Classic Movie Review – ‘My Fair Lady’ – “[Prof. Higgins] treats objects like women, man.”

Premiered: October 21, 1964
Directed by George Cukor
Written by Alan Jay Lerner, adapted from Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Wilfrid Hyde-White
Soundtrack: Music by Frederick Loewe, Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner

Strange things happen on Friday the 13th…

You’re probably wondering why I’m even talking about this.

I mean, all I ever usually talk about are action movies, or at least movies about men with guns, or at least some sort of weapons.  So, why am I now talking about a fifty-year-old musical?

Well, part of it is simply because I had the opportunity (thanks to Alamo Drafthouse [Yonkers]), and I liked the idea of a new challenge.  The other part is that, contrary to popular belief because I hate 2012’s Les Mis (Never. Again.), I actually like movie musicals.  Believe it or not, they were a fairly steady part of my film diet growing up (The Unsinkable Molly Brown was probably my favorite back in the day, because how can you not love Debbie Reynolds?).

Also, in a sense, musicals and action flicks aren’t all that far apart.

As Jay Bauman pointed out in RedLetterMedia‘s review of Sucker Punch, action scenes in action films are akin to songs in musicals, because, “In a good musical, the musical numbers should help forward the story; the movie shouldn’t stop dead in its tracks for [them].”

I’ll just say this right off the bat, My Fair Lady might be a bit long, but it’s a good musical.  In fact, it’s an all-time classic.

I have little doubt that it’s a popular opinion among film school kids that Dr. Strangelove (another all-time classic) should have won Best Picture of 1964, and perhaps if I was an Academy member back then that’s what I would have voted for, but after seeing My Fair Lady for the first time (and on the big screen at that), I can tell you with certainty that it didn’t get 12 Oscar nominations (and 8 wins) for no good reason (what I’m really trying to say here is that it’s no Chicago).

So, what exactly makes it so great?

Well, like all the best musicals, My Fair Lady has an impeccable and clever sense of humor.  Whether in the dialogue, the songs, or simply in the framing of certain shots, the movie never makes you wait too long for a nice laugh.  There’s even a touch of meta-humor at the end of “Just You Wait”, as Eliza (Audrey Hepburn) slowly wakes out of her fantasy world to realize she’s been caught dancing by Prof. Higgins (Rex Harrison).

It’s this core sense of humor that allows My Fair Lady to move in and out of some pretty serious themes, such as class conflict, misogyny, moral standards, rejection, and acceptance, without ever getting melodramatic.  Despite the fact that people spontaneously break into song, you feel like you’re still dealing with the real world, and thus the suspension of disbelief is not as necessary as you might imagine heading into it.

Really though, what makes this film so timeless are the arcs of its central characters, particularly Eliza Doolittle.  When we first meet her she’s just a simple, down-on-her luck flower girl, without a trace of blue blood.  When she cleverly spies an opportunity to improve her station in life, she takes it with the hope of simply being able to have enough heat to not be cold in the wintertime.  Little does she imagine that before her time is through, she’ll have the opportunity to be a princess, if only for one night.  It’s fun to root for people against odds!

On the other side, Rex Harrison gives an Oscar-winning performance (of the role he not only originated on Broadway but also won a Tony for) as the slightly irascible, terribly arrogant, and well-entrenched bachelor, Prof. Henry Higgins.  He seems like such a simple character, and yet the audience’s feelings about him are ever complex.  You love him, you hate him; you love to hate him.  And yet, you can’t help but feel good when, like the Grinch, his heart finally begins to grow.

Moving on, one thing I can’t stress enough in regards to My Fair Lady is simply how well shot it is.  When it comes to movie musicals, especially ones without super-complex dance routines, most people tend to discount the cinematography, but it’s really a strength of this film.  The filmmakers definitely knew they were shooting on a large, wide format, and they made sure to take almost every advantage.  My favorite example of this is probably during “Ascot Gavotte”, as the film cuts from one nearly-still shot to the next; the frame panoramically filled with people standing in place, visually telling us that these are truly some rich “stiffs” (as Peter Venkman would say).

In the end though, My Fair Lady is just a whole lot of fun.  It’s a wonderful way to spend an afternoon (or evening).  The songs are catchy, the humor is clever, the characters are likable, and, though it lacks that rom-com ending modern audiences are accustomed to, it’s definitely a feel-good story.  Like Lawrence Of Arabia, I’m so grateful that the studio made the decision to do a full high definition restoration; it’s truly a beauty to behold.  If you’ve never seen it, especially if you’re actually into musicals, I can’t recommend it highly enough.  The only real weakness is its length, but it’s worth it.

Rating: ★★★★½ (out of five)