Customer Reviews

Brigadoon (Widescreen)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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In mid-18 th century, Highlands of Scotland, Rev. Mr. Forsythe decided that they village of Brigadoon was being unduly influences by witches and the outside world to he asked for a miracle that was granted and The village only appears one day once every hundred years.

It just so happens that on this very day two hunters from New York were lost in the Highlands Tommy Albright (Gene Kelly) and Jeff Douglas (Van Johnson). There Tommy meets and falls in love with a girl (Cyd Charisse), but does she really exist?

Things get a bit complicated and Tommy has a lot to think about while Jeff under the influence of alcohol may have shot more than a bird.

Ones man's miracle can be another man's curse.

An often overlooked musical, the music and songs of Lerner and Loewe, which is a product of its time. This movie does not pretend to be anything but a movie version of the stage production directed by Vincente Minnelli, with Jan Johnson and Gene Kelly at their best. I have seen several liver productions and this is one of those rare occasions in which the movie is superior. A must for any collection.

I thought that "Brigadoon" is one of Gene Kelly's best films. As you watch "Brigadoon", you will be transformed into another world, both beautiful and mysterious. The scenery and dances are very impressive. "Heather on the Hill", "Go Home With Bonnie Jean", "Almost Like Being In Love", and the wedding dance are all brilliant and breathtaking. This film also shows how true love conquers all, even the spell of Brigadoon. A must-see.

When I first rented BRIGADOON from the public library last spring, I immediately fell in love with it. Just added the DVD to my collection yesterday. It is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. It is a 1954 film adaptation of the 1947 Broadway musical. The Lerner and Loewe score is one of the greatest ever written for the stage (or screen). The great cast includes Gene Kelly, Van Johnson, and Cyd Charisse. Although certainly not the greatest singers in the world, Kelly's and Johnson's singing is more than adequate and is really quite lovely. Charisse's singing voice is dubbed for this film, and she works great as well.

When Brigadoon made the transition from Broadway to Hollywood, a good chunk of its score was dispensed with in order to make room to highlight the dancing abilities of its stars. This is, in fact, where many people find fault with this film; the lack of the rest of the Broadway score. To these people, I have this to say... ---This movie is not the Broadway play. It is a **film adaptation.**--- This is also the common complaint about MGM's "Show Boat" from 3 years earlier. Another common complaint about "Brigadoon" is that it was obviously shot in soundstages on the MGM lot in Culver City instead of the highlands of Scotland. This was due to the fact that producers were working with smaller budgets than they had been just 3 or 4 years earlier. This, coupled with the unpredictable weather in the British Isles, necesitated that the film be shot at the studio. This is also evident in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" from the same year. Although the sets are obviously painted backdrops, they are nicely done and work well. IMO, they do not demerit the film.

Brigadoon more than makes up for the missing songs by adding some spectacular dance numbers. "Heather on the Hill" is one of the most sweeping dance numbers I have ever seen in any film. Kelly's and Charisse's gracefulness really hits the spot.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the DVD, with its lush color, clear picture, and stereo sound. If you haven't seen "Brigadoon," you should see it. At the very least for some of the greatest dance numbers you will ever see.

Vincente Minnelli's film of Brigadoon suffers greatly from its reliance on studio recreations of the Scottish Highlands. Instead of shooting on location, MGM provided very fake-looking scenery and landscapes, and although these perhaps add to the image of Brigadoon as a mythical town, they nevertheless rob the film of its potential grandeur. Additionally, the score is mutilated; 6 songs were cut from the original Broadway score, including the rapturous "Come to Me, Bend to Me", the lovely 2nd act duet between Tommy and Fiona ("From This Day On"), and the 2 'naughty' songs for Meg, the town squeeze. Gene Kelly is outstanding as Tommy, and the very flexible Cyd Charisse makes a wonderful leading lady, despite her dubbed singing voice. Their dance sequences are the film's most beautiful moments. Van Johnson provides some welcome humor that counteracts Kelly's dreamy and relaxed manner, and the cast as a whole performs with zest and folksey charm. Still, the film, despite its widescreen splendor and expert direction, is overall an underwhelming presentation of one of the musical theater's great shows.

