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Movies / On DVD / To Be or Not to Be
To Be or Not to Be

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To Be or Not to Be (1942)

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Reviews Counted:34

Fresh:33

Rotten:1

Average Rating:8.7/10

Consensus: A complex and timely satire with as much darkness as slapstick, Ernst Lubitsch's To Be or Not To Be delicately balances humor and ethics.

Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: A classic black comedy set in wartime Poland which deals with the members of an acting troupe who inadvertently become involved in the war effort. Academy Award Nominations: Best Scoring of a... A classic black comedy set in wartime Poland which deals with the members of an acting troupe who inadvertently become involved in the war effort. Academy Award Nominations: Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedic Picture. [More]

Starring: Jack Benny, Carole Lombard, Robert Stack, Lionel Atwill

Starring: Jack Benny, Carole Lombard, Robert Stack, Lionel Atwill, Sig Ruman, Felix Bressart, Stanley Ridges, Tom Dugan, Charles Halton

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Producer: Ernst Lubitsch
Screenwriter: Edwin Justus Mayer
Composer: Miklos Rozsa

[See More Credits]

Reviews for To Be or Not to Be

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21 - 34 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Lubitsch uses a myriad of hilarious situations and entertaining characters to provide the backdrop to his reflective meditation on the horrors of tyranny.

Full Review Source: Cinematic Reflections | comment Comment
10/24/04
Derek Smith
Derek Smith
Cinematic Reflections

No review available.

comment Comment
07/24/04
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

A great anti-war satire; Benny's best movie; Lombard comic genius is ably displayed.

comment Comment
05/13/04
Bob Bloom
Bob Bloom
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

No review available.

comment Comment
11/07/03
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
06/13/03
Leonard Schwarz
Leonard Schwarz
Palo Alto Weekly

To say it is callous and macabre is understating the case.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
04/04/03
Matt Bailey
Matt Bailey
Not Coming to a Theater Near You

An obvious masterpiece and one of the more controversial films of its day, Ernst Lubitsch's brilliant satire is a great example of how comedy can raise social and political awareness while still providing great entertainment.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
02/04/03
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
11/29/02
Paul Matwychuk
Paul Matwychuk
Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

Classic Lubitsch

comment Comment
07/30/02
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

No review available.

comment Comment
07/26/02
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

No review available.

comment Comment
07/26/02
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Terribly funny.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Charles Taylor
Charles Taylor
Salon.com

One of the most profound, emotionally complex comedies ever made, covering a range of tones from satire to slapstick to shocking black humor.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
 
 
21 - 34 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2
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