Mark Turner
Hard to believe but it's been 46 years since the musical 1776 opened on Broadway. While 1969 proved a tumultuous years for politics, the reverence that the material this musical dealt with was well founded and spoke not only to those who supported the government but who questioned it as well. It was only natural that the hit make its way to the silver screen and in 1972 it did just that. And while it's been available on DVD before, it just now makes its way to blu-ray with a special edition director's cut.If you're not familiar with the musical or the movie then by all means become acquainted. It tells the story of the Continental Congress and how they came to decide the fate of this nation, the United States of American. As seen through the eyes of John Adams (William Daniels) the movie opens with most of the congress tired of hearing his call to arms wanting to declare independence from England. Some are content with the way things are, other side with him and several are indecisive as of yet.Adams here is portrayed as a man with a short temper and a very vocal demeanor. Siding with him all the way is the ever well-spoken Benjamin Franklin (Howard Da Silva). They both have the same goal in mind but go about it differently, all the time working united to get this congress where they believe it and the country should go. Periodically word arrives from Gen. George Washington concerning the country's battles against the better organized British army as they make their way inland doing what they please. The battle of Concorde is long past but the memories of it weigh heavy in the mind and words of Adams. Eventually Adams gets his way enough that the Congress must at least discuss the idea of independence from Britain. But that nearly gets derailed as John Dickinson, one of the representatives from Pennsylvania, presses the issue that this must be a unanimous vote or it fails. To sidestep immediate failure, Adams proposes that a document be made first that offers what it is they are seeking. A committee is formed and the man given responsibility for bringing these ideas together is Thomas Jefferson (Ken Howard). Once the document is written more maneuvering is called for to get the needed votes to pass it. Not an easy task as the southern states aren't in favor of language that considers slaves to be people and not property. Adjustments are made, clauses stricken and the language finessed until that document, the Declaration of Independence reaches its final form and is voted on. A familiar story, right?It is indeed but as presented here in musical form it brings the men who formed that Continental Congress to life. It shows their intolerance for one another but respect at the same time. It displays the fact that they were simply men and longed for their wives. It shows that they didn't agree on everything but were willing to compromise to get started on independence. And in the end it shows the courage that it took to make the decisions they made as well as to follow through with them, placing their own lives and all they owned at risk.The music flows with ease here and is quite enjoyable but I didn't find any single song that I felt I would be humming in my head days after watching. It didn't matter. Between the performances and the subject matter it stirred emotions of pride and wonder at these men who have been besmirched in more recent years on film. What a difference nearly 50 years makes. We've gone from noting with distinction the sacrifices and bravery of these men to treating them more like news items on TMZ instead. There are few people without faults in their lives, but in the end the achievements of these men deserves more note than their bedroom activities. At the same time those items are discussed in this movie but not focused on. Jefferson's longing to be alone with his wife, Franklin's love of the ladies and the love of rum by most are all seen. But that's the point, they are merely touched on rather than making the movie about those things. The major focus is what they accomplished with creating this document known as the Declaration of Independence.The movie is sure to create a feeling of patriotism for those who are still inclined to feel that emotion. With hope it will do the same for those who lack it these days. Coming out as near the Fourth of July celebration as it is, merely a month away, it might make a good movie to watch on that day. On the whole the movie entertains, informs and will hold your interest from start to finish even if it runs almost 3 hours long. Some might find that too much time to spend hearing about this act, but isn't it's a small sacrifice compared to those made by these men. I highly recommend not just watching this but adding it to your collection as well.
