Amazon.com: There are many enjoyable elements in the 1978 film version of Stephen Sondheim's exquisite chamber musical A Little Night Music, based on Ingmar Bergman's film Smiles of a Summer Night. First, Sondheim's score (all based on meters of 3) is full of riches such as "Now/Later/Soon," "Every Day a Little Death," "It Would Have Been Wonderful," and the famous "Send in the Clowns." There's even one reworking, of "The Glamorous Life," that became something of a collector's item for fans. Second, much of the cast is good, with original Broadway lead Len Cariou reprising his role as Frederik, the lawyer torn between his young wife, Anne (Lesley Anne-Down), and his former beau Desiree (Elizabeth Taylor). Others from the original Broadway company are Laurence Guittard (as pompous soldier Carl-Magnus) and Hermione Gingold (Mme. Armfeldt), and Diana Rigg adds a wonderful spice. Unfortunately Hal Prince couldn't translate his successful stage direction to this clunky film, Taylor's marquee value couldn't help her sing her big number, "Send in the Clowns," and a number of decisions--cutting songs, moving the setting from Sweden to Austria, eliminating the Greek chorus--just didn't work. It's worth seeing for the cast and for Sondheim's music, but all in all, A Little Night Music is one of the most dismal Broadway-to-movie adaptations ever made. --David Horiuchi
On the DVD The 2007 DVD is in a barely perceptible 1.66 widescreen, not enhanced for anamorphic televisions. Years earlier, the film was scheduled to be released by Image Entertainment but the print was judged too poor to release. Hen's Tooth's DVD has visible print damage throughout; you won't use it to show off your home theater, but it is watchable, and the film's reputation makes an expensive restoration unlikely. If you want A Little Night Music, you're unlikely to get anything better than this any time soon, if ever. (Smalller quibble: only 12 chapter stops makes it hard to find the songs.) --David Horiuchi
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Disappointing film of Broadway great
This film version of one of the great Broadway musicals is all the more disappointing because the creators were involved in the filming. Harold Prince has some interesting ideas for the film but the changes ... Read More
Rating: - A Little dull Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor is an extraordinary actor, however this time she seems a bit too breathy for the songs that she sings. The opening where she is looking out into the audience is a bit comical in the fact that ... Read More
Rating: - A Fairly Poisonous Package
Witty, moody, poignant, and ironic, SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT launched Ingmar Berman to international fame in 1957--and has inspired others for half a century. In the 1970s it inspired composer Stephen Sondheim, ... Read More
Rating: - A little less night music
If I saw this film when it was first released, I don't remember doing so which is not a good omen. You know your in trouble when the credits roll and the screen says; ELIZABETH TAYLO. This looks as though it was ... Read More
Rating: - Sondheim is magic
This was my favorite play. The movie has enough to make it wonderful, for me. Any Sondheim material is a treasure. The language, the interplay of words, the depth of character. ahhhh
- Disappointing film of Broadway great
- A Fairly Poisonous Package