Mayesgwtw39

Many people don't know that the 1955 film of Oklahoma! Was made twice. It was shot once for the cinemascope screen and once for the beautiful Todd AO. Format. The latter format has only come to light in the last 30 years or so , but it is the definitive version of Oklahoma!, so treat yourself to that version, if you can find it.

This version has much to recommend it, but suffers from further stereotypes by foreigners of what the region it depicts was like. Some of the accents are atrocious ( born Oklahoman here.) The region portrayed is in fact lush and not barren. There's a limit to how much belief we can suspend when we're already asked to buy in to an orchestra and people breaking into song. I'm not literal-minded, but wish some of the casting were better (...if Will Parker says "bean" for "been" again...)

R&H were never in Oklahoma, but Lynn Riggs was and the humor is very much in keeping with the spirit of the people. This gets a lot right (Gloria Grahame, Gene Nelson and, especially, Charlotte Greenwood, your line-readings are missed!), but there seems to be the most recompensatory joy in the enthusiasm with which this cast delivers.

Jackman is so very good, over-done accent and all, that he nearly eclipses the ease of McRae, but not quite. I'm not sure what sort of misogyny informs the comments I have seen posted here in relief of Laurey not wearing a dress and rather being "tom-boy." I suppose such scorn may be why people become increasingly uncomfortable in being gender identified. Nevertheless, Josefina Gabrielle does a beautiful job...that also doesn't erase Shirley Jones' perfect performance and pitch.

Schuler Hensley doesn't have the layers of the great Rod Steiger as Jud, but Steiger is an Actor's Studio powerhouse.

Lovely production that gets a lot wrong, but makes up for it with joy and talent.

A long and dull, heavy-handed cartoon. Ridiclously poor special effects. The actors were good, with some exceptions--but this was scarcely coherent. At least they have characters explain in two sentences whatever went on for ten minutes in the scene before. That's so if you wake up, you don't miss anything. But the best way to kiss nothing is to skip this preponderance of trash.

Dancing: Looked like synchronized swimming. Precision and hard work showed. That's not good.

Music: Empty orchestrations.

Cinematography: Flashy and impressive, color timed like "Aliens" mostly, afraid of repeating in-your- face hot pallete of '61 version.

Writing: Trite. Attempt at back stories shows lack of trust for interactive audience imagination and wasted time.

Direction: Skillful, but sexless. No bursting hot pipe hormones. Spielberg doesn' t do sex. Workman-like, but impressive. But NO heat. Ending rushed. Tedious timing in the last hour.

Acting: Rachel Zegler--acted Maria like a Lunchbox Princess. No innate wisdom as accentuated by Wood that was so effective for the character.

Ariana Debose--should have looked at the "Don't you TOUCH me" scene by Moreno more. The filmmakers seemed afraid of and rushed that scene into incoherency.

Ansel Elgort-- thankless role played thanklessly.

Michael Faist-- the best reason to see this version. Edgy and layered.

David Alvarez-- oh yeah, that's right he's in this... Jets-- ridiculously unexamined, played adequately for a reheat.

Sharks-- these portrayals are supposed to be less stereotypical? "America" sounded like any negligible Disney animated musical number of the last 30 plus years.

Bottom line: The message has been conveyed beautifully once. And now again prettily.

We got it the first time.