Notable more as a historical piece than entertainment. Gilbert & Sullivan’s legacy intrigues me as they seem to both have works that remain influential and frequently performed to this day and a litany of other titles condemned to the dustbins of history. The Mikado is somewhere in between, enough presence to be revived every so often but too steeped in the undeniable Orientalism of its period to be produced with the frequency of a Pirates of Penzance. This film, one of the only adaptations of the operetta, is faithful to the original vision; that is to say it is chock full of British men and women in yellowface. There is an appealing extravagance to the whole thing. It’ll be a cold day in hell before I don’t go at least a little gaga over a three strip Technicolor film. Design-wise it’s a real treat and every once in a while there’s a good song in there. Still, this drags significantly and carries the kind of stuffy lifelessness a brainrotted Gen Z child like myself simply can’t get through. Again, it’s an interesting enough film to peek into for musical theatre history or to admire its construction but I can’t truthfully say The Mikado is some under appreciated work ripe for rediscovery.
Notable more as a historical piece than entertainment. Gilbert & Sullivan’s legacy intrigues me as they seem to both have works that remain influential and frequently performed to this day and a litany of other titles condemned to the dustbins of history. The Mikado is somewhere in between, enough presence to be revived every so often but too steeped in the undeniable Orientalism of its period to be produced with the frequency of a Pirates of Penzance. This film, one of the only adaptations of the operetta, is faithful to the original vision; that is to say it is chock full of British men and women in yellowface. There is an appealing extravagance to the whole thing. It’ll be a cold day in hell before I don’t go at least a little gaga over a three strip Technicolor film. Design-wise it’s a real treat and every once in a while there’s a good song in there. Still, this drags significantly and carries the kind of stuffy lifelessness a brainrotted Gen Z child like myself simply can’t get through. Again, it’s an interesting enough film to peek into for musical theatre history or to admire its construction but I can’t truthfully say The Mikado is some under appreciated work ripe for rediscovery.
