Cabaret (1972)

97% of critics liked it
(32 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(34,085 ratings)

Originally a 1966 Broadway musical, this groundbreaking Bob Fosse musical was in turn based on Christopher Isherwood's Goodbye to Berlin, previously dramatized for stage and screen as I Am a Camera with Julie Harris as Sally Bowles. Fosse uses the decadent and vulgar cabaret as a mirror image of… More Originally a 1966 Broadway musical, this groundbreaking Bob Fosse musical was in turn based on Christopher Isherwood's Goodbye to Berlin, previously dramatized for stage and screen as I Am a Camera with Julie Harris as Sally Bowles. Fosse uses the decadent and vulgar cabaret as a mirror image of German society sliding toward the Nazis, and this intertwining of entertainment with social history marked a new step forward for the movie musical. Michael York plays a British writer who comes to Berlin in the early 1930s in hopes of becoming a teacher. He makes the acquaintance of flamboyant American entertainer Sally Bowles, played by Liza Minnelli. Sally works at the Kit Kat Klub, a George Grosz-like Berlin cabaret where each night the smirking, androgynous Master of Ceremonies (Joel Grey) introduces a jazz-driven "girlie show" to his debauched audience. Virtually all the film's musical numbers are staged within the confines of the Kit Kat Klub, and each song comments on the plot and on Germany's "progression" from hedonism to Hitlerism. Most of the Broadway score by John Kander and Fred Ebb was retained, with the welcome addition of "The Money Song." Although it lost Best Picture to The Godfather, Cabaret won eight Oscars, including awards to Minnelli, Grey, and Fosse. A heavily expurgated 88-minute version of Cabaret has been prepared for commercial TV presentations, regarded by many as dramatically inferior to the full cut. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 2 hr. 4 min.
Directed By: Bob Fosse, Sameh Abdel Aziz
Written By: Joe Masteroff, John Van Druten
Genres: Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Classics

In Theaters: Feb 13, 1972 Wide
On DVD: Apr 28, 1998
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Jay Cocks, TIME Magazine
Bob Fosse's direction is as chaotic as it was in his previous Sweet Charity, a desperate scramble after a style.
Variety Staff, Variety
The screenplay, which never seems to talk down to an audience while at the same time making its candid points with tasteful emphasis, returns the story to a variety of settings.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Whatever this 1972 feature is, it's entertaining and stylish, though maybe not quite as serious as it wants to be.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
...the context of Germany on the eve of the Nazi ascent to power makes the entire musical into an unforgettable cry of despair.
Roger Greenspun, New York Times
Everybody in Cabaret is very fine, and meticulously chosen for type, down to the last weary transvestite and to the least of the bland, blond open-faced Nazis in the background.
Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media
Influential '70s musical features sex and mature themes.
S. James Wegg, JWR
Let's just say it: the best thing going in director Bob Fosse's tour de force is Joel Grey. As the Master of Ceremonies at the infamous Berlin Kit-Kat club, Grey steals every scene he's in and makes us hope for more.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
simply masterful in every way
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
A great classic film.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
After a decade of stagnant musicals, Bob Fosse reenergizes the genre with a dazzling, intelligent, and socially conscious musical more reflective of the zeitgeist of the 1970s--Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey are brilliant.
, Time Out
Superbly choreographed by Fosse, the cabaret numbers evoke the Berlin of 1931 - city of gaiety and perversion, of champagne and Nazi propaganda - so vividly that only an idiot could fail to perceive that something is rotten in the state of Weimar.
Edward Douglas, ComingSoon.net
The classic musical..much better than Chicago
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Chilling Fosse vision of Weimar Berlin, stylishly directed and choreographed, featuring a show-stopping musical performance by Minnelli, Grey's unforgettable emcee and thoughtful acting from Michael York.

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

Life is a cabaret, mien herr! This musical about a cabaret performer and her lovers was perfect for the 70s. I especially love York's performance in the movie. This is a great film.
Michael G

Cabaret is just alright. Not really being a fan of musicals I'm slightly weirded out that I was entertained most by the grotesque musical numbers. The story got old once Liza Minnelli's charm wore off after the first hour but the Nazi storyline (and "Tomorrow Belongs To… More
Cabaret is just alright. Not really being a fan of musicals I'm slightly weirded out that I was entertained most by the grotesque musical numbers. The story got old once Liza Minnelli's charm wore off after the first hour but the Nazi storyline (and "Tomorrow Belongs To Me") and that final shot balanced it out. Bob Fosse's direction was pretty good even if the movie looked like they developed the film in sewer water (to compliment the grime of the cabaret, I'm sure.) In the end, I don't see what the big goddamned deal was. Cabaret is just some poorly-aged amusing camp with some social relevance stuffed in its back pocket.
Spencer S

