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By
NICK ZEGARAC
Director Herbert Ross'
"Pennies from Heaven" (1981) is the enchanting
musical remake of the 1936 Bing Crosby film
vehicle of the same name, and was inspired by
Dennis Potter's 1978 BBC miniseries starring Bob
Hoskins. That it was ill-received upon its initial
release, and failed to find an audience eagerly
applauding from their seats, speaks to the fact
that musicals were sadly out of vogue during the
'80s and that stylistically realism was prided
over fantasy. Ironically, the central appeal of
this remake lies in its nostalgic commitment to a
repertoire of songs that betrayed the conventions
of pop culture circa 1981. And the dance
sequences, accompanied by lip-synced vocals, are
nevertheless first rate and staged with a vitality
and brilliance not seen on the screen since the
golden age of Busby Berkeley.
The juxtaposition of the harsh socioeconomic
conditions of the Great Depression with the
escapist effervescence fueling its popular music,
layer an absurdity in spectacle onto everyday
lives mired in dismal grime -- adultery,
prostitution, unemployment, poverty and murder.
These quandaries are magically teleported into
eye-candied enchantment. Each musical number
mounts its '30s Hollywood kitsch until the
dichotomy between fantasy and reality reaches an
impossible split. The results are dark, but
dazzling, flawed, yet fascinating; a character
study mounted on cardboard and sour cream -- a
downer perhaps, but always with a song in its
heart.
Steve Martin stars as Arthur Parker, a '30s-era
traveling sheet-music salesman whose marriage to
Joan (Jessica Harper) mirrors the bleakness of
Depression Chicago. After suggesting to Joan that
she go the route of a sultry tart -- and having
the idea coldly rejected -- Arthur embarks on an
ill-fated affair with a teacher, Eileen
(Bernadette Peters). The ensnarement of Arthur's
bitter marriage is contrasted by the exuberant
versatility he shares in his passion with Eileen.
However the ménage à trois becomes increasing
complex as Joan gravitates closer to Arthur's
ideal and Eileen becomes more like the old Joan.
Worse, Eileen becomes pregnant -- a consequence
doomed to tragedy.
Martin's performance is perhaps one of his best; a
bizarrely conflicted, gentile and greedy showman
who secretly lusts for the naughty, guilty little
pleasures that his song book of dreams never quite
alludes to. Arthur's own perversions mirror those
of The Accordion Man (Vernel Barneris) an optimist
turned rapist and murderer after his affections
for a blind girl are thwarted. At first maligned
by Arthur, The Accordion Man is treated to dinner
as something of a half-hearted apology. This
sequence segues into the film's most glorious
production number. Barneris' fluid motions and
miming of Arthur Tracy's "Pennies from Heaven"
creates a slow-mo cascade of coinage from the sky
-- a symbolic prelude of the darkness that is to
come to all their lives.
Warner's transfer is startlingly good -- I say
startlingly because previously issued versions of
this film on VHS and laserdisc were poor to
downright dismal. But on this DVD incarnation we
are at last provided with an anamorphic image
worthy of each breathtaking musical production
number. Colors are rich and vibrant. Overall the
picture is solid and sharp with solid blacks, good
contrast levels and a minimal amount of film
grain. Occasionally there is a bit of edge
enhancement that crops up, as well as some
pixelization but these do not distract. Also,
certain scenes are more softly focused than
others. The audio has been remixed and cleaned up.
Although there's no getting around the fact that
these improvements still represent a very dated
audio characteristic, the vintage of the film
itself, as well as the original recordings used
for the production numbers, should discount
whatever misgivings a true audiophile may have.
Extras include a commemorative featurette with
stars reminiscing, as well as a scene specific
commentary track provided by film critic, Peter
Rainer. |
