Powell and Pressburger's style honed over the war years, was by comparison less pointedly direct in its social analysis, veering towards the fantastical, mystical and gently whimsical in sentiment. By the time the Archers entered the 1950's they were in the habit of returning to aspects of their successful period during the war for further film ideas. Most likely because they found that was their remaining USP. The films themselves, however, were getting harder to get commissioned and produced, with diminishing success financially, creatively and critically.
On paper Oh Rosalinda! sounds marvellous. It was a light operetta film adaption, in the mode of Tales of Hoffman. This time it was a modern update of Strauss's Die Fledermaus. Its filmed in glorious Techicolour with Cine Scope, sumptuous costumes, in a painterly stylised and stagey set designed by the Archer's stalwart since the Red Shoes - Hein Heckroth.
They decided to translate the setting to modern day post war Vienna. Where Brits. ,American, Russians and French take it in turns to watch over an occupied Austria. Rosalinda is the wife of a French Captain (Micheal Redgrave) who takes advantage of Dr Falke (Anton Walbrook) when he has passed out drunk, to make him look a fool, by leaving him embarrassingly prostrate across a Russian statue. Falke constructs an elaborate plan of revenge involving Rosalinda, masked balls and mistaken identities.
One thing that is ground breaking about the film is that it's a precursor of politically updating classic drama for film or theatre. Like most such resettings, purists will hate it regardless, finding the contemporary theme and libretto rewrite shallow. The test of any such update is whether it is just a stylistic affectation or it genuinely brings a fresh and pertinent dimension to it. However, for a Powell and Pressburger film, Oh Rosalinda! this is one that is noticeably lacking in adventurous staging and striking use of imagery, aspects they'd been previously renowned for. It also contains some distinctly hackneyed conventions regarding gender relations, married men having affairs is OK but the woman is a whore if she does that etc
Oh Rosalinda! sets up a clash of styles that it never quite gels successfully. The frothy, farcical insubstantial milieu of Die Fledermaus, you could almost erect a proscenium arch around its so theatrical, against this is the serious backdrop of a contentious allied presence hanging over a post war city in occupied Europe.
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| Anton Walbrook Camping It Up |
It's also present in the acting performance styles. Walbrook, it seems to me, is the only one who strikes the correct tone, an archly bemused and playfully camp sarcasm. He is a complete joy to watch in every scene he is in. Everyone else treats it as if this is either a light bedroom farce or a musical rom com. And it can be either of those things, but not all three of them at once.
I found the operetta itself bafflingly trite, alternating between losing engagement and my comprehension, because its plot seems so preposterously insubstantial and bubbly. I can see why it might have missed finding its audience. Its a lot of froth to swallow in one sitting.
Walbrook delivers, yet again, a wonderful monologue near the end about, how its been nice having you guys around, but can you go home now, leave us to get on with our lives unhindered.
Yes, we all feel like that after having held a house party. And also after watching this film.
CARROT REVIEW - 4/8
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