dramaqueen220222
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The Carousel MovieAm I the only one who didn't like it? For some reason, I found myself getting bored with it very easily, and only looking forward to the numbers I liked.
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RainbowJude
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Carousel is a BAD filmI also didn't like the film version of Carousel either. The adaptation is not good: there seems to be a tendency to retain and focus on the popular numbers rather than the ones that move the narrative forward or deepen our understanding of the characters. I also find that the direction and performances feel placed and wooden, rather than passionate and volatile and human as any version of Carousel should be.
This is quite possibly my least favourite Rodgers and Hammerstein film adaptation; I'm exactly sure whether I find this or the film version of Flower Drum Song more difficult to watch.
Later days
David
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belleboi80
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I hate the movie. Carousel is one of my fav shows ever, but hate the movie
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Salome
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the film tore all the guts out of the show. gordon mcrae was miscast as was barbara ruick.
Robert Roundsville and Cameron Mitchell were well cast.
but the direction of teh fiom is deplorable as are the cuts..half of "when the childrebn are asleep is gone as is blow high blow low and geraniums in the winder.
the bench scene is greatly cut as is your a queer one. the whole flashback from heaven deal doesnt work at all either.
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RainbowJude
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Cuts in Carousel | Salome wrote: | | the cuts (are deplorable)... half of "when the children are asleep is gone as is blow high blow low and geraniums in the winder. the bench scene is greatly cut as is your a queer one. |
I'm with you on the others, but is "Blow High, Blow Low" really such a great loss? I think that other cuts, like those you mentioned above and even "The Highest Judge of All" are far more destructive.
Incidentally, has anyone here seen the 1967 television film with RObert Goulet? What was that one like?
Later days
David
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JulieJordan
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I don't like this movie as much as I used to, but I can't "hate" it either. I think MacRae and Jones do excellently as Billy and Julie and the supporting cast is great too. For me, the failings are in the direction as it doesn't flow nearly as well as it should and I really miss the full Bench Scene in all its glory.
It's such a hard show to film as it's so conceptual and I wonder how a modern director would approach it, but the casting would probably be so horrible. I've never seen the Robert Goulet version, but it would be interesting to see it.
And anyway, what happened to the Carousel forum?? 
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RainbowJude
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Once upon a time... | JulieJordan wrote: | | It's such a hard show to film as it's so conceptual... |
I don't think it's partiularly harder to film or more conceptual than most films. In spite of the many years that the film covers and the epic trip to Heaven and back, I think that Carousel has a really good narrative and that's where the film's primary failing is - it ignores the fundamentals of good storytelling.
Later days
David
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Guest
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Shirley Jones, while a decent singer, is a HORRIBLE actress (at least, at that point in time!) One of my musical theatre history teachers used to user her as an example of how NOT to do a song! LOL!
She has no clue what she's singing about and her performance is totally wooden, which makes the show DRAG! If I Loved You is sung as if she's been taken over by zombies...
Not to mention the other people that Salome mentioned as being miscast. UGHO! Maybe they should give this show another try via film...
And the cuts where blasphemous!
I would be curius, like David is, to see if anyone here has seen the 1967 Robert Goulet version of this...(I'll be honest...I'm sorta cringing already!)
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Guest
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^I hate it when the system enters me as a guest...I'm Jazzygirlsings...
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Salome
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Goulet was wonderful in the television version of Kiss Me Kate.
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Mr_X
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My school is doing Carousel for some reason, and I wanted to find out about the show and Enoch Snow, the part I'm gonna try for. So I rented the movie, thinking, "This won't be like the Oklahoma movie, where they cut numbers and rearrange the show, of course not!" I was pretty much done after in "June is Bustin' Out All Over", the 6 guys in sailor hats took off their shirts and hopped on each other's backs. Is Snow supposed to be a bigger part than the one he was portrayed in the movie? He only seemed to be in a small part of it. Jigger seemed good to me, but I thought he was supposed to have a bigger part too.
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Salome
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the roles are both rather large. the film however cut some of their musical material.
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Pounce
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I saw the DVD and if I recall production notes correctly, I think Rodgers and Hammerstein didn't have as much input in the movie as they had with Oklahoma! But I believe that the show Carousel is Rodgers and Hammerstein's personal favorite.
The film definately is of a different time. It came out in 1956 and I just can't relate to it. MacRae's tough guy attitude that you see in a lot of male roles in pre-1960s film still seems so odd. I thought Shirley Jones was a good actress but in this film she was so bland and stiff. I never bought the idea that her character and Gordon MacRae's fell in love. I kept thinking, what are those two doing together? If anything, it was physical attraction only and that wears off. In Billy Bigelow's death scene, I got the impression Julie didn't really care, at least not as much as a wife who loved her husband would. And that stuff about being hit and not feeling the pain, I wonder how that idea would go down today? It sounded like, if you really love him, when he hits you...you won't feel the pain....riiiiiiight.  Nice test for girls to see if you really love a guy. Ask him to hit you and if it hurts...leave him. That old generation and its mores seems so alien now. Julie's friend Carrie seemed to marry out of a need for security, ie. needing some guy to take care of her. That's another idea that seems to be somewhat out of touch today.
