Not How It Seems: ‘Cabaret’
There’s a hazy contrast between a little fun and those pesky seven deadly sins in the world of Cabaret. Although no one really mentions sin, it’s an ever-present character. As it documents the life of Sally Bowles, Cabaret reminds us of the problems with Sally’s “live fast and die young” approach to life. Although Sally would appear to be the hero of the film, she is deeply, truly flawed and slowly descending into the hellish world of Nazi Germany and the sinful hell that is the Cabaret.
The devil is introduced from the fore in the form of the Kit Kat Club’s master of ceremonies. He hasn’t a moment of dialogue offstage in the whole film, but his sly grin and false innocence says everything about the world of the club he’s encouraging everyone to join. He tells everyone to leave their troubles outside, that everything inside the club is beautiful. But how does one leave their troubles at the door when the world outside is stewing up political turmoil that will ultimately lead to WWII? Easy — you let the devil seduce you so that the bad goes on unnoticed, and that’s exactly what happens.
Sally works here, as one of the singer/dancers. Not necessarily of the more prominent employees, just an American who performs at the club. Enter Brian Roberts, a quiet, even-tempered man looking for lodging at the boarding house in which Sally lives. He plans to give English lessons at a low rate to pay his rent. He is the angelic character for the most part. He’s kind and gentle, but even he’s eventually dragged toward sin. Sally seems immediately drawn to him, employing a flirting technique of asking him for a cigarette she uses later in the film. She also tells Brian she has a “strange, mystical” feeling about him.
Sally is flighty and energetic with big dreams and a look that always stands out. She’s hard to tie down, something she foreshadows in “Mein Herr.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX-24Zm0bjk
“Mein Herr” could have been placed at the end of the film, and it would have changed the tone of the film, but still made sense contextually. She introduces Brian to her friend, playboy Fritz Wendell, who wishes to take English lessons.
As the crowd at the Kit Kat Club watches two women mud wrestle, a young Nazi is thrown out of the club. The man who threw him out is later beaten savagely as a playful slapping dance plays on the stage inside. This is just one of many times the antics of the club go on despite darker, more grim occurrences outside.
Sally begins to show her connection to the first of the seven deadly sins early on. She is prideful, to the point that not only does she see herself as the greatest actress, but she is incapable of listening to the accomplishments of anyone else. Sally pretends to be interested in others, even asking Brian to tell her all about himself. But as soon as he begins to tell her of his accomplishments at Cambridge, she cuts him off to tell him she’s “going to be a great film star. That is if booze and sex don’t get me first.” She hopes this will shock him and seems disappointed when he says it doesn’t.
Brian begins to teach English to a second person, Natalia Landauer. Fritz wants to seduce her because she’s wealthy. Sally enters the room in a fit of wrath, acting as though Brian can’t use her room to teach English on that day as she’d promised. She stays for the lesson and becomes envious of Natalia, a theme which continues later when Natalia asks her advice about marrying or leaving Fritz, whom Sally has obvious feelings for. Of course, Sally has something bad in her history. She has always been deprived of her father’s love. He makes plans to meet her and cancels late, sending a telegram designed more for value than sentimental meaning.
Despite initial reservations from Brian, he and Sally end up making love and it works out spectacularly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3rkLRJ0m0k
Sally begins to see hope for herself in the loving and angelic Brian. The duo have a blissful whirlwind romance. But — there is always a but — Sally’s greed triumphs when she meets the wealthy Maximilian von Huene.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkRIbUT6u7Q
He is proud to “corrupt” both Sally and Brian, by which he means buying them expensive and luxurious things and introducing them to the sin of excess, but it ends up being much more than that. Sally lusts after both him and his money, although mainly the money, which makes her downright gluttonous. She becomes consumed by her desires for the expensive food, drink, and possessions that Maximilian can provide.
They are unconcerned as they see a Nazi attack in the streets. All Sally can worry about is going to another bar, and Maximilian just thinks the Nazis are a fad which at least eliminates the communist party who would put an end to his life of excess.
An innocent face sings an infectious song of nationalism, which finally proves beyond a doubt that the Nazi party is more of a threat than anyone is giving them credit for.
If you had any doubts about the Kit Kat Club’s master of ceremonies being the devil, look at his face in the end of that number. First of all, this part of the story has nothing to do with him seemingly, yet there he is. Secondly, why else would he be so pleased about the newfound power of the Nazis?
When Maximilian gets bored with Sally and Brian, he simply drops them. They begin to argue about the whole affair and realize that they have both been unfaithful to each other with Maximilian. This is really Brian’s first dive into sin, and he reacts to it by doing something he perceives as heroic, making a scene protesting the Nazis. They beat him nearly to a pulp.
Their friend Fritz has fallen for Natalia, who still decides she can’t marry him because she believes he is a Christian. But the political situation begins to sour further, and Natalia is threatened. Still, life at the cabaret goes on, and they make a mockery of the S.S. the same night anti-semites break into Natalia’s house and kill her dog.
Sally learns she’s pregnant, and the only way she can afford an abortion is to sell off her prized fur coat. For a lengthy time, she and Brian are planning to keep the baby. He plans to marry her and take her to Cambridge. Sally decides she’ll forgo her acting career and begins to romanticise a normal life with Brian.
Brian worries about the political situation, notably after Fritz admits that he himself is secretly Jewish. Fritz and Natalia marry, and Brian becomes lost in thought. Sally takes from this a note of uncertainty and thinks back on all of her times with Brian. She decides to get the abortion, calling it “one of her whims.” But the truth seems to be that Sally can’t leave the cabaret. She can’t leave her life of sins.
She and Brian part ways, and she stays at the Kit Kat Club. But it seems there’s still a part of her that wishes she could have made it in Cambridge. She doesn’t see herself worthy of anything but the cabaret, and that’s why she stays. She sees herself worthy of nothing but sin.
She begins to cry as she realizes she’s stuck there for good.
…and the devil gloats as he claims another victim, but that isn’t all. The club is now littered with Nazis. They’ve nearly become the dominant patrons; perhaps that loyalty to the club will be enough to save the transgendered and homosexual performers when the Nazis begin shipping off such subgroups to concentration camps. Or perhaps it will have no impact because, really, the cabaret is just a distraction from the real world.
The cabaret washes everyone up in the final sin, that of sloth. Everyone in the film, save the man who throws a Nazi out in the beginning, Brian, and the Nazis themselves, is guilty of political sloth. None of them seem to care about the political situation unfolding beneath their noses, despite the fact that many of them will be affected greatly by the events that are sure to occur a short time after the end of the film.
Sally seems to care the least, even saying, “Does it really matter, so long as you’re having fun?” And of course, the correct answer is yes, something she understands minimally when she tears up during “Life is a Cabaret,” but probably not enough to save her.
Essentially, Cabaret teaches us that it’s okay to have a little fun, but not to the extent that you wrap yourself up only in the merrymaking, and forget to notice and care about the people and the world around you. And, of course, watch out for those seven deadly sins.
“Not How It Seems” takes a look at the underlying messages in classic movie musicals.
