in the "Highlands".
Added 11/10/2009
Vincente Minnelli's film of Brigadoon suffers greatly from its reliance on studio recreations of the Scottish Highlands. Instead of shooting on location, MGM provided very fake-looking scenery and landscapes, and although these perhaps add to the image of Brigadoon as a mythical town, they nevertheless rob the film of its potential grandeur. Additionally, the score is mutilated; 6 songs were cut from the original Broadway score, including the rapturous "Come to Me, Bend to Me", the lovely 2nd act duet between Tommy and Fiona ("From This Day On"), and the 2 'naughty' songs for Meg, the town squeeze. Gene Kelly is outstanding as Tommy, and the very flexible Cyd Charisse makes a wonderful leading lady, despite her dubbed singing voice. Their dance sequences are the film's most beautiful moments. Van Johnson provides some welcome humor that counteracts Kelly's dreamy and relaxed manner, and the cast as a whole performs with zest and folksey charm. Still, the film, despite its widescreen splendor and expert direction, is overall an underwhelming presentation of one of the musical theater's great shows.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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