A messy film—weak in some areas (narrative, casting issues, throwaway songs) but there is much to praise as well
The opening freeze-frame (in 1969 with Butch Cassidy– a big year for freeze-frame)—beautiful with the color-tinting changes
Shot in glorious 65mm — so sharp– big canvases and the colors/production design (Oscar win for set decoration) pop
Heavy influx of yellows—I wonder how much Kelly was influenced by Jacques Demy (having worked with him on The Young Girls of Rochefort in 1967 a few years before)– the buggy wheels are yellow, the train car, the candles in the store
Streisand took a lot of flak for the role—mostly because of the poor casting (she plays a widow at 27 and many say she’s too young and she probably is)- but she’s an incredible screen presence, funny, and that booming voice is so impressive.
One excellent sequence is the “Put On Your Sunday Clothes” song and scene—it’s the one featured in Wall-E. – it’s a great song, the scene is flooded with yellows
Nice set design in the Milliner store
There’s a big number set in a gratuitous parade—I like the set piece but Kelly doesn’t really know how to take advantage of it so it’s mostly wasted except for the reverse crane shot with Streisand in the middle of a massive backdrop to finish
Nice lighting fixtures as part of the mise-en-scene in the dinner with Streisand and Walter Matthau — Matthau doesn’t come off well here in the film
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