Guys And Dolls (1955) ***1/2
It's a strange experience to watch a film like Guys And Dolls (1955) through a "2020 lens". I still really like this film a lot but it's certainly "problematic". And that's coming from a viewer who always takes when a film was released into context.
I think the best way to enjoy a film like G&D is to view it as a product of the past, one with misogynistic gender norms galore (and to be fair I watch films that are far bigger offenders), but one that still has plenty of movie magic. And that's what I really love about musicals more than anything else—the choreography, the costumes, the staging, the production design, the direction, the physicality, and, yes, usually the songs. G&D perhaps has a bit less of all that than other well-known musicals and/or it's less impressive overall, but I still find a lot to appreciate—including the performances, the characters, and all the wonderful colors.
I think the best way to enjoy a film like G&D is to view it as a product of the past, one with misogynistic gender norms galore (and to be fair I watch films that are far bigger offenders), but one that still has plenty of movie magic. And that's what I really love about musicals more than anything else—the choreography, the costumes, the staging, the production design, the direction, the physicality, and, yes, usually the songs. G&D perhaps has a bit less of all that than other well-known musicals and/or it's less impressive overall, but I still find a lot to appreciate—including the performances, the characters, and all the wonderful colors.
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