Liza is Sally, and thousands of actresses are trying to prove they can play the part as well. The film is wonderfully adapted from the musical, and very true in its message.
danny d

well made and fairly intriguing, but empty at the same time making this a film that for me falls far below its reputation.
Morgan S

omg I just realized I havent reviewed this yet! I love this movie! Joel Grey, Michel York, and esecially LIZA MINNELLI! I just love her! I would really like to see this on broadway! I just love Lizas style in the movie its great!. Amazing moive. Go see it!
Mark H

Somewhat overrated musical drama set in decadent Berlin before the rise of the Nazis under Adolf Hitler. Liza Minnelli is a standout as Miss Sally Bowles, a flamboyant American singer at the Kit Kat Klub. Flashy musical numbers are the highlight of the film, and personify the events… More
Somewhat overrated musical drama set in decadent Berlin before the rise of the Nazis under Adolf Hitler. Liza Minnelli is a standout as Miss Sally Bowles, a flamboyant American singer at the Kit Kat Klub. Flashy musical numbers are the highlight of the film, and personify the events happening in the real world. In particular, Joel Grey's duet with Minnelli, "Money, Money" is a showstopper. Has the dubious distinction of having won the most Academy Awards (8) without actually winning Best Picture.
Jennifer X

Holy Jesus was I scared when that Nazi started singing "Tomorrow Belongs to Me". This movie is EPIC, man. Fosse chose for his cast the most netherworldly looking people possible, from Liza Minnelli's bulbous eyes to Joel Grey's scary-ass EVERYTHING to Michael… More
Holy Jesus was I scared when that Nazi started singing "Tomorrow Belongs to Me". This movie is EPIC, man. Fosse chose for his cast the most netherworldly looking people possible, from Liza Minnelli's bulbous eyes to Joel Grey's scary-ass EVERYTHING to Michael York's interesting skin. The layering of decadence over an undercurrent of unrest provides a basis for the thrilling climactic finish and makes it that much scarier. Fosse didn't make a huge load of films, but the ones he made are cinematic treasures.
Ken S

Cabaret is a beautiful piece of film making and not to mention directing. Liza won the Oscar that year, and she deserved it...how Fosse got that performance out of her I'll never know. Also, hands down one of the scariest pieces of cinema ever created is in this film. When a… More
Cabaret is a beautiful piece of film making and not to mention directing. Liza won the Oscar that year, and she deserved it...how Fosse got that performance out of her I'll never know. Also, hands down one of the scariest pieces of cinema ever created is in this film. When a group of young Nazi's sing "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" in a park, I literally get shivers up my spine.
Curtis L

What I saw of it was pretty boring.
Lafe F

A fun visit to Berlin leading up to World War II. I thought the music and performances were okay, but sometimes bordered annoying with the witty M.C. Joel Gray. Liza Minelli and Michael York were a great pair of... friends. They had a very interesting visit out to Max's… More
A fun visit to Berlin leading up to World War II. I thought the music and performances were okay, but sometimes bordered annoying with the witty M.C. Joel Gray. Liza Minelli and Michael York were a great pair of... friends. They had a very interesting visit out to Max's country estate. They made the movie quite special, and have good discussions written for their characters. The movie has the rise of Nazi regime in obvious scenes, plus often as background disturbances. It makes this movie quite cleverly done. We saw Cabaret on stage at Studio 54 in New York, and it was considerably different from this movie, but both are good.
xGary X

I don't like musicals, and the sight of Liza Minelli in suspenders is almost as creepy as Joel Grey's ghoulish master of ceremonies. The political stuff is OK, but the rest is irrtatingly camp.
Sarah G

Loved it, one of my favourite musicals and films.
Byron B

This movie version is a little psychedelic at times, but the music is good and the themes are important to understanding how Naziism came to power in Germany during this time.
Danny R

