Cabaret (1972)

It is the city of Berlin in 1930, a time when political unrest racks the country, the economy has been destroyed, and millions of unemployed roam the streets. Enter into this chaos an American cabaret dancer, working at the downtown "Kit-Kat club". Into this young dancer's life come several characters such as a rich German politician, a young Jewish man struggling with his identity, an Englishman teacher from London, and of course the all-knowing, all-seeing Master of Ceremonies.
Cast and Information
Directed By: Bob Fosse
Written By: John Van Druten, Christopher Isherwood, Jay Presson Allen, Joe Masteroff
Starring: Michael York, Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Marisa Berenson, Helmut Griem, Fritz Wepper
Country: USA
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Stars | User | Rating | |
5 | ![]() |
eveelun | 66 32nd |
The film is technically accomplished and well-done. I just don't find Liza Minnelli very appealing (in any sense of the word) and all the attention given to alternative sexuality seems dated and uninteresting. The routines in the club are solid, though, and I loved Joel Grey's performance.
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3 | ![]() |
PeaceAnarchy | 72 32nd |
It's well shot, well acted, the dance numbers are fun and well choreographed, the characters are interesting and well developed, in essence all the pieces are very good. Yet, as a whole it falls rather flat; Even though there are clear thematic connections between the different aspects of the film, there's something forced about them and the film never really elicits the sentiments it hopes for.
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twincinema | 80 75th |
A great examination of the slowly encroaching Nazism taking place as the privileged few ignore all the signs. The film is a great example of dramatic irony, as the audience knows what is going to happen, and that things will probably not end well for a few of the characters. The last shot is haunting. I wrote this review under great duress, as this cold has wrecked my brain. I hope this makes sense. If not, contact my assistant.
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Miss Marple | 100 98th |
Since I saw "Cabaret", Liza Minnelli has become one of my favorites! One of the best musicals of all time :-)
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??? | 96 99th |
I'll avoid using many words, that might only smear Liza's make-up, and just write that it's so rich in details that you can really invest in it emotionally.
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JohnnyZombie | 89 79th |
Unfocused in the middle, but overall a fun film that questions how much worth there is in living life as a party all the time. The ending is quite good; the unease felt throughout the film regarding the Nazi Party boils over when we see some of their members in the audience.
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BattleToad | 70 37th |
This film is certainly worth seeing, at the very least for its sheer uniqueness. It is, however, pretty uncomfortable to watch. Meh!
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Nathan S | 4 74th |
A well-written and well-played romance that doesn't adhere to any sort of formula or predictability. It's a wonderful evocation of a liberated time and place, dramatically and ominously shadowed by the viewer's knowledge of the course of history.
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Carlospro | 65 27th |
If life is a Cabaret with Lizzza, I'd rather die
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1 | theficionado | 88 87th |
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Unsettling & grotesque, Cabaret is a portrait of frivolity in the foreground of historical trauma. Sally's (quintessentially American) self-possessedness & ambition take on an air of fevered gnashing against responsibility, accountability. It's about the monstrous privilege to remain insulated from the inexorable tide to come, embodied horrifyingly in a young tenor moving his fellow countrymen to song. "What good's permitting some prophet of doom to wipe every smile away? Life is a cabaret!"
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BillyShears | 80 77th |
CAB - A - RET *Jazz hands*
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paulofilmo | 65 23rd |
Superficial relationship to context and setting. Cabaret focuses upon an uninteresting love triangle, with interconnecting songs. Competent art-direction, costumes, props, etc., but Joel Grey's performance is the only notable aspect of the film.
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INDYATMN | 84 70th |
Although the selfish Sally grates at times & the theme of fiddle playing as Rome burns is repeated a little too much, Fosse manages to use it to build to a powerful climax & it's easy to see why it's so acclaimed. It works now & would've been far more resonant to a viewer during the Vietnam War. It also not only has some wonderful compositions & clever edits to show what couldn't be shown (esp what Sally does), it's also way ahead of its time in the topics it covers & its hero.
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luc | 80 91st |
Beautiful music and dance-movie, well-done !
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1 | nunstrangler | 86 83rd |
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Hitler is rising to power, racism and anti-Semitism are growing, and the best place to hide from it all is the cabaret. With dancing girls, androgynous master of ceremonies Grey and American expatriate and singer Minnelli, you can laugh and drink and pretend tomorrow will never come. Minnelli does just that. Face to face with the increasing horrors of Nazism, she persists in the belief that "the show must go on".
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CosmicMonkey | 85 86th |
While it's by no means poor, the love story between Sally and Brian is completely outshined by Joel Grey and his brilliant performance as the MC of a hysterical and captivating Cabaret show. For the first time, I feel like I've found a movie that would've actually been better with LESS substance and plot to it. A 60-minute "Night at the Kit Kat Klub," where is it?
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1 | waddayanuts | 43 4th |
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This started out good. Expecting a glossy over-the-top musical in the likes of Chicago or Moulin Rouge, I was surprised by the grittiness. Back in the 70s even the musicals apparently had that raw street look! But as the film went on, I gradually lost interest. The songs became tedious and I couldn't care less for the two central love stories which apart from Liza Minelli's Sally consists only of dull characters.
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stevekimes | 75 30th |
Life isn't a cabaret, what with all those Nazis out there. Some great performances.
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1 | damil | 75 81st |
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I didn't quite love this film, but most of it was pretty good. Many of the musical sequences were a lot of fun. This was mostly due to Joel Grey, who was absolutely fantastic in this. I didn't really feel the same about Liza Minnelli though - I didn't care for her or her character. I liked that the film was sometimes quite dark and risque. I also thought the direction and editing was really interesting at times. Overall, it's not perfect, but it has a lot of things going for it.
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Gnalkhere | 85 81st |
Extra 2 points for that final shot alone. Jesus.
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loc42 | 70 56th |
Good directing and editing which can sometimes depict very well the mix of Nazi violence and the pop culture, but overall it can not escape being too clear and didactic about fascism. "Divine decadance"
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eCitizen | 50 49th |
Probably my favorite Liza Minnelli movie. She is young and vivacious and has a beautiful voice in this crazy story of stage, music, love and sexuality. Set in the prewar Germany, the many side plots don't seem to add much to the story being told. Her life is party and she is a pushover for handsome men. The story is both tragic and lighthearted. Even though this is a musical, it thankfully keeps the music on the stage rather than boring us with awkward singing dialog.
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mattorama12 | 68 55th |
Surprisingly substantive for a musical. It's well acted and well directed, as well. Nothing that really blew me away, but it is good.
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Yiannos | 78 89th |
It hasn't aged as well as Fosse's magnum opus, All That Jazz, but Cabaret remains a fascinating glipse into a hermetically sealed world of desire and decadence situated in an ominous historical period. Minnelli is excellent as Bowles, a hedonistic young dancer that's oblivious to the increasing threat of her surroundings. Minnelli captures her spontaneity, her reckless abandon, and the melancholy that lies at the core of her self deception, while Grey is creepily captivating as the chilling MC.
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1 | RottenT | 95 88th |
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Great performances and evocative musical numbers help Cabaret secure its status as a stylish, socially conscious classic.
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kfol | 95 98th |
Wonderful film with brilliant costumes and acting. But then again i'm a sucker for theatrical films.
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Samantha Jam | 100 95th |
Editing is fantastic, acting is fantastic, this whole thing is fantastic
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Average Percentile 65.27% from 1610 Ratings | ![]() |