Eight years before Barbra Streisand appeared in the 1976 version of A Star Is Born, she dazzled audiences in William Wyler’s Funny Girl with an awe-inspiring performance of intense vulnerability and carefully modulated broad humor that announced to the world that she was, much like her character, Fanny Brice, born to be a star. Released in 1968, several years after the death knell of the classic musical had been rung, Funny Girl endures—unlike other bloated, big budget musicals of the era like Camelot, Hello Dolly!, and Oliver!—precisely because of the strength of Streisand’s magnetic performance.
Whether flailing around on roller skates across the stage or triumphantly belting out “Don’t Rain on My Parade” as she recklessly flees her starring gig at the Ziegfeld Follies to meet her lover, Nick (Omar Sharif), Streisand’s Fanny is a woman possessed with ungodly charisma and talent. It was Brice’s singularly sly, self-deprecating humor that made her a star in the 1920s. And Streisand’s willingness to poke fun at her own imperfections only endeared her even more to an audience soon to be wowed by her vocal talents in songs that range from the outlandishly comical to the wrenchingly tender.
For as funny as both Brice and Streisand are, Funny Girl is also quite dramatic, often walking a tightrope between comedy and tragedy. Throughout, the long takes and elegant compositions lend a gravitas to the dramatic sequences focusing on Fanny and Nick’s tragic love story, while also allowing the audience to relish in the visual opulence on display in the musical numbers. In several of the songs, the film’s elegant style perfectly matches the emotional timbre of the music and lyrics, as in the extended helicopter shot in “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and the dollies and pans throughout “People” as Nick and Fanny move in and out of the frame.
The most impressive example of this merging of form and content is the film’s final number, “My Man.” Dressed in black, Fanny is framed in front of several colored light panels, with black backgrounds on either side. Following the first of only two cuts in the sequence, the lights now appear on her left, and as her voice gains more confidence and resonance, the camera glides to the right and suddenly she’s floating in blackness, drowning in sorrow even as she belts a tune with a power that’s so electrifying that you feel as if it could light up the world.
Image/Sound
Sourced from a new 4K restoration, the Criterion Collection’s transfer is as luminescent as Barbra Streisand’s screen presence. The level of detail, from the elaborate stage sets to the textures of the many costumes, is immaculate, while the colors are vibrant, particularly the golds and purples, which, thanks to the HDR presentation, really stand out. The 5.1 audio track is equally strong, lending the music a richness and depth befitting Streisand’s voice.
Extras
In a new 40-minute audio essay, Streisand discusses her kinship to Fanny Brice, competing for the part, and her contentious yet fruitful collaboration with William Wyler. Wyler’s son David also discusses the duo’s working relationship on the film in a new interview with Alicia Malone but suggests that producer Ray Stark was a bigger thorn in his father’s side. He also talks a bit about the elder Wyler’s varied career, something which is covered in great depth in the standard-issue yet thorough Directed by William Wyler. The 1986 documentary also touches on the director’s fascinating early life from when his uncle, Carl Laemmle, helped bring him to Hollywood from Europe as a young man, and offers some indispensable interviews with major actors Wyler worked with, including Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, and Lawrence Olivier.
Elsewhere, Omar Sharif, in a 2003 interview, remembers his time working with both Streisand and Wyler, relaying a humorous story about approaching the latter about his reputation for shooting countless takes. Rounding out the package are several fairly rote archival featurettes, a deleted scene, and a booklet with a wonderful essay by critic Michael Koresky that convincingly makes a case for the greatness of both Streisand’s performance and Wyler’s direction.
Overall
The Criterion Collection’s 4K UHD Blu-ray release of Funny Girl boasts a strong lineup of extra features and an even stronger A/V presentation.
Score:
Cast: Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, Anne Francis, Walter Pidgeon, Lee Allen, Mae Questel, Gerald Mohr, Frank Faylen, Mittie Lawrence, Gertrude Flynn, Penny Santon, John Harmon Director: William Wyler Screenwriter: Isobel Lennart Distributor: The Criterion Collection Running Time: 151 min Rating: NR Year: 1968 Release Date: November 19, 2024 Buy: Video
If you can, please consider supporting Slant Magazine.
Since 2001, we've brought you uncompromising, candid takes on the world of film, music, television, video games, theater, and more. Independently owned and operated publications like Slant have been hit hard in recent years, but we’re committed to keeping our content free and accessible—meaning no paywalls or fees.
If you like what we do, please consider subscribing to our Patreon or making a donation.
