The Producers
How come I have only seen this film now? I know about it for years, ever since I saw an ad in the Berlin subway for the musical version. I thought it was really strange, and dismissed it as one of those silly things they typically play at the theaters in Berlin – one of the reasons why I have never actually seen a play in Berlin.
At that time, I had no idea that “The Producers” is such a classic. But now that I saw the film, I have mixed feelings about this fact. The film is just very, very silly. Not so much the oh-so-offensive Nazi stuff, but more like the way the rest of the story was handled. I loved the film all the way up until “Springtime for Hitler” premiered but the aftermath seemed a little silly to me. They got to jail (which was unfortunate because I actually rooted for them) but nevertheless, they did not attempt to become better people at all but proceeded to use the same scheme again. I also think that last 20 minutes of the film were that funny, except for the crying old ladies perhaps.
It’s not as bad as I make it sound though – this is my only complaint. Apart from that, the film is comedic genius. I especially liked the beginning when the main characters met each other, their interactions are perhaps my favorite aspect of the entire film, and I wished they had fleshed out those characters even more. A delightful display of American humor, “The Producers” is totally deserving its cult status despite its silly ending.