Topsy Turvy: Japanese No! Japanese Yes!

[Friedagroper]

I know the "Leading Soprano of Opera A La Carte"

[CanaryIslandDatePa]

This is my favorite movie of all time. Jim Broadbent is brilliant in his portrayal of WS Gilbert. Acting, music, sets, and characters are superb. Timothy Spall also great as usual. Love these British actors.

[TylerDevilMcCrudden]

Was that naoko mori

[SuperRothers]

One of my favourite films of ALL TIME. Andy Serkis is OUR top character-actor.

[phxsns1]

I just love how Gilbert calls the Japanese woman "Miss Sixpence Please".

[Barciad]

The ladies were Jay-walking, walking in a Japanese manner.

[bluegrassbobify]

The Criterion bluray is being released on March 29th!! The cover is truly topsy-turvy, unlike the cover of my current DVD from 1999. It was the first DVD I ever bought

[Chsrles62]

One of my favorite films of all time.

[Shamborn]

@Chsrles62 I just came from seeing his "Another Year." Another wonderful Mike Leigh joint.

[adpny]

@Shamborn I loved Another Year. I notice Jim Broadbent was in both films. It's nice to see actors who have worked repeatedly with Mike Leigh over the years.

[Stantzs]

wow, you can tell the cast loved every minute of that,

[RolfLarsson]

I haven't laughed so hard since me pants caught fire in Harlequin Meets Itchity-Switch in the Niche.

[Shamborn]

@RolfLarsson Decorum in rehearsal, M. D'Auban.

[CaptainSiberia]

Fantastic!

[TheSoundsage]

Brilliant- almost miraculous

[KiyoKenshin]

Yay for japanese?

[YuukiUchiha14]

didn't they made a spoof of this on the suite life of zack and cody?

[Shamborn]

@YuukiUchiha14

I'm sure I don't know. ;)

But if you find it, please tell us!

[YuukiUchiha14]

@Shamborn sure

[niskycat]

@YuukiUchiha14 lol yesssss! I remember that!

[nefersguy]

absolutely brilliant scene from a Superb film. "if he doesn't speak english he's hardly likely to speak italian - Mrs Rutherford! "

[Hexachloraphine]

I love how in the kevin mckidd scene gilbert says "this isn't grand opera, it's merely low burlesque on the banks of the thames"

and in this clip he contradicts himself. :)

[Shamborn]

Bravo! :) I'd noticed that myself: "D'Auban, this is not low burlesque..."

I suppose he was aiming for something between high opera and low burlesque, but yes he does contradict himself.

[redwolf481]

where is andy serkis

[Shamborn]

he's the choreographer with the pipe.

[redwolf481]

@Shamborn andy serkis is great in this...I can't tell u how many times I have seen this movie and i never knew it was him

[Shamborn]

took me a while myself. Then I think I saw his name in the opening credits.

[vulpecula999]

I'm guessing the one with the broad cockney accent

[vivalaleta]

Another lovely selection.

How silly to apply todays standards to their time period. They gave no "political correctness" and they expected none given to themselves. I wish we were still that less whiney.

[diddymuck]

that's not to say its a brilliant piece, but a product of its time.

[diddymuck]

the mikado is a flagrant insult to the Japanese when taken in its basics. Much like Porgy and Bess in America.

[PaulDeLaWare]

My Japanese friend didn't find 'The Mikado' insulting in any way, in fact the exact opposite. There is a town in Japan where the Japanese think this operetta is based and take it as a compliment

[Sylikat1895]

Not so much, seeing as it was really only set in Japan so as to be less noticeably a mockery of English society.

Although yes, The Mikado definitely embodies racial stereotypes. It is, after all, a product of its time.

[kalindoscopy]

oh hush you philistine.

[diddymuck]

nyaaa

[braintree2]

Oh, diddymuck. You must be such a fun person to be around!

[tnrc75]

Thank you VERY MUCH! Absolute brilliance.

[glasfurd31]

"You understand? I think you do" 3:49

Delivered brilliantly.

[tnecklover]

I love this movie!

[xdeliriumgirlx]

"Japaneese, Chineese, everybody wash your knees"

that line always gets a good giggle outta me, im so childish

[FinalFreek]

the other one is "I haven't laughed so much since my tights caught fire in "Harlequin Meets Itchity Witch and the Snitch""

[oliviagale]

Miss Sixpence Please - reverence and respect indeed!

[CaptainAbsolute]

LOL. The best scene from a movie. Ever. That rehearsal sequence is fabulous. So chaotic.

[Lucadance]

I love this movie! I periodically think of this scene and the very funny D'Auban character. An excellent film. Perfect in every way.

[almadora]

i'd love to see the scene where he announces he cuts the mikado song, and all the surrounding backstage talk and collaborative revolt to reinstate his number. some of the best stuff in a truly excellent film.

[racehorse87]

Come along tortoise!!

Such a great scene. :D

[isitfunthere1]

THANK YOU. One of my favorite scenes in the movie as well, only maybe second to "I simply cannot perform without a corset."

[malkamusik]

This film is more of an interesting character study of various peoples' lives back in Victorian England, and less a musical. However, the musical performances are excellent!! If you haven't yet, SEE THIS FILM!

[TheJazzManKing]

This is a LEGENDARY film!

[yesterdayoncemore12]

CAPITOL!

[jyoung78]

"If he doesn't speak English he's hardly likely to speak Italian!"

[krogdog]

GROSMITH RULES!!! Martin Savage just oozes charisma in this movie!

[CaballeroCatalan]

Lol. This must be an excellent film. So... doesn't ANY one of them speak the other's language? What are they doing in England?

[Shamborn]

Glad you enjoy it! It is an excellent film about two very interesting personalities and the love of theater.

you can see the previous scenes with "Miss Six Pence Please" here:

(youtube com) /watch?v=8A3rFfyRaSo

[CaballeroCatalan]

Ah, why thank you very much!

[topsyturvydom]

it is! it's as superb as a film can be.

[FinalFreek]

I want to know a bit more a bit more about D'Auban to see if Andy Serkis rearly based his charactor on him and also does anyone reconsie miss sixpence please from a certain bbc sci-fi tv series?

[Shamborn]

he did:

serkis (dot) com/cintopsy.htm

[FinalFreek]

i've been on his website but i cn't email him to ask on witch sites he found d'aubaun on becuase all the site my mum and i go on he's not mentchioned and also two books telling you about the life of the Savoy including the mikado but still in programs he's not mentchioned.(padon my spelling it's a word i've used in covosation but never had to put down on paper before when you reply can you please properly spell the word for me)

[Sapphonouveau]

lol - it's a shame Torchwood wasn't as good as Topsy Turvy, but she was still good in it.

[TheStoryWriter]

It's actually very catchy! There's a scene either before or after this one where the actors are trying on their costumes and the women are surprised that they won't be wearing corsets, and one guy is upset because his costumes shows his legs. Do you have that on here?

[Shamborn]

I don't have the women's scene, but someone does have Kevin McKidd's scene where he's upset about his legs showing AND that he won't be wearing a corset!

/watch?v=nDXaLFMTGLA