VICTOR/VICTORIA
UK, 1982, 128 minutes, Colour.
Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston, Lesley Ann Warren, Alex Karras, John Rhys Davies, Graham Stark.
Directed by Blake Edwards.
Victor/Victoria is an exuberant Blake Edwards comedy - with point. Its success can be seen in the light of the popularity of the two La Cage Au Folles films with their presentation of homosexual relationships in the atmosphere of nightclub and cabaret. What seems bizarre to the average audience on the surface is then made very human. This jolts audience presuppositions and makes them reflect on sexuality and stereotypes.
This film was based on a German film of the same name of the '30s. Blake Edwards has kept the period but has injected the language and attitudes of the '80s. The film is made with his exuberant style - excellent re-creation of period, decor and costumes. There is a lot of very broad comedy - especially in the Pink Panther films style. There are also some very well staged songs and dances capitalising on Julie Andrews' talent and the ability of Robert Preston and Lesley Ann Warren. The stars give very good performances indeed. Julie Andrews is very much admired by Blake Edwards and is frequently centre screen with admiration. He continues his transforming of her image from 10 through S.O.B. to this film. Robert Preston is very engaging as the ageing drag queen. James Garner is upright American heterosexual hero. There is an excellent performance by Lesley Ann Warren as one of the best dumb blonde roles on screen and humorous support from Graham Stark as a waiter and a satirical Inspector Clouseau performance from 'Sherloque Tanney' as Bovin. The film keeps people laughing but certainly raises questions about stereotyping and tolerance.
1. An entertaining comedy musical? Re-creation of period? Satire? A film with a message about sexes, roles, relationships, stereotypes, homosexuality? Popular plea for understanding and tolerance? How successful?
2. Blake Edwards' bright and brash style? Comedy, broad characters, humorous situations, verbal and visual gags? Songs and exuberant staging? Broad satire? This film within his career - and satirising his sad experiences with producers and the cinema world - His regard for Julie Andrews and his presenting her on-screen - making star vehicles for his wife? Using her style, skills and talents? Changing her image?
3. Panavision and colour photography? The re-creation of Paris in the '30s - and the touch of Chicago? The lavish sets, interiors and exteriors? The poor section of Paris, the nightclubs, the hotels and apartments? Costumes? The staging of the musical numbers?
4. The contribution of the songs and their lyrics? Points of insertion, entertainment, the points being made especially with the lyrics and the staging? Camp style, parody? Julie Andrews, Robert Preston, Lesley Ann Warren and their musical contribution?
5. The origins of the film in a '30s German film? The background of Germany in the Cabaret era? The entertainment style, what audiences were seeking, the titivation with the provocative? The fusing of the sexes, ambiguities? The transferring of '30s ambiguity to the frankness of the '80s? Frankness and the Gay Liberation movements? The film's attitude towards public opinion about homosexuality? The points being made? The understanding via comedy?
6. The use of farce styles with mistaken identities and disguises in order to highlight male-female stereotypes, fusion of identity, variations of identity? The characters emerging from this farcical treatment of identity confusion?
7. Homosexuality as a fact, phobias, attitudes, society and public opinion, oppression, the feelings of a minority, social issues, moral issues? Public opinion and stereotypes? The reversal of male-female roles and stars to highlight stereotypes for fun and understanding? Toddy: the declared homosexual, his relationships, style of acting, speaking, his respect for Victoria, his relationship with Squash? The humour in his final drag dance and the comparison with Victoria's rendition of the same routines? Victoria: as a woman in herself, the background of her failed marriage, her decision to accept Toddy's suggestion, her enjoying the impersonation, the feelings of freedom with a woman being treated as a man, making a career of her impersonation, the complications of a romance, her homosexual admirers, King and his heterosexual love but the dilemma of his being seen with a man, her final dilemma and decision to become herself as woman? King: his clarity of opinion, voicing popular opinion, his response to Victoria as an impersonator, as a woman, his puzzle, his trying to find out the truth for himself, the dilemma of public opinion if it should seem that he was gay, his influence on Squash's coming out of the closet. his being spurned by the Chicago group and by Norma? Norma: her jealousy of King, her change when it appeared that Victoria was Victor, her flirting with Victoria as Victor, especially at the end? The extremes of her reaction? Squash and appearances, the macho-American image, his explanation of his homosexuality and concealing it in sport? His admiration for King? The relationship with Toddy? The American gangsters and their clear-cut attitudes towards sex roles? The irony of their intolerance of ambiguity in sexuality roles and yet their wholehearted exercise of violence?
8. Julie Andrews' performance at Victoria: the audition, her quality of singing, breaking the glass, her hunger, the landlord and his sexual advances, the meal and the humorous encounters with the waiter, Toddy and her scheme with the cockroach? Their success? Friendship with Toddy, sharing the flat? His proposing the impersonation situation and the agreement after seeing her in Richard's clothes? Selling her to Cassel and his agency? The humour of Toddy's pushing into the manager's office? Her success? King and his advances and falling in love with her? Her being spied on? The affair? Her understanding of her freedom as a man, her wanting a career? Her decision to go back to being Victoria? The warmth of the character? Humorous situations? Julie Andrews' skill in performing the songs, the dance routines?
9. The introduction to Toddy? His affair and the fights? The brawls in the clubs? His singing career in the cabaret? The encounter with Victoria in the restaurant, with his cold, their shared experiences, his transforming her, managing her, pushing her - literally - into the agent's office? The ambiguity of their relationship? In public, simplicity in private? The farce routines with Squash trapped in their room? The friendship with Squash? The final brawl and the final song and its satire on drag performances?
10. The background of American businessmen and gangsters? King as portrayed by James Garner in conventional style? His presence in Paris, enjoyment of the nightclubs, Squash as bodyguard, relationship with Norma and squash's protection? His success in Chicago? His falling in love with Victoria? The clashes and the strident interchanges with Norma? Sending her back to Chicago - and provoking her vengeance? The farcical sequence with his spying on Victoria in the bath, his being trapped in the room and Squash's being trapped? The affair? His hesitations about the affair - especially in terms of being seen allegedly with a man? His deciding to go along with the relationship? The happy ending? Squash - gentle character, bodyguard, being trapped in the room and in the snow, his declaration about h-is homosexuality, explanation of sport as a cover for his feelings, the relationship with Toddy?
11. Norma and the satire on the American dumb blonde? Comic style, jealousy, romance, being sent back to Chicago, the gaudiness of her song-and-dance routine in Chicago, her flirting with Victor, the comeuppance at the end?
12. The incidental comedy with Graham Stark as the waiter in the restaurant, his later presence in the nightclub? The detective and the echoes of Inspector Clouseau routines? The manager of the club and his spying on Victor/Victoria? The agent and his enjoyment of Victoria's success?
13. The atmosphere of song. comedy. brawls? The success of the film as entertainment? As provoking audience reaction about the roles and behaviour of the sexes?
