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varidog1776 is long for a musical and also generally long for a film of it's era, 1973. It has a lot of ground to cover and it covers it. I can neither give this musical a recommendation nor warn you away. It's more complicated than that. I believe that I've watched it decades ago, but this is the first time that I've seen it uncut, in widescreen, as generally intended for the theatrical audience.
If you want singing and dancing, this isn't the musical for you. In general, the songs aren't catchy and the choreography is almost all together absent.
If you want a solid stage play, and a general introduction to the Continental Congress, and the debates of those days, this is certainly your vehicle.
The main thing that this production does is to tear down the mythos of the Founding Fathers. It takes these lions of Americanism and returns them into being mere people, flawed people, and conflicted people.
The setting is very simple. The Continental Congress is debating independence, and it does not know if they will win or lose. That itself makes this situation interesting.
Considering the sheer number of delegates, it introduces us to so many of them, and the internal politics of their states. We slowly get to know the feelings of these various people and their states, their biases, and their interests. This is no clean and perfect union that they speak of, and times being uncertain, their inner conflict adds to that uncertainty.
I found a DVD copy, where I found the general film pallet muted and lacking in color. It could be the print. The costumers tried to give us nice things, but I feel that the directory wasn't having it. The women's dresses seemed off, if not wrong, for that period. The men did get some variety, and the further south that you go, the more colorful the suits. This helps you separate the southern delegations from the north.
Most of the action takes place in the meeting room, and otherwise, is a good example of how to film a stage play while keeping the elements that made the stage play strong in the first place.
If you want singing and dancing, this isn't the musical for you. In general, the songs aren't catchy and the choreography is almost all together absent.
If you want a solid stage play, and a general introduction to the Continental Congress, and the debates of those days, this is certainly your vehicle.
The main thing that this production does is to tear down the mythos of the Founding Fathers. It takes these lions of Americanism and returns them into being mere people, flawed people, and conflicted people.
The setting is very simple. The Continental Congress is debating independence, and it does not know if they will win or lose. That itself makes this situation interesting.
Considering the sheer number of delegates, it introduces us to so many of them, and the internal politics of their states. We slowly get to know the feelings of these various people and their states, their biases, and their interests. This is no clean and perfect union that they speak of, and times being uncertain, their inner conflict adds to that uncertainty.
I found a DVD copy, where I found the general film pallet muted and lacking in color. It could be the print. The costumers tried to give us nice things, but I feel that the directory wasn't having it. The women's dresses seemed off, if not wrong, for that period. The men did get some variety, and the further south that you go, the more colorful the suits. This helps you separate the southern delegations from the north.
Most of the action takes place in the meeting room, and otherwise, is a good example of how to film a stage play while keeping the elements that made the stage play strong in the first place.
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Date: 2025-12-12 10:25 pm (UTC)I personally love Sit Down John and Abstain Courteously and repeated themes. Seeing it *mumble* years ago at MAD with Casey Severn as Jefferson was fun.