A cage full of fools

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Movie
German title A cage full of fools
Original title La cage aux folles
Country of production France , Italy
original language French
Publishing year 1978
length 100 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Édouard Molinaro
script Marcello Danon
Édouard Molinaro
production Marcello Danon
music Ennio Morricone
camera Armando Nannuzzi
cut Monique
Robert Isnardon
occupation
chronology

Successor  →
Another cage full of fools

A cage full of fools ( French original title: La cage aux folles , literally: "The cage with fools", where folle is a slang expression that corresponds to " Tunte ", so "The Tuntenkäfig") is an Italian-French comedy film from the 1978 and is considered to be the first globally successful film from the drag queen milieu. It is based on a play by Jean Poiret from 1973.

action

Renato is the owner of a nightclub with a drag program in St. Tropez , with his longtime partner Albin starring the show. His son Laurent comes from Renato's only short adventure with a woman, he and Albin raised him lovingly. One day Laurent, who has meanwhile matured into a young man, wants to marry. His fiancée Andrea is, of all people, the daughter of the ultra-conservative, homophobic politician Simon Charrier. He is followed by reporters after his party chairman died while having sex with an underage black prostitute, thereby destroying the credibility of his party, which is insistent on morality. His daughter's wedding plans come in handy for Charrier, he wants to stage them in the media in order to present himself as a representative of the traditional family image. Andrea tells her class-conscious parents that Laurent's father is a cultural attaché and the mother a housewife with six children.

Andrea is on the way to St. Tropez with her parents, whom Laurent and his parents want to meet over dinner. Laurent wants to cover up Renato and Albin's homosexuality, as Andreas parents would otherwise probably never accept a marriage between him and Andrea. For his sake, Renato is willing to play a conventional family, and they try to make their exaltedly furnished apartment more inconspicuous. Albin can hardly hide his homosexuality in his demeanor, which is why, in the opinion of Laurent and Renato, he should not meet Andrea's parents if possible. Renato asks Simone, the birth mother of Laurent, who has made a professional career and has not seen her son for 20 years, to take over the role of his wife when the Charriers visit. Albin feels set back and has to discover that Renato is almost seduced again by Simone's charm. Several disputes break out, putting Renato and Albin's relationship at risk.

When the Charriers finally arrive and Simone has not yet appeared, Albin dresses up as a woman and plays Laurent's mother. Renato and Albin manage at least partially to win over Andrea's parents - but there are always turbulences: The servant Jacob is noticeable for his gross behavior, the dishes depict pederastic scenes from ancient Greece and the Charriers are surprised that the supposedly conservative couple lives above a nightclub. When Albin's wig almost flies off his head, Simone appears as the “second mother” and finally a bunch of drag queens storm the apartment, Andreas parents discover the secret.

In the meantime, thanks to the corrupt chauffeur of the Charriers, the media got wind of the Senator's visit. Charrier fears the end of his political career if reporters get a picture of him in the gay club. In order to escape undetected, he lets Albin change his make-up into a drag queen and escapes the building undetected. Finally, Laurent and Andrea's wedding can take place as planned - only disturbed by the sound of Albin's accusations against Renato when Simone unexpectedly appears for the ceremony.

Awards

  • 1979: National Board of Review Award
  • 1980: nominated for an Oscar : best director, best screenplay, best costumes
  • 1980: Golden Globe

Reviews

"Trivial comedy record, the laughs of which are almost exclusively at the expense of the cliché outsiders presented."

"A cheeky fumble classic."

"Internationally popular near-the-knuckle farce with excellent moments and some longueurs."

“Very daring, internationally popular swing with excellent moments and some lengths. [Rating: 1 star (of four possible).] "

- Halliwell's Film & Video Guide 2000

“This isn't a bitchy, cruel comedy, as so many gay-oriented considerations of straights tend to be. It's about people who are good-hearted, who mean well, and who cannot help being true to their natures. It is also slapstick, farce, wicked social satire, lachrymose soap opera, and, sneaking in here and there, even a few plausible human truths. "

“This is not a nasty, mean comedy like so many gay-oriented straight viewings are. It's about people who are kind-hearted, who mean well and who can't help but remain true to their nature. It's also slapstick, farce, wicked social satire, tear soap opera and here and there it even sneaks in some plausible human truths. [Rating: 3.5 stars (out of four possible).] "

- Roger Ebert : Chicago Sun-Times , January 1, 1979

reception

The piece, initially written for the stage by Jean Poiret , filmed in 1978, was brought to Broadway as a musical in 1983 . The music and lyrics were written by Jerry Herman , the book by Harvey Fierstein . It was the first Broadway musical to deal with gay subjects , albeit in a very defused and conservative version . It won six Tony Awards , including Best Musical , and has been performed 1,761 times. The German-language premiere took place in 1985 in the Berlin Theater des Westens , staged by Helmut Baumann , who also played the role of Zaza .

Miscellaneous

  • In the figure of the nightclub owner Renato Baldi , Jean Poiret was inspired by Michou, who has been running a travesty cabaret in Montmartre since the early 1960s.

Sequels and Hollywood remakes

In 1996 Mike Nichols shot a remake in the USA under the title The Birdcage - A Paradise for Shrill Birds (original title: The Birdcage ).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. A cage full of fools. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  2. A cage full of fools on cinema.de
  3. ^ Leslie Halliwell , John Walker (Ed.): Halliwell's Film & Video Guide 2000 . 15th edition. HarperCollins, London 1999, p. 128, ISBN 0-00-653165-2 .
  4. Roger Ebert: La Cage aux Folles Review. In: RogerEbert.com. January 1, 1979, accessed June 20, 2011 .
  5. AFP: Michou, l'homme en bleu de Montmartre, 80 ans, 55 ans de folles nuits , LePoint.fr, June 20, 2011