Plot: What’s it about?
When you think of Julie Andrews (or when I think of Julie Andrews), you think of her swirling on top of the Alps in The Sound of Music. When Robert Preston’s name is brought up, I think of him as Professor Harold Hill in The Music Man. And, when James Garner is mentioned, I think of The Great Escape. Still, these three actors teamed up for a role that changed their lives…for the better. Back in the early 80’s, at a time when musicals had long passed their prime of the 50’s and 60’s, this movie came out and was applauded by audiences and critics alike. Victor Victoria houses some of the old Hollywood traditions that Tinsel town seems to love the best. Gender bending it’s called. Why do movies like Some Like it Hot (Ranked as the #1 funniest movie of all time by the American Film Institute), Tootsie (Ranked #2) and this (Ranked #76) play so well with such a wide variety of audiences? Personally, I’ve yet to figure it out. Still, the theme of the movie remains the same as the popular Broadway play and it might be even more enjoyable with its arrival on DVD.
The plot of the film can be best described as simple, though the more you think about it, the more complicated it gets. Best advice: don’t think too hard, just sit back and enjoy the film! We meet Victor/Victoria (Julie Andrews) as she is alone, hungry and is finding it very difficult to get a job singing. As she concocts a plan to get a free meal at a local restaurant, we see how clever she really is. She plans to eat until her heart is content and then release a cockroach to cause some panic and therefore get a free meal. It works…sort of. However, in the process, she meets Toddy aka Carol Todd (Robert Preston) and the two hatch a get rich quick scheme. Using her wonderful voice, they plan to disguise her (him) as a count who goes on stage pretending to be a man and a woman. Want that again? A woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman. In essence, that’s the plot of the film. It works fine, she is popular and raking in the cash with Toddy at her side. This is until King Marchand (James Garner) comes to town with his floozy girlfriend, Norma (Lesley-Ann Warren) and his bodyguard played by Alex Karras (best known as “Mongo” from Blazing Saddles).
Now this is where all Hell breaks loose. King is attracted to Victoria, not knowing that she is actually a he (and then not knowing that the “he” is actually a “she”). He refuses to believe that “she” is a “he” and soon the world thinks that the gangster from Chicago (King) is a homosexual. Now speaking of homosexuals, almost everyone in the entire movie is gay. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. The romance between Victoria and King grows, Norma gets jealous and is forced to leave and all the while we learn exactly who is gay and who is straight. I don’t want to give too much away and I know that this sounds like the world’s most confusing movie, but it’s really just a good movie that’s fun to watch. With the pseudo revival of the Hollywood musical in Moulin Rouge, we just might be fortunate enough to see some more good movies come out like this (no pun intended). In the meantime, though, watch this fine little gem and be more than entertained. It’s worth it.
Video: How does it look?
This is part of Warner’s Archive Collection, something that collectors like myself are really digging. These aren’t just standard catalog releases, they’re mainstream titles that Warner has taken care of and have given new transfers to. Victor Victoria came to DVD back in 2002 and looked…passable, but not much more. Looking at this new Blu-ray, the difference in quality is night and day. The 2.35:1 AVC HD image really benefits from the restoration and colors pop, detail has been improved and the film has more of a “sheen” than it has before. I wouldn’t say that this is on the Criterion level of films (we’ll need more supplements for that), but new life has definitely been injected into this classic.
Audio: How does it sound?
The previously-released DVD had a Dolby Digital 5.1 matrixes sound mix that has been used to supply the DTS HD Master Audio sound mix here. Obviously this musical has a lot of great elements of sound and the this track , like the video, has a new lease on life. Vocals are pure and crisp and I was pretty surprised by the dynamic range of all the speakers. It’s a head turner in the most literal sense. Kudos to this fine mix!
Supplements: What are the extras?
The same supplements are ported over here from the 2002 DVD and, sadly, both James Garner and Blake Edwards are no longer with us. Still, it’s nice to have these included.
- Audio Commentary – Real-life husband and wife team Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards combine for a very interesting and entertaining commentary. While Edwards’ commentary is a bit dry, Andrews livens it up a bit. Little things about the production are brought up (cockroach, anyone?) and on the whole it seems like they had fun watching the film again and are both very proud of their work.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
Twenty years after The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews proved she still had it in Victor Victoria. The trio of James Garner, Julie Andrews and Robert Preston helmed by Blake Edwards shows that the musical wasn’t over. Warner’s new Blu-ray both looks and sounds great though it is a bit lacking on supplements. Still I doubt that most will mind as this will be on many fans’ shelves.
