Ernst Lubitsch's To Be Or Not To Be is a beautifully realized satire that is incredibly fun and witty, while also being a truly eerie film, considering its depiction of Nazi Germany. The film revolves around a group of theater actors in Poland who get swept up into spy games during the Nazi occupation of Poland. To Be Or Not To Be is extremely playful and features lots of hilarious bits throughout, ranging from the more slapstick variety sequences to some darker, blacker humor. While the film is a comedy, Lubitsch does show glimpses of war torn Poland, subtlety showing the destruction and chaos taking place but never enough to take away from the upbeat nature of the film. It's just a really profound film that perfectly balances the wide range of emotions, making the viewer laugh but still be emotionally involved in the more dramatic moments of the film. The funniest bit for me had to be the recurring joke centered around "Heil Hitler' really capturing the fear that existed between both the resistance and even the German's themselves, who were fearful of being deemed an inadequate supporter of the Reich. Enst Lubitsch's To Be Or Not To Be a beautiful example of the capabilities of comedy, being a very funny film that still managers to capture the underlying horror of the situation.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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