SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

tom sloan Great concept, great cast, great songs and music. The theme, plot, and story all boils down to one thing. That would be the "Music Man Syndrome". What that is, is the way a parent perceives their childs level of talent. When it comes to demonstrating any kind of talent, the parent thinks their child is best. I know I do.

chaswe-28402 Hermione Gingold's indignant disapproval of the "smutty" Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, was the icing on the cake of this exceptional film. Are we to infer that she would have perhaps preferred to err along with Elinor Glyn ? Two dateless all-time best-sellers, but meaningless, no doubt, to the cinema-goer of today.Impossible not to admire the dexterity of Robert Preston's dynamic transference of his stage role to the screen. Highly theatrical, but wholly cinematic. Great cast, all the way. I agree with the reviewer who interpreted the story as an account of the way America buys into the conman's spiel, and finds happiness in being played for a sucker. Forget the US holocaust, ethnic cleansing of the natives, slavery, the fake revolution, the civil war. This is how the West was won, and the way Iowa once was. Makes you think !

calvinnme I may only come across it for a moment, or have it on as background noise while I do something else. No matter where I come in on the movie, from the beginning on, it never fails that two-and-some-hours later, I come to myself watching the closing credits. I don't know why. I have no connection with the the mid-west rural America turnabout of the last century of the story. I grew up in Dallas, and have lived at the southern end of that sprawling coastal urban mass of people known as BosNYWash for the last 23 years. Nonetheless, the movie is unfailingly entertaining. It never pales or becomes dull in repeat viewings.Of course, the music can be credited with a large part of its appeal. It is by turns, rousing, witty, sweet, and moving. The lyrics are inventive, amusing with the spoken songs; clever, with enough satire to send up the provincialism of small towns; polished, as a reflection of Mr. Hill's technique; simple and direct, when expressing deep-felt aspirations and emotions. The production numbers are all wonderful, the choreography of the the dancers, chorus, cameras, and editing smooth and energetic. And the performances are all great, with just that much larger-than-life necessary to make for a good show.But other movies have that, and wouldn't keep me watching them time after time. It must be The Music Man deals with something more essential. There is a surprising amount of cynicism and worldliness in the story, not just by Harold Hill. The town folk are all ready to expect the worst of human nature. Not the usual picture of rural America, or the innocent rubes taken advantage of by the scheming con man. They are taken advantage of, but it's by Hill's manipulation of their weaknesses, fears, and proclivities, not their innocence. Paradoxically, the fakery Hill needs to practice brings about the good in the movie. To deflect investigation of his credentials, he turns the feuding school board into an inseparable quartet. Looking for a natural leader to coalesce the band around, he pulls the young Tommy out of a life of hooliganism, giving him responsibility. Conning Winthrop Paroo, he breaks the child out of his lonely and unhappy isolation. And for Marion Paroo, he brings birds, bells, and love.I have an informal list in my head of my favorite musicals. They include movies like 42nd Street, the Rogers/Astaire musicals, Funny Face, and others. The Music Man, however, doesn't automatically come to mind. I'll have to work to change my thinking.

bletcherstonerson This review contains spoilers. The ending is brilliant. It is an intelligent, yet subtle statement on American consumerism. At the end, we see that the Town has bought the lie, they allowed themselves to be grifted and were so delusional and desperate to believe that their children weren't horrible musicians that we the viewer are witnessing a unified mass hysteria taking place. During this surreal moment, the uniforms that once were filthy rags, change to beautiful band outfits, and the band begins to play like John Sousa himself. The reason I reached this conclusion is that through out the film, we see no signs of magic, or fantasy, thus the ending is either done because they couldn't come up with an ending and whipped out a "magical anomaly", or this was a deftly crafted representation of the American citizen so willing to be lied to , and an examination at the happiness they feel when they buy a product and the weird yet fantastical reality that they then delve into after acquiring that product, believing their lives are better and now they are better than others. I gave this film a ten, because it is a classic, yet on a much deeper level than is comfortable for us to view openly.