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JAPPANED

Today's film is Mike Leigh's

Topsy Turvy (1999)This is the story of later Gilbert and Sullivan and the crisis that produced their masterwork, The Mikado.

I saw it when it came out. It was a wonderful experience to watch. Then the film went into eclipse. It was not available on disc for many years. Now, in a Criterion Collection restoration, the film glows. I can finally see it again. And, best of all, hear it in all its sonic glory.

Leigh has made this into a deep exploration of the backstage theater. We enter at the crisis point when the two partners are at loggerheads and unable to produce a new operetta. At least the first half of this 4 hour production is about the crisis and the goings on around it. Pure backstage stories. Great.

Then, Gilbert is dragged to the Japanese Exposition by his wife and he is fascinated especially with the drama and music.

Before he knows it a libretto for a new opera begins to form. The second half which I will see tomorrow is devoted to the construction of the greatest G&S production.

I fear that Gilbert and Sullivan's work is being forgotten today. They were very much a part of my growing up in the 50s and 60s because they were everywhere. Productions regularly toured America and they were done in repertory and amateur productions all over America. They were shown on television. Beautiful, wonderful, funny as hell. Intelligent. Maybe that is the problem. They are too intelligent. I know I sound like a geezer with this but there it is.

It is a Netflix5 out of 5.

Labels: films