To Be or Not to Be (1983)

If it was funny forty years ago, why shouldn't it be funny now. I can imagine that there's an entire sector of social space that has never seen Jack Benny and Carol Lombard in the original. ("I don't watch black-and-white movies.") And if the same sector doesn't have much of a grasp of affairs in Poland in 1940, so much the more informative.Mel Brooks leads a theatrical troupe in Warsaw in 1940 after it was occupied by the Nazis. The plot is too complex to describe in detail but involves a great deal of impersonation, switching uniforms, lambasting the Nazi hierarchy, and poking fun at egotistic actors.The plot and dialog borrow heavily from 1940 but some of the jokes have been brought up to date. I'll mention just two.The troupe is desperately seeking safety from bombs and when they enter the shelter, one actor makes the sign of the cross. The next in line, presumably Jewish, goes through some contortions over his thorax with his fingers. Now, I may be mistaken but I think this is an allusion to an old joke. An airplane in jeopardy finally makes a safe landing. A minister gets off and makes the sign of the cross, as does the priest who follows him. The Rabbi makes a sign too and when asked about it by a reporter, replies, "What sign of the cross? I was just checking -- spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch." The troupe's dresser is openly gay and he explains to Anne Bancroft that he hates having to wear a pink triangle. "It CLASHES with EVERYTHING." The acting was suitably hammy in Ernst Lubitsch's movie. Here, the performances out-Herod Herod. If you want subtlety, see the original. Charles Durning is a fine actor but may be miscast here. Anne Bancroft is beguiling, a splendid and under-rated actress with a skull and a frame sufficiently gracile to die for. I speak to you as your anthropologist. My services come with a fee -- ten cents.You should probably watch this. It's still funny after all these years.

This is a very funny movie, we had heartfelt laughs throughout. It's just great to see the Nazis sent up in style. If only Hollywood could manage it about the US Nazis of today! Yes, Anne Bancroft is a brilliant actress (and, of course, she has no breasts). She and Mel Brooks carry this picture off superbly and the whole production has such brio and good cheer that you can only give it an eight for sheer entertainment. I don't care who made an earlier picture (even if it's Ernst Lubitsch and Jack Benny in 1942) this is an original, and is definitely collectible (if the DVD ever comes out). We have been watching Euro art movies that paralyse you to the fingertips with boredom, and this picture lights up your life and gives you a kick in the pants like few others do. To hell with Euro art movies about bondage and lesbianism, let Mel Brooks reign supreme!

Frederick and Anna Bronski are husband-and-wife actors running a theatre company in Warsaw in 1939 when Germany invades Poland. By chance, they discover that visiting Professor Siletski is a Nazi agent with a crucial report on the resistance, and resolve to use all their acting skills to stop him getting those names to the High Command.This remake of the 1942 Ernst Lubitsch comedy classic is very faithful to its predecessor but is a hugely entertaining picture in its own right. What I like about it most is its terrific cast - Brooks and Bancroft seem almost made for these roles and both are sensational, as are the whole Bronski troupe. Matheson and Ferrer are suitably suave and slimy, but the real stars for me are Durning and Lloyd as Colonel Erhardt and his adjutant Schultz - you can basically never go wrong with a short fat man and a tall thin man as a comedy duo, but these two are hilariously mismatched. The scene where Bronski, disguised as Siletski, delivers his report to Erhardt and the two Nazis scream at each other is a masterpiece of comic bungling. This film's chief addition is Sasha, the gay dresser character, who would never have gotten past the Hays Code, but exemplifies the many moments where Brooks cleverly sprinkles the comedy with sharp reminders of the horrors it's lampooning. It also has much more of a musical element courtesy of a terrific score by John Morris and some funny numbers (who else but Brooks would open with Sweet Georgia Brown in Polish ?). There aren't many straight remakes I'm especially fond of, but this is a definite exception; it's funny, beautifully made, re-tells a great story and is a terrific showcase for the comic talents of its ensemble. Produced by Brooks, and deftly scripted by Thomas Meehan and Ronny Graham (the latter of whom plays Sondheim, the very loud stage manager).

having not seen the Ernst Lubistch original, I came into this film with a blank mind not comparing it to its predecessor. This for me, was a huge plus and I walked away knowing that it was one of the finest comedies I have ever seen. It followed the most basic rule of comedy, in that the plot was simple, yet interesting - meaning that you didn't have to spend time going over the plot in your head (something that can kill a comedy), yet you still maintain interest. Mel Brooks is on stunning form, combining personal depth with superb comedy. Anne Bancroft is strong, yet unforced in a role that seemed almost written for her, and the comic strength of the supporting cast helps add to what is a movie that you can just sit back and enjoy.