Ah, now this one you didn’t expect, I bet! I watched this movie because I will be tackling the play in a big local production next year. I don’t know what role I will be playing yet, we just had the first read on Friday. I hope I get the role of Robert.
It’s a weird tragic comedy about people competing in a gruellingly long dance competition. (I checked, the longest one is 129 hours, but this one goes on for weeks). With that peculiar setting, you really have the chance to show the absurdity of the situation and why all the characters are doing it. They’re all doing it for the money of course, because it is set during the economic setback following the crash of Wall Street in 1929. It’s humor is dark, but witty. It sets down how capitalism can really ruin people’s spirits and what it forces them to do to survive. Of course, it’s all part of the initial problem. Instead of a way out of misery, it just pushes them further into it. I think it’s a great allegory for people fighting to survive, so they can finally start living, only to have their hard struggle be for naught.
Still holds the record for highest number of Oscar nominations (9), but only winning one (Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Gig Young). I recommend watching it, it’s something you haven’t seen before and very enjoyable to see how people from that time deal with the problems of society.