It was not until the last 15 minutes of the film did I see any point to the story. I have some idea of what the message was but it still seems somewhat ambiguous. One idea was Billy trying to put in the mind of his daughter not to allow his own past mistakes shape her life. Billy also wanted to tell Julie that he loved her. That seemed to be such a shallow gesture when considering the position he left them in. I'm not convinced that he truly loved her. But Carousel does seem to be one of the more interesting shows to try to understand its meaning, and whatever that meaning is...are they right?
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theatregeek
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I absolutely love the show, but I really didn't like the film at all. I just found myself getting really bored.
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AnnieOakley
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Oh my god...... I love the film..... I can remember watching as a child at around 6 years old and it been my favourite ever since
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Salome
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You love the film version??? ugh!! you must have never seen it on stage then. the film slaughters the entire point oft he piece.
Trust me, once you see the real thing you'll hate the .
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bean_C4U
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I'm in the show thing week (playing Enoch Jnr)
I hate the film
I love the show
Althought act one does drag a bit.
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AnnieOakley
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No I have been in the show twice ..... and watched it serveral time .....but still love the film ...reminds me of sunday afternoons sitting on my Grandfathers knee watching Doris Day and Julie Andrews and all other musicals ahhhhhhh
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bwayluvor31
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I like the film version too, but I've also never seen the stage production. I despise Shirley Jones as Julie though; she made the character so annoyingly one-dimensional and dull.
Is there a recording of the stage production? I only have the movie soundtrack, but now that I know that they cut music out, I want the whole show.
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Cake_in_Song
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I thoroughly enjoyed it, although that's probably for two reasons:
1) I loved the music.
2) I've never seen the stage version, so I have nothing to compare it to.
I also have an alarming tendancy to like movies that others despise. But I admit to agreeing with nearly all the critiques people have. Doesn't mean I'm going to stop forcing everyone to watch the sing-along Karoke version with me, though.
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convict24601
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| Pounce wrote: | I saw the DVD and if I recall production notes correctly, I think Rodgers and Hammerstein didn't have as much input in the movie as they had with Oklahoma! But I believe that the show Carousel is Rodgers and Hammerstein's personal favorite.
The film definately is of a different time. It came out in 1956 and I just can't relate to it. MacRae's tough guy attitude that you see in a lot of male roles in pre-1960s film still seems so odd. I thought Shirley Jones was a good actress but in this film she was so bland and stiff. I never bought the idea that her character and Gordon MacRae's fell in love. I kept thinking, what are those two doing together? If anything, it was physical attraction only and that wears off. In Billy Bigelow's death scene, I got the impression Julie didn't really care, at least not as much as a wife who loved her husband would. And that stuff about being hit and not feeling the pain, I wonder how that idea would go down today? It sounded like, if you really love him, when he hits you...you won't feel the pain....riiiiiiight. Nice test for girls to see if you really love a guy. Ask him to hit you and if it hurts...leave him. That old generation and its mores seems so alien now. Julie's friend Carrie seemed to marry out of a need for security, ie. needing some guy to take care of her. That's another idea that seems to be somewhat out of touch today.
It was not until the last 15 minutes of the film did I see any point to the story. I have some idea of what the message was but it still seems somewhat ambiguous. One idea was Billy trying to put in the mind of his daughter not to allow his own past mistakes shape her life. Billy also wanted to tell Julie that he loved her. That seemed to be such a shallow gesture when considering the position he left them in. I'm not convinced that he truly loved her. But Carousel does seem to be one of the more interesting shows to try to understand its meaning, and whatever that meaning is...are they right? |
I must agree with a lot of the things you said, Pounce. And I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the film didnt do the show justice. I only saw the film for the first time last night, but I found myself loosing attention during some parts. Other parts were ok, but at the end of the movie, I can't say I enjoyed it.
The music was amazing, no doubt, in the stage show, but in the movie, some of the songs that usually catch my interest didnt quite do that, either.
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GungaDin
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I;m just wondering if any of you could do BETTER with the film. I doubt it. The film does have its flaws -- but for that material, I was satisfied with the approach.
Shirley Jones bad? If she was good enough for RIchard Rodgers and Hammerstein, she should be good enough for you. So you know more than these masters of Broadway shows?
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Salome
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| GungaDin wrote: | I;m just wondering if any of you could do BETTER with the film. I doubt it. The film does have its flaws -- but for that material, I was satisfied with the approach.
Shirley Jones bad? If she was good enough for RIchard Rodgers and Hammerstein, she should be good enough for you. So you know more than these masters of Broadway shows? |
anybody with half a brain could make a better Carousel film. especially today when you dont have to cut the illusions to wife beating or change Billy's suicide to an accident.
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QueenElizabeth
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I just read yesterday that a new film version starring Hugh Jackman as Billy is in pre-production for 2008. I sure hope it's better than the old film version... I tell people how much I love the show and they just don't understand because they've only seen the movie.
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Monsieur D'Arque
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I wonder if the script is going to be retouched, though. I'm not sure that even in a modern-day film, the moral of a wife's passivity to an abusive husband would fly. Someone would picket.
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