This is often regarded as one of the finest musicals ever made. We wanted to see if that was true, and loved that it would showcase the talents of Judy Garland as a young adult a few years after we became familiar with her as Dorothy.
Specs:
Two hours, gorgeous TECHNICOLOR! We watched on a dvd from the library.
The film is set in 1903-04
Our family's average rating on a scale of 1-10:
7.88
More about the film and our reaction to it:
As my husband put it: "this really is, truly, just good entertainment." Sometimes films are "great" just because of how well made they are. Its not the story, or even the acting, that is the hook, but rather, the production as a whole. It is clear that every little detail has been attended to. It benefits from beautiful cinematography in the camera angles, the movement, and the placement of objects -- are all just simply lovely. The costumes are wonderful and so colorful -- the color being sharp, intense, but very real and moving. It is an excellent piece of technicolor cinema. The songs are excellent and the whole thing just has heart. It is hard to explain why its so good. It just is.
The first moment Judy Garland sang is the moment my breath stopped and my heart leaped into my throat. She was an incredible talent and an emotional performer. You respond to her voice in a visceral way. Some of the songs in the film will be familiar, even if you aren't a fan of musicals (Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis... Bang Bang Bang Went the Trolly... even, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas).
The underlying story involves a family in St. Louis at the time of the Worlds' Fair. The two eldest daughters and their beaux, form the main story, but smallest sister "Tootie", played charmingly by Margaret O'Brien is a source of constant comic relief with her obsession with death. It is an unusual film that constantly feels different from what the viewer is used to. It sort of strikes out its own territory with light comedy and music, but some silly or almost surreal aspects and a deeper emotional drama too. The whole thing is filmed with such a tight strong vision that, as you are watching (like with Citizen Kane), you just get the feeling that you are watching someone's masterwork (here, Vincente Minnelli's).
Iconic Image:
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