Christopher Isherwood’s 1939 semi-autobiographical novel Goodbye to Berlin (later published in his Berlin Stories collection) has certainly proved to be incredibly fertile when it comes to adaptations. You’ve probably heard of the 1972 Cabaret, Isherwood’s most well-known adaptation. It won a lot of Oscars and saw Liza Minnelli ascend to the same heights as her mother.
Cabaret is still in high demand. The success of a new West End show starring Eddie Redmayne & Jessie Buckley may have prompted StudioCanal’s to release onto Blu Ray the other cinematic adaptations of Isherwood’s Weimar Republic tale.
I am a Camera was based on a Broadway production that Isherwood and John Van Durten adapted. It was obvious that the play was a hit, and that a movie would soon follow. Henry Cornelius, an Ealing graduate, was appointed director. He had managed to successfully balance comedy and drama throughout his career. He directed the 1949 classic Passport To Pimlico and also wrote the screenplay for the darker Ealing fable it Always Rains on Sunday.
Cabaret will be familiar to you. I’m a Camera – will surprise you. This is not a musical. The plot is almost identical. The film is set in the 1930s, in the final days of the Weimar Republic. It also depicts Christopher’s arrival in Berlin to become a writer. Fritz takes him to a cabaret club to meet Sally Bowles. She is a voracious, impulsive singer who dreams of becoming an actress. Sally ends up living with Christopher after her fickle love abandons her. They form a close relationship that will forever change their lives.
I’m a Camera is perhaps its most distinctive aspect, especially in comparison to its more well-known stablemate. Cabaretis musical drama. I’m a Camerafeels first and foremost like a comedy. It’s not just light and fluffy. Some moments and set pieces feel like they belong in a Thirties screwball movie, with wide, almost wild moments that could have been taken from Bring Up Baby. The film isn’t affected by this. Cornelius and John Collier manage to keep the humor strong and funny throughout, making I’m a Camera consistently entertaining and fun.
Julie Harris deserves a lot of credit for this film. She portrayed a totally different character here than in The Haunting. Harris does a better job than Minnelli in portraying Sally Bowles. She captures the child lost in the character much more skillfully than Minnelli. Although Bowles’ impetuousness, impulsiveness, and indecisiveness can sometimes make her unlikable at times, Harris gives a warm and sympathetic performance that keeps the film on track even when it is weakest.
Laurence Harvey does not fare as well. He is not as convincing as Christopher, the bookish Christopher. Also, he seems less natural in delivering broad comedy than his more passionate co-star. Anton Differing plays Christopher’s best friend Fritz. He adds depth to the character and has a very limited screen time. Shelley Winters, who plays Fritz’s lover struggles to make the same impact. Visit gomovies for more informations
I’m a Camera doesn’t shy away, despite its light tone. The Nazi rise to power is mostly ignored until the last half hour. However, there are some chilling moments when German characters begin to blame the Jewish people for Germany’s miseries.
The film also portrays a sense of abject poverty. Christopher feels like a struggling writer. He keeps counting his pennies, and then watches in horror as Sally burns his rent money in just a few minutes. Isherwood says that this portrays the reality of early 1930s Germany much better than Cabaret.
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