TheUnknown837-1
At the end of "1776," I was restless, extremely bored, and stunned into disbelief. What shocked me was not the way some of the most important men and events in American history were presented in this film, but what had happened the joyfully self-parodying part-comedy that I had been enjoying so boundlessly just an hour and a half before. At the beginning "1776," I was giggling, slapping my knee, and even humming along to some admittedly campy but delightful songs. It did not bother me that John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, among others were being represented as clowning windbags. I was having a good time. And I kept on laughing for about an hour and twenty minutes. Then the film changed gears, the songs lost all their punch, and Director Peter H. Hunt completely abandoned his sense of pacing."1776" is based on the phenomenally successful stage musical that ran on Broadway for three years. It was directed by the same man and features most of the same cast. Two of the actors--Ralston Hill and Charles Rule--made their only film appearances in this movie. Being a musical, the stage production--and film--was part-comedy, so the dialogue pokes fun at the Founding Fathers of the United States. John Adams, as played by William Daniels, is an unctuous and arrogant little man with a dream of independence. Howard Da Silva plays Ben Franklin as a big-hearted, enigmatic old man. Thomas Jefferson is presented by Ken Koward as a dreamy-eyed writer who would rather rush home to his wife in Virginia than stay and write the Declaration of Independence. There's even Roy Poole, played exuberantly by Stephen Hopkins, who needs to have the rum hidden from him during all congressional meetings. These caricature performances unquestionably will, and have, angered some. But that did not irk me. I didn't even have any qualms with the movie's implication that Thomas Jefferson overcame writer's block by kicking John Adams and Ben Franklin out of his house while he had sex with his wife. There's a classic moment where he gives Adams a letter saying that he'll write the Declaration after he "takes his wife back to bed, so please go away." All Adams can say with a dry voice is: "Incredible!" Franklin, meantime, chuckles under his breath.In fact, the caricatures were part of what made me enjoy the first half of the movie so much. These actors are clearly have the time of their lives poking fun at American figures. In particular, Mr. Daniels is very entertaining as John Adams. The way he struts around like a proud peacock, his cane always thrusting at his side, and never changes his expression once be he angry, excited, or even remorseful. It is a shame that this very-good actor is basically unknown in the world of film outside of this film and "The Graduate." The banter that Mr. Daniels and Mr. Da Silva have is giddily funny, as the latter's laid-back personality counteracts the former's sternness...even if it is hard to believe that a man this lazy and care-free could have had the patience to invent the lightning conductor.I was also getting a kick out of the cheesy songs. There is one sung by Ron Holgate (as Richard Henry Lee) in which he quips his surname to adjectives, such as "certain-Lee!" and "absolute-Lee!" Sure, it's goofy, but it's consciously goofy. The opening number, "Sit Down, John!" is also good. And although I could not quote the lyrics, the resurfacing number that plays when John Adams and his wife (Virginia Westoff) has a very soothing and uplifting musical score in the background which I found intoxicating to listen to over and over again. In fact, I found myself pretending there was no singing, just the music.So there's some joyous acting, giddy songs, and big laughs. The only problem is that that only lasts for the first part of the picture. After that point, when Congress goes into a heated, several-reel debate about independence, does the movie lose its head. There are some great moments, such as when Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin stand up against those who wish to remove the clause absolving slavery. A bold move on the filmmakers' part is not placing an African American anywhere in sight, but talking about them and the issue. However, the rest of the sequence is just dry with what looks like static rehearsal shots filmed from too far away where some close-ups would heighten a sense of claustrophobia.Furthermore, and for the worse, the songs go sour and double their numbers. Characters with little purpose take unneeded possession of center stage. The key example is an unbearably dull song featuring the secretary McNair (William Duell) and a recurring Army scout. The drab lyrics, coupled with over-emphasized candle lighting, drag the scene out without mercy. Equally boring is a midway number where opposition to the Declaration step out into the streets and enunciates instantly forgettable lines. The subject matter? I can't remember, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. That is the mark of a bad song, when you cannot even recall the subject. Whereas I can instantly tell you that "Rum and Molasses" was about the slavery issue and "The Egg" was about getting Congress to approve the Declaration.The second half of the movie, shot in excessive wide-angles, peters out and destroys all of the momentum, energy, and zest that infused the first part. Even the final scene, composed of nothing but the Congressmen writing their names, goes on forever. "1776" is one of those films that I really wish I could say I liked, because I did for quite a while. And it stunned me that the second half could be so bad when the first half was so good.
