A Little Night Music (1977)

Set in Vienna, an older lawyer (Len Cariou) has not yet consummated his marriage to his 18 year old wife (Lesley Anne Down), who is still a virgin. When his old flame, a well known actress (Elizabeth Taylor) arrives in town in a play, they briefly resume their affair. But this will lead to complications of farcical proportions. Based on the musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim (by way of Bergman's SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT) and directed by Harold Prince. A dim recreation of the Broadway show, this was only Harold Prince's second and last film and one can see why. He may have been an icon in the musical theatre but he had no sense of cinema. The movie cries out for a Vincente Minnelli or a George Cukor. The film has a rich look to it thanks to the lensing of Arthur Ibbetson (WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY), the art and set direction of Hertha Hareiter and Hans Ziegelwagner and the Oscar nominated costumes of Florence Klotz. But the film lacks wit and sparkle and Prince's direction is plodding. The casting is okay but again Prince can't seem to get them to give decent performances. Only Diana Rigg as the wife of Taylor's lover (Laurence Guittard) gives us a sense of how the film should have played out. A missed opportunity and perhaps one day, it will get a proper cinematic treatment. With Hermione Gingold, Lesley Dunlop, Christopher Guard and Chloe Franks.