To Be or Not to Be (DVD)

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---

At the time of the movie's release, America had little knowledge about the full extent of the Holocaust in Europe. But the Jewish question is touched upon in "To Be or Not to Be" through the heroic actions of one Polish Jew, Greenberg (Felix Bressart), another member of the acting company called upon to impersonate someone--in this case, himself. Some viewers of the day found the whole idea of the film in bad taste, but since then we have come to see it as another example of the power of laughter to help deflate the world's ills. Besides, the movie never makes light of its subject matter; it only ridicules evil and goes out its way to point up the seriousness of the situation.

Mel Brooks remade the movie in 1983 with himself in the lead, his wife Anne Bancroft, Tim Matheson, Charles Durning, and Christopher Lloyd; and while it was funny, it did not match the wit or style of the original, which was directed by longtime witty and stylish director Ernst Lubitsch ("Design for Living," "The Merry Widow," "Ninotchka," "The Shop Around the Corner").

The 1942 "To Be or Not to Be" skewers the Nazi regime as a propaganda film every bit as effectively as Chaplin's "The Great Dictator," and in its own way, it's funnier. Today, the historical context is diminished only slightly, and its humor remains intact. "To Be or Not to Be" is a delightfully comic take on a dreadfully momentous topic.

Video:
The picture is presented in the usual 1.33:1 ratio format of the day (actually 1.37:1 but who's counting?) in black-and-white. There are some flecks, lines, smudges, and scratches to be seen from time to time, especially at the start of new reels, which means at the beginning at the movie, too, and I hope it doesn't discourage anyone. Once the reels get underway, the video clears up considerably. There is a touch of grain here and there as well, and overall a soft, faded quality. It's not much, but just enough to blunt the B&W contrasts a tad. Although the larger, outdoor shots and big set pieces show up worst, the smaller, more intimate scenes that comprise probably ninety percent of the picture show up in very good condition. So, parts of the film are well above average, while other parts are only so-so. I doubt that most admirers of the film will notice.

Audio:
The monaural soundtrack is rendered via Dolby Digital 1.0 processing, which no doubt cleans it up quite a bit. Nonetheless, the sound is still somewhat hard and edgy, especially the Chopin polonaise playing behind the opening credits, and there is a noticeable background noise during quieter dialogue. Again, this will not distract most viewers because they'll be caught up in the film's plot and characters, but be aware this is not state-of-the-art audio.

Extras:
There are really only two bonus items, and only the first of them is of any serious interest. First, Benny stars in the twenty-minute MGM comedy short "The Rounder." Filmed in 1930 and co-starring Dorothy Sebastian and George Arthur, it has its cute if rather innocuous moments. Second, Benny appears with little Carolyn Lee ("Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch") in a Wartime promo, "Buy Savings Bonds! A Patriotic Dream," that lasts all of a minute and a half and was obviously made for the government as a part of the War effort. In addition, there are twenty-six scene selections; English the only spoken language; and English, French, and Spanish subtitles.

Parting Thoughts:
As I've said, it takes a while for "To Be or Not to Be" to get rolling, but once it does, especially in the last half hour or so, it can be downright hilarious. Benny was never funnier, Lombard was never more engaging, director Lubitsch never more clever, nor Sig Ruman more scene stealing. For its drama, its satire, and its human comedy, the movie remains a minor comedy classic.