A masterpiece. One of the most brilliant musical ever made and certainty the definitive version of Sally Bowles, the original character in Christopher Isherwood's 1939 book about the life in pre-World War II Berlin. The late great Bob Fosse's unique and inspired film version… More
A masterpiece. One of the most brilliant musical ever made and certainty the definitive version of Sally Bowles, the original character in Christopher Isherwood's 1939 book about the life in pre-World War II Berlin. The late great Bob Fosse's unique and inspired film version of the legendary Broadway musical hit, won him an Academy Award for his masterfully direction which is flawless, and Liza Minnelli playing Sally Bowles, a flamboyant American singer and dancer, who's life is fueled by drink and one night stands, delivers the performance of her career which won her a Academy Award for Best Actress for her unforgettable bravura turn, she is the catalyst that enlivens this classic motion picture by her gifts of dramatic acting, and she becomes bigger than than life when belting out songs with her glorious voice, Joel Grey won a Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his dazzling performance as the smirking androgynous Master of Ceremonies at the Kit Kat Klub, he is the personification of a decadence beyond good and evil, and he steals every scene he appears in. Michael York delivers a superlative performance as Brian Roberts, a young handsome bisexual Englishman who studied at Cambridge and hopes to become a teacher he befriends Sally, and they become roommates and special friends, excellent supporting performances by Helum Griem, Marisa Berenson, Fritz Wepper, Kathryn Doby, George Hartmann and Estrongo Nachama. Bob Fosse's exquisitely choreographed musical stage numbers are fabulously kinky and bathed in eroticism and gleeful decadence. The film's handling of the political material during Hitler's rise to power is done with great style and integrity, thanks to Jay Presson Allen's splendid screenplay, there is remarkable cinematography by Geoffrey Unsworth, and a wonderful and haunting score by John Kander. A thought-provoking cinematic work of pure genius. Winner of 8 Academy Awards including Best Director: Bob Fosse, Best Actress: Liza Minnelli, Best Supporting Actor: Joel Grey, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration: Rolf Zehetbauer, Hans Jurgen Kiebach, Herbert Strabel, Best Cinematography: Geoffrey Unsworth, Best Film Editing: David Bretherton, Best Music, Scoring Original Song Score and/or Adaptation: David Hildyard. Highly Recommended.
Alec B

Like the original stage musical the best scenes are in the Cabaret, while the actual story isn't all that engaging. However I'd say that the film's central story is still an improvement over the original one on stage because it cuts a lot of the unnecessary secondary… More
Like the original stage musical the best scenes are in the Cabaret, while the actual story isn't all that engaging. However I'd say that the film's central story is still an improvement over the original one on stage because it cuts a lot of the unnecessary secondary characters. But it could have still used some revising.
Curt C

I was forced into seeing it, but an glad I did. This movie has a lot of energy and sexiness, as it's characters essentially try to ignore the world around them. I've gained appreciation for some of the subtler themes on subsequent viewings and have hence bumped this up.… More
I was forced into seeing it, but an glad I did. This movie has a lot of energy and sexiness, as it's characters essentially try to ignore the world around them. I've gained appreciation for some of the subtler themes on subsequent viewings and have hence bumped this up. The choir scene is just chilling.
Marcus W

There're three things going on here: you have the whole spiel of the burgeoning Nazi party which is a bit underplayed; then there's the musical sequences, which are fantastic; finally you have Liza's personal soap opera life which is exactly that. It's watchable,… More
There're three things going on here: you have the whole spiel of the burgeoning Nazi party which is a bit underplayed; then there's the musical sequences, which are fantastic; finally you have Liza's personal soap opera life which is exactly that. It's watchable, but I'm surprised it won a million oscars.
John M

Musically speaking, I can think of a couple of musical films that are better than "Cabaret". When, however, it comes to the strength of the acting, the emotional power of its story and the significance of its themes
Doctor S

Good for a musical. A minor letdown for an 8-time Oscar winner. I'm no big fan of The Godfather but that clearly is the superior film, a lucky-in-hindsight twist of fate after Cabaret seemed headed towards that win after scooping up… More
Good for a musical. A minor letdown for an 8-time Oscar winner. I'm no big fan of The Godfather but that clearly is the superior film, a lucky-in-hindsight twist of fate after Cabaret seemed headed towards that win after scooping up trophies for Actress, Editing, and Director. Owes a cigar to Jules et Jim for the love triangle among 3 friends (2 men, 1 woman) amid a climate of political unrest. Liza Minnelli is definitely the main attraction as freespeaking, impetuous, starry-eyed Sally Bowles. Some catchy musical numbers, particularly "Mein Herr," "The Money Song," and "Cabaret." Also a chilling rendition by a Nazi youth of "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" at a beer garden which starts as a solo performance but soon involves the entire crowd. I don't recommend many musicals - people randomly bursting into song and dance simply strikes me as absurd, and the music is usually either lousy or cheesy (usually both). But at least a musical makes sense here, the setting is a cabaret hall fer cryin' out loud, and all routines (except the one mentioned above) are performed there. As they should be. So here is my updated Top 3 Musicals list: 1. Singin' in the Rain 2. Chicago 3. Cabaret
Lauren D

Musicals are my least favourite genre, but I thought it was great. The only thing I've seen Liza Minnelli in is Arrested Development, and I never really took her seriously as an actor. I think she's extremely ugly and annoying, but she was great and played the part really… More
Musicals are my least favourite genre, but I thought it was great. The only thing I've seen Liza Minnelli in is Arrested Development, and I never really took her seriously as an actor. I think she's extremely ugly and annoying, but she was great and played the part really well. There were some catchy songs, the plot was interesting, the acting was good.