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Reviewed by UK Guest, 16th Mar 2003. |
| Review Summary: Fun, with great music |
Overall Score: 4/5
 
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Review: A lot of fun to be had by Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Adam (Howard Keel), the oldest of seven brothers, comes into town one day looking for some chaw and a wife. The shopkeeper thinks this is ridiculous, but Adam effortlessly courts a young woman named Millie (Jane Powell) in only a couple of minutes. He takes her back to his rowdy brothers more as a slave than a wife, but she makes the best of it. Through her influence, the other brothers settle down a little and learn to be gentlemen. They can't keep this up forever, though, especially under the influence of the relatively untamed Adam. When his six brothers start to pine over six girls they met at a barn raising party, he convinces them, with the help of Plutarch, to kidnap them, just like the Romans did to the Sobbing', err, that is, Sabine women. The story's not especially great, but the musical numbers more than carry it along to its conclusion. It's never less than entertaining, and mostly it's wonderfully so. The songs vary a little in quality, but there are no bad ones (some of Powell's ballads come close) and there are several great ones. Howard Keel starts things off by singing "Bless Your Beautiful Hide." Later on, he and the brothers have the great song 'Sobbing' Women." And there's a nice double song near the end in "June Bride" fading into "Spring, Spring, Spring." My favourite, though, is "The Lonesome Polecat," which the six younger brothers sing while cutting up logs in the snow. Their saws and axes provide most of the sound effects, and they dance with the objects slowly and gracefully. It's a beautiful number. Most people probably remember the barn-raising dance best of all. No one sings there (the music is a reprise of "Bless Your Beautiful Hide"), but the choreography is a highlight in the cinema's musical genre. 8/10. |
Ratings
| Value For Money: |
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4 |
| Review Score: |
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4 |
| Recommended? | |
Yes |
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