There are some wonderful visuals and musical numbers in this film version of HAIR, but unfortunately the subversiveness of the original has been almost totally lost. For those of you who don't realize it, this film is almost nothing like the original play; Claude was more or less the leader of the tribe, not Berger. And Claude was bisexual. Most of the plot in the film was totally fabricated by Milos Forman, the director. Among other things, he left out some of the more interesting songs, including one (My Conviction) that was sung by a transvestite, long before most people were even aware that such people existed. The anti-war sentiment was much stronger in the original...etc etc etc.
All this does not mean that the film version of HAIR isn't interesting - obviously many people like it. But I thought you should know that it is a pale substitute for the original. For those who liked the film it might be worthwhile buying the play and discovering just how different the two versions are.
I would like to say one thing here that I found extraordinary. I live in Paris, and when this film opened I went to one of the largest cinemas in Paris to see it. At that time, the French were a very controlled people in general. Despite this, something quite extraordinary (for its time) happened in the cinema the day I was there. At the point in the film where Hud's wife is angry for having been deserted by him, she sings "How Can People Be So Heartless?"... and she did such a wonderful job of it that the entire theatre burst into spontaneous applause. In the middle of a movie theatre, this was unheard of behaviour for the French, So I guess Milos Forman did something right!
All this does not mean that the film version of HAIR isn't interesting - obviously many people like it. But I thought you should know that it is a pale substitute for the original. For those who liked the film it might be worthwhile buying the play and discovering just how different the two versions are.
I would like to say one thing here that I found extraordinary. I live in Paris, and when this film opened I went to one of the largest cinemas in Paris to see it. At that time, the French were a very controlled people in general. Despite this, something quite extraordinary (for its time) happened in the cinema the day I was there. At the point in the film where Hud's wife is angry for having been deserted by him, she sings "How Can People Be So Heartless?"... and she did such a wonderful job of it that the entire theatre burst into spontaneous applause. In the middle of a movie theatre, this was unheard of behaviour for the French, So I guess Milos Forman did something right!