fiat0903

To add to the other comments, there are states in which, if you have the ability, you must render assistance. These laws were passed when news reporters stood by as Buddhist monks immolated themselves. The cameras rolled even though many of the news camera teams had fire extinguishers at the ready, ostensibly to protect the news crew. Once the law was passed, the suicides stopped.

Further, there is a painful irony in the comments of the police sergeant that "you can't change the law". When I was a child in Virginia, it would have been unthinkable for an African American to be a policeman, let alone a sergeant. The laws limiting such jobs to White people were changed. Laws are changed regularly. Sometimes by legislatures, sometimes by courts. Sorry, Sarge, but you were wrong, painfully so.

Czardasfurstin is a personal favorite even if it is more than a bit outdated. This DVD is descended more from the Broadway/Hollywood style than from the Wiener Volksoper. The script was heavily rewritten but is far, far closer to the original than the horrible butcherings of Lustige Witwe, the best of all operettas of the era just before World War One. There is some rewriting of lyrics in the better known numbers, for example, the very popular "Let Me Dance and Let Me Sing". The changes are minor. Maybe Kallman had different versions.

The writers added the non-singing role Miska to move the plot along. It makes the story fall together. With the scene shifting that film made available, a facilitator like Miska helps a lot.

It is obvious that the singing is overdubbed. So what?

Anna Moffo is gorgeous both in face and voice. Rene Kollo looks a decade younger than she. An excellent voice for the role. How can you not love Dagmar Koller? (See her on the recent Andre Rieu Live in Vienna. Still lovely.) Sandar Nemeth as Boni is a bit over-matched by Moffo and Kollo's singing but his dancing with Koller (who is excellent) makes up for it. (Moffo fakes the stage dancing. Step left. Together. Step right. Together. Repeat. But, she was not hired for her dancing. Again, so what?) The rest of the cast do a creditable job. Wonder how long it took Peter Huszti (Rohnsdorff)to get that broomstick out of his butt.

The orchestration is a bit pinched. Instead of the big sound from a motion picture sound studio, we get the sound of a stage show pit band. Might even have been recorded in someone's garage. Considering that Kallman's writing is lush, almost gooey, we feel cheated.

The subtitles suffer from what so many subtitles do. They are paraphrases, not translations of the original. Since they do not scan poetically, why paraphrase?

Still, the pluses far outweigh the minuses. Considering some of the schlock given 8's and 9's here, this is easily a 9 or better. If you are, like I am, an Unabashed Romantic Slob, this is well worth watching.