The Magic Christian - DVD Review
By Adam Sohmer
Expectations & Reactions:
Like many DVD lovers, I never invested much time or moola in acquiring pre-recorded VHS software, but even back in the pre-historic days, I would occasionally pick up an analog copy of a must-have flick that for one reason or another reached me on a gut level, and did not require particularly sharp images.
There were Chuck Jones cassettes, and a few Marx Brothers videos, but Joseph McGrath's brilliant rendering of the Terry Southern novel The Magic Christian is one that I bought not once, but a few times over, due to the inevitably cheesy quality of tape stock that twisted and tore inside my deck du jour.
This disregard in the form of sub-par packaging and duplication was to be expected, when you consider the film's status as an iconoclastic midnight cult favorite. Yet on closer inspection, The Magic Christian is a fairly conventional comedy that is no more outrageous than any of the Monty Python films or Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker efforts such as Airplane.
True, many of the individual vignettes supporting the thin plot line are darker than most commercial comedies, and the screenplay typifies the martini-like dryness that is typical of the best pre-70's British comedies, especially those that spat out some of the sharpest barbs aimed at the pomposity of then modern mores. Similar to the novel, The Magic Christian's protagonist is the extraordinarily wealthy Sir Guy Grand, played by Peter Sellers in the guise of a respected gentleman with endless bags of money, two sisters who serve as a backdrop, and a diabolical sense of humor devoted to proving his theory that everyone has a price. For what? Anything. Psychological torture, humiliation, corruption and other forms of entertainment are easily bought if the price is right.
When adapting the novel for the big screen, McGrath and Peter Sellers, who stars as the refined Sir Grand, added a supporting character by way of a homeless man that Grand adopts on a whim, only to have his new son, Youngman, join him for a series of well-orchestrated incidents of mayhem and maliciousness that find the pair torturing the arrogant upper class in which Guy seems to rule with a cash-filled hand.
Legend has it that Sellers lusted after the screen rights since the novel was first published in 1959, only to have his desire heightened and the deal consummated after working with Southern on Dr. Strangelove. (Southern wrote the original screenplay, only to have Stanley Kubrick snag head writing credit after the director contributed a few bits and pieces.)
The role of Youngman is played by Ringo Starr, in a move that the producers must have felt would drive massive business at the box office. Starr may be comfortable in front of the camera, but he is no actor. However, his bemused expression and bold-faced love of Sellers' character makes him a fine Greek chorus in an otherwise disposable role. (Keep an eye out for Starr's one successful attempt at physical comedy in chapter 13. My wife still breaks up every time I say, "Silent scream. Tiny face.") Add a couple additional writing credits and appearances for the pre-Python writing team of John Cleese and Graham Chapman, and you have a subversive comedy with plenty of fun to be had at the expense of others, which of course is the secret of all funny things.
With the mid-90's dawn of DVD, The Magic Christian was, until its release earlier this year, one of those films that I knew would be greatly improved in the digital era. Thirty-four years since its initial, brief major market appearance, this is one film that is overdue for enhancements the DVD format has to offer.
Look & Listen:
No such enhancements are to be found on this Artisan release, which, at its best, is equal to the majority of its VHS predecessors. Not that it is unwatchable, and I enjoy being able to snap around from scene to selected scene at the press of a button. But, with the exception of noticeably less grain than the average analog tape, The Magic Christian on DVD is a generic rendering of a British gem. The pan & scan playing field is cramped, images are soft and flat with the occasional bleed, and the audio -- jeez, don't get me started on the audio.
Too late. Artisan invested no discernible effort in cleaning and beefing up a rock-heavy soundtrack that often features Peter Sellers' dry delivery over a pop song, most frequently, "Come and Get It", written by Paul McCartney and performed by Apple Records' house band, Badfinger. The dialogue track never gets off the ground, instead wallowing in a muddy layer that occasionally fluctuates but never sings out. Speaking of singing (singing of speaking?), the songs are conveyed with all the clarity of a decent tabletop radio like the Tivoli One. Sure, you can hear the music, just don't expect any true fidelity.
The technical shortcomings do nothing to detract from the film's chaotic sense of black humor. If you sometimes find yourself snickering at the thought of the upper crust receiving a well-deserved trimming, spend some time with Guy as he devotes an endless well of money and free time to the same. Joining Sellers and Starr for the trip is an array of stars who could not turn down an opportunity to take part and pay homage to Southern, even if his approval of the submitted screenplay is all that earned him a writing credit. Raquel Welch, Lawrence Harvey, Yul Brynner and even Roman Polanski are on board for the journey through Guy's concept of entertainment.
As dated as any allegedly hip film of the day, The Magic Christian suffers from being locked into a time period that was nearing its end when the film was released in 1969. Relegated to the box labeled "period piece," it features many bouts of cacophony that come across as a muddled mess. The two-channel mix applies to the songs only, as the dialogue, sound effects and background music remain unceremoniously squished throughout.
Extras & Highlights:
No extras. No highlights.
A stock publicity photo of Sellers and Starr is depicted against a the backdrop of a 10-pound note. Viewers are invited to watch the movie or pick a scene.
Storyline & Syllabus:
Sir Guy Grand adopts a homeless man and introduces him to a life dedicated to fun at the expense of others who clearly deserve it.
Cast & Crew:
The Magic Christian stars Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr. Supporting actors include Tom Boyle, Peter Bayliss, Clive Dunn, Freddie Earle, David Hutcheson, Jeremy Lloyd, Robert Raglan, and Leon Thau, plus an array of big-name cameos from actors such as Raquel Welch, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Spike Milligan, Christopher Lee, Yul Brynner, Lawrence Harvey, and Roman Polanski.
Conclusions & Afterthoughts:
After all my ranting about sub-par production, I still think The Magic Christian is worth the budget-price investment, but only as the means to see one of the most memorable black comedies of the 60's. With any luck, a more forward-thinking studio is planning a digital upgrade, with commentaries, deleted scenes and all sorts of goodies warranted by this deliriously funny cult classic.
Video Format: 1.33:1 Pan&Scan
Audio Format: Dolby Digital 2.0
DVD Format: DVD-5
Language Tracks: English
Subtitle Tracks: English
Length: 101 minutes
Rating: NR
Release Date: January 21, 2003
Packaging: Keep Case
Region Code: 1
Studio: Artisan
Catalog Number: NA
UPC Code: 0 17153 13604 3
Studios: Artisan
