Bob Fosse. Musical legend and geniouse.

The cult following of the genre musicals is actually starting to become quite the persistent following again. Especially teen girls seems to have taken quite the liking to resent musical films, which is a delight to me as the genre have pretty much been dead for the last decade. It simple fell from grass and all through the 90’s. Musical was a shush word in Hollywood, and those few things that came out sucked rats ass.

The only good musical to come out of the 90’s was grease, and that thing is not particularly good either when you compare it to real musicals.

However, movies like ”Moulin Rouge.” ”Chicago” ”RENT” and the Tv-show ”Glee” have done a decent job of breathing new life into the genre.

However, I must be amused as so many young girls walk around and think they now everything about musicals now because they know and love these descent musicals.

You don’t know a god damn thing about Musicals before you know who Bob Fosse is and have seen his work. Which is quickly covered as he only made three movies. Though what damn fine movies those are!

Bob Fosse made his movies back in the late 60’s and 70’s as musicals started to become a more dead genre. In the 30’s and 40’s you can pretty much consider musical things to be the same as action films is today in the collected peoples concious, it was what every one went to cinema to watch. And they were all just fell good musicals, really sugary and fell good, but society grew away from that kinds of movies and started producing more dark realistic stuff, especially in the 70’s with the hippies taking over society should movies and art portray a more realistic dark world, the sugary glamour was no longer accepted.

And Bob Fosse’s movies is very much a product of that, they are gritty, sarcastic and incredible sexy. These are probably some of the most sexy movies you ever saw.

It’s probably also worth while noticing that “Chicago” is a Bob Fosse stage show, so if you go and think of that movie you will start to get an idea what he is all about, even though that movie is not nearly as sexy or provocative as the real Bob Fosse stuff.

So lets have a look on his three movies.

Sweet Charity from 1969

About the Taxi Dancer (prostitute) Charity Hope Valentine and her search for love.

Though as this is a Bob Fosse Musical, which he wrote and directed, that means its not a sweet sugar pie story that ends up with her somehow getting redempted or salvaged or something like that. Nope, the ending is bitter sweet.

It actually ends on the quote;

“The optimistic Charity faces her future, alone for the time being, living hopefully ever after.”

However, the story is not the most interesting about this movie. And I do believe it’s the least good of the three he made, however they are all very good so that is not saying much.

What is most amazing about this is ofcause the musical numbers. Not only is the dancing and music amazing, but the cinematographi and how the camera moves becomes a dance and a artfrom inwards itself, check this scene off and tell me if you have ever seen anything like it.

That ladies and Gentlemen, is what Bob Fosse is all about. this scene here, provocative, sarcastic, dirty, sexy and utterly amazing.

The whole movie is like that, which of cause means everyone should just go watch it.

Cabaret from 1972.

Yeah, people must have heard about this one. it is hailed by a great many deal of movie critics to be one of the best musical movies ever made, it won eight oscars. one for best main actress and one for best movie, which it won against "Godfather".

This movie really also showcases a point I do have with comedies and musicals that seems to go over the head of most people, especially the creators. Comedy, action and Musical does not mean you can't deal with serious issues, it's the other way around. it's a god damn free pass to deal with issues that is to touchy to talk about in ordinary movies.

Cabaret is about the beginning of Second World war, and more preciesly the rise of the Nazis from the perspective of the normal everyday people. it's an underlying theme that happens in the movie as a running theme beside the main plot, at it is utterly fascinating. The movie take a new interesting turn in how to show the musical numbers. instead of having the characters start and sing them out of no where, the musical numbers all happens in "The kit kat club" where our main Character Sally Boles work. So it more becomes sort of a narrating thing cross cutting with the plot. and as the kit kat club is so dirty, it becomes really fascinating.

That is the "MC" the presenter and the narrator. he is like a freaking devil D:

So scary... awesome! He have the most of the songs and the narrating that is often a sarcastic mocking comment upon what is happening for our main characters.

This movie is amazing, I remember it well what happening. my singing teacher brought me the song. "Cabaret" intending that I should add it to me repatour, I loved the song instantly and then went to watch the movie. I saw it three times because the first time just left me stunned and needed to watch again.

Differently worth your time, and remember. eight oscars, that must make it worth something.

All That Jazz from 1979

This is both the least known of the three films, and my personal favorite.

I mean wauw.. I can understand why it's overlooked.. because what do you do with a movie like this? a Bob fosse movie was never ever a "Fell good movie" both Cabaret and Sweet Charity had a sarcastic dark ring to them all the way through and ended on a moody comment about a unsure bleak future. But this? what do you do with this? it doesn't end on a unsure future.. it ends on the end of a future.. on death.

The movie is just about death and nothing else.

But not that essential talk we normally deal with. there's no. "Where do we come from, what are we meant to do, and where do we go." talk.

It's a man who life a live that is about to bring him to an early grave, and we see it happening. that's kind of it.

It's a very special movie, it's almost like an autobiography as Bob Fosse clearly depicts himself in the movie, it is about him and his life. about him as a work aholic in the buisness of theater and his provocative ways and how self destructive they are. he have no shame in showing how much he idealises the sexuality of humen, women in particular of cause. though those it in a way I can approve of, and it also ultimate lead to self destructive living.

That is possible both the most sexy and provocativ thing I have ever seen. I mean, we are talking it's up and ringing with Tim Curry singing "Sweet Transvestite" in the rocky horror picture show.

Also notice how the number took place in a gritty reheasing hall. It really brings my mind to how theater really works. it is very realistic and he obviously draw on his own real life exsperiences. all the way down to the two producers who is sitting and is absolutely flabbergasted. the director is supposed to be himself.

It is just so damn obviouse why producers in show buisness want to over look this thing.. it is provocation on bottle, a very sexy well formed body I could stare at forever...

And ofcause it's very ironic as it ends up in his own god damn death, I bet no one of you have ever seen a death scene quite like it.

Just look at that! look at it! have you ever seen a more self ironic death scene?

Keep in mind that the director, Bob Fosse. is interpretating himself, that man who dies is an interpretation of himself and what he knows his life is leading to.

Bob Fosse did true enough die in a relatively early age. He died September 1987 aged 60 on a park bench. Died of a heart attack brought upon him due to drug missus, stress and alcoholism. just as in this movie, where the main character did die of heart attack. It was said he died while the sun was rising in the park.

I may be cynical, but I find his real death to be sort of beautiful while the one in the movie is sadistic. so for once, reality is more beautifull than what is in the mind. it is up to the individual opinion of cause.

In any case, I hope I made one or two people interested in checking it out. it is differently worth it.

And any of his three movies is way better than porn any day oO;