My Grading System

A+ = Masterpiece (I hold back on this one.) / A = Great. / A- = Really Good. / B+ = Good. / B = Decent (Serviceable). / B- = Flawed but okay (For those times there's something redeeming about the work). / C+ = Not very good (Skip it). C = Bad. / C- = Awful. / F = Complete Disaster (I hold back on this one too).

Note on Spoilers: I will try to avoid ruining a story by going into too much detail. But if I wish to include some revealing points to my analysis I will try to remember to add a separate spoiler paragraph.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Pygmalion (1938)

Before My Fair Lady there was the play written by George Bernard Shaw and the first Eliza Doolittle on screen was Wendy Hiller.  Starring and co-directed by Leslie Howard, this adaptation is a real gem.  In many ways its better than the musical.  Howard's Professor Higgins is more cruel and obsessive than Rex Harrison's Higgins and Hiller's portrayal of Eliza shows a better range of complexities.  The film really hasn't aged too badly.  Fast paced and funny, it echoes themes that modern society can relate to.   If you like Shaw or just want to see the source material for the Oscar winning musical I'd give this one a try.  Grade: A-. 
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