Cabaret (1972)A lot of people who know me (you know in real life) probably have no idea that Cabaret is my favourite musical of all time. Some people would probably assume Rock n Roll High School -because of my love for the Ramones and P.J Soles (and Paul Bartel when you come to think of it)- and I do love that film, some people would wrongly assume The Rocky Horror Picture Show and some people would also wrongly assume My Fair Lady because of my love for Audrey Hepburn (I think that film is massively overrated). I think Cabaret is my favourite musical because of the overbearing presence that the Nazi regime will becoming into full power very soon which will greatly effect some of the characters of the film: The Jewish and the gay/bi-sexual. Actually most of the musical numbers are restricted to the stage of the Kit Kat Club, some great songs like Two Ladies and Money, both feature the character Emcee (played absolutely wonderfully by Joel Grey- the father of Dirty Dancing's Ugly Duckling Jennifer Grey). As much as I think the Emcee is wonderful he doesn't appear at all in my favourite scene.
The scene I rather to as the "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" scene for obvious reasons. Brian (Michael York) and Maximilian (Helmut Griem) appear to be in an outside cafe of some sort (damn my memory) when a blonde male voice begins to sign angelacily. The camera eventually pans down to reveal a Nazi flag (Swastika).
What makes the scene powerful in my eyes is one by one almost everybody in the cafe (minus the main characters) standing up and joining in the song. By the end only Brian and Maximilian as well as an elderly gentlemen are those who remain seated. It's a very good representation of how the party's beliefs struck a chord with the German citizen.
A wonderful scene from a wonderful movie.
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