Mackie Messer (5 Stars)

This is a German musical extravaganza that excels on many different levels. It's a true story that's told in a surreal, unnatural way, but the overwhelming musical experience makes it all seem so normal.

The story begins in Berlin in August 1928. Bertolt Brecht's latest play, "Das Dreigroschenoper" (engl. "The Threepenny Opera"), became a huge hit, despite the doubts of his financial backers. Up until opening day the theatre owners were threatening to stop the play being shown because they expected a financial disaster.

A year later the play was to be filmed, and Brecht sold the rights to the studio Nero Film, complete with himself as the author of the screenplay. It was expected that Brecht's screenplay for the film would only make small changes, but he completely rewrote parts of the play, giving the film a different ending. Some of the changes would have cost large amounts of money. For instance, he wanted two moons in the sky over London, and he wanted the final scene to involve large street battles with hundreds of participants. In addition, he added political messages based on the events that were happening in Germany around him.

The film shows his arguments with the studio boss about his screenplay. Finally the boss fires Brecht as screenplay writer and says he will make the film without him. Brecht sued the studio in an expensive court case..

This is where the film's beauty is developed. As Brecht argues with the studio boss we see excerpts from the the Threepenny Opera film as Brecht wanted it, complete with extravagant song and dance numbers and two moons in the sky. During the court case we see the characters in Brecht's film arguing directly with the judge as if they were present.

This is a brilliant film, unlike anything I've seen made in America or anywhere else. The combination of the musical aspects with the multi-layered story-telling is amazing.

Eventually the film was made without Bertolt Brecht, directed by G. W. Papst, but it wasn't shown in cinemas. The film was banned by the Nazi government before its release, partly because the music was composed by a Jew, partly because it was simply un-German. All prints of the film had to be destroyed, but luckily a copy survived and the film was finally released in 1956. I doubt Brecht was happy about it. It wasn't the film that he wanted to make.

The opening song of the Threepenny Opera, "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer", has been loosely translated into English as "Mack the Knife". Simon Cowell calls this the best song ever written, so if you're considering auditioning for X Factor I recommend this song to get onto his good side.

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Mack the Knife

Oh, the shark has pretty teeth, dear,
And he shows them, pearly white.
Just a jackknife has MacHeath, dear,
And he keeps it out of sight.

When the shark bites with his teeth, dear,
Scarlet billows start to spread.
Fancy gloves, though, wears MacHeath, dear,
So there’s not a trace of red.

On the sidewalk, Sunday morning,
Lies a body, oozing life,
Someone sneaking round the corner,
Is that someone Mack the Knife?

From a tugboat, by the river,
A cement bag's dropping down,
The cement's just for the weight, dear,
Bet you Mack is back in town.

Louie Miller disappeared, dear,
After drawing out his cash,
And MacHeath spends like a sailor,
Did our boy do something rash?

Sukey Tawdry, Jenny Diver,
Lotte Lenya, Lucy Brown,
Yes, the line forms on the right, dear,
Now that Mack is back in town.