Movie Project - Day 25: Brigadoon

What better way to celebrate the winter days than taking in a fantasy musical set in Scotland. As to how my girls enjoyed the movie, I would say that Erini would have enjoyed the entire movie had she not gotten tired.

According to my knowledge, this was the first Gene Kelly movie that my daughter has seen, and every time he was on screen, she didn't much care for his dancing. She was more enamoured with the women, and the flourishing dancing dresses they wore. I will admit the corseting and flounces were quite flattering, but if those costumes were accurate, there's no wonder as to why there was such widespread tuberculosis in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Erini also commented that Bronwyn liked the music, and I would like to think that she did. The Gaelic melodies backed the rustic 18th century village beautifully, and the wedding scene is phenomenal. Not as powerful as Tattoo but still very striking.

Watching this musical almost ten years later, a few things came to my attention. Though there is heavy emotion laden throughout the musical and dance numbers, none have any kind of eroticism blatantly displayed. You can tell the characters are in love, but the most daring things are the necklines and the kisses.

While the main characters are from New York City, you only see New York for a few minutes at the end. I can't speak from experience, but the portrayal of the busy restaurant and bar has quite the effect in contrasting the two worlds of modern day and the perpetually medieval Brigadoon.

One of the great things I love about this production is the question it raises: "What do you really need to be happy?" True, we have modern day amenities such as indoor plumbing and electricity that make our life easier, and much less disgusting, but there are things that are overlooked entirely with the digital age. Enjoying a bit of a walk, admiring the nature we have around us, and living for the moment.

That's not to say we should all liquidate our assets and make communes, but it takes to heart the old adage to "Stop and smell the roses." If life seems like it's getting too crazy, think about what you really need, and focus on that. In the case of the village of Brigadoon, it was the pastor that loved his parish such that we asked for them to be spared from the evil influences of the time. Letting the entire village sleep for 100 years every night seems a little much, but it's an interesting concept which works for the picture.

Some plot holes I noticed were how the town knew 100 years had passed the first time they awoke after the miracle occurred. In the story told to Tommy (Gene Kelly) the schoolteacher merely says, "When I awoke the next day, it was 100 years later." Was there another couple of gents who strolled by ridiculously lost and tried to buy milk, only they were shunned because it wasn't Charlie's wedding day? My guess is the money Tommy gives one of the merchants was recently printed and they all saw the printing date, and then drew the conclusion they had been asleep for two nights, and this note was printed in the 1950's, therefore they had been asleep for 200 years.

If they knew the story of Rip Van Winkle, I'm sure they would have chuckled and thought him an amateur.

Musical week continues tomorrow!