Ah, Brigadoon. What can I say about this one? It was an excellent film, I don't care what anybody says. Brigadoon is a town in Scotland that comes to life just once every 100 years. Gene Kelly and Van Johnson are Jeff and Tommy, hunters who get lost and are looking for some food and a place to stay. Then they see Brigadoon. Van Johnson was just hilarious as Jeff, the cynical guy who just can't bring himself to believe that all this craziness is really taking place. Gene Kelly portrays Tommy, a guy who falls in love with Fiona (brilliantly portrayed by Cyd Charisse). He has to make a decision at the end of the day, whether he wants to go back to New York and leave Fiona and Brigadoon behind forever, or stay with Fiona and leave New York forever. A difficult decision for anyone to have to make. Just a wonderful romance with some beautiful dance routines. Go to the movie store and buy it. If you like romance/musicals, you won't be disappointed.

Given the tone of many comments here, I wish I'd seen the stage version of this first; it's apparently been restaged for the screen. That said, the film does have its merits: music by Lerner & Lowe, a fine cast of performers (Van Johnson is particularly effective as a wisecracking cynic who, nevertheless, still manages a pleasant soft-shoe with Gene Kelly), and a lighter-than-air book & story. Regarding Kelly and Cyd Charisse (a symphony of beauty here), they are fine; my only complaint is that they dance more apart than together. Beautiful as "The Heather on the Hill" is, it's the only complete duet with them (a reprise of the same dance comes at the end of their courtship, but it barely lasts 60 seconds). Charisse is gorgeous with her future bridesmaids in the number "Waitin' For My Dearie," and Kelly is superb with buddy Johnson and the locals in "I'll Go Home With Bonnie Jean." When the main plot point is finally explained away in roughly five minutes of the second hour, the fairy tale suddenly becomes more powerful- and therefore more poignant. The sound stage interiors have never bothered me, as most musicals were shot in studios; so I've never understood why so many people are using that fact as fodder to criticize this movie. The plot is lushly romantic and, as someone else noted, all romantics will love this one, warts and all.

Great entertainment for the whole family. Everything Scotland and th Scots are supposed to be like is in here. The music is memorable. All you have to do is believe for a while that there could be a Brigadoon.

It must be said that "Brigadoon" falls short of the classic Hollywood musicals. This is no "Singing in the Rain," "On the Town," "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" or "My Fair Lady." Several disappointing choices and compromises were made when adapting the play to the screen, and the film suffers for it. The original idea to film on location with a Scottish cast would have lent a needed air of authenticity to this Hollywood fairy tale. Having seen the musical performed live, I sorely miss the Sword Dance.

With that out of the way, I really enjoy "Brigadoon." Gene Kelly and Van Johnson are great together, with Van Johnson providing the most memorable moments. His sharp wit is on display, and his cynicisms is refreshing amongst Gene Kelly and Cyd Charis's wide-eyed instant love. (Gene and Cyd are great as well, they just are allowed less character development time.)

Not all of the songs are memorable, but some are outstanding. I love "Go Home to Bonnie Jean" and "Waiting for my Dearie." "The Wedding Dance" segment is great cinema, with the clans gathering by torchlight for the Wedding, along with some traditional Scottish dancing.

It is definitely a musical that grows on you over time. I enjoy it much more now than the first time I watched it. I am pleased to own it.

MGM expected BRIGADOON to be their box-office musical smash of 1954--and for good reason: the film was based on an early play by Broadway's Learner and Lowe and includes some captivating music in a winsome tale of two 20th Century hunters who stumble into a Scottish village that magically appears for one day once every hundred years. But MGM hadn't reckoned that film audiences would respond to the movie precisely as Broadway audiences had several years earlier: they stayed away.

BRIGADOON is not a bad film. It is well-crafted in true MGM fashion. The score, which includes such favorites as "Almost Like Being In Love," is quite fine. The cast--which includes Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, and Van Johnson--is superior, the musical numbers are enjoyably staged, and although not one of his finest efforts the film bears the imprint of director Vincent Minnelli's famous touch. On the other hand, BRIGADOON is not a particularly enjoyable , exciting, or memorable film and the fanciful story is so sweetly presented that it quickly becomes off-putting. While individual songs in the score are brilliant, when heard collectively they have a sameness of tone that creates a repetitive feel. Most musical fans will enjoy seeing the film once--after all, Kelly and Charisse are a handsome pair and they dance extremely well together. But only those who like their musicals bland, extra-sweet, and with sugar on the side will care for a second helping.