Celebrate Musicals: Brigadoon Review Part II

“I found that sometimes the things you believe in become more real to you than all the things you can explain away or understand.”

Brigadoon

So…much as I passionately love the dancing, there are many other reasons I think Brigadoon is one of the greatest films ever. Now to touch a very little on some of the themes running through it.

Brigadoon is full of opposites. First there is Tommy and his best friend. At the beginning both are more or less equally depressed with life in general (though Tommy is obviously more serious about his disappointment with it). A major difference betwixt them however (making the opposite) is that Tommy is more open to believing than Jeff.

The entire film is also a comparison between an older, more simple way of life in which one can really believe and love, and the new, more technical way of life in which life becomes a rushing hither and thither in a world that has cut everything down to a belief in only what you can understand and in the “scientifically proven”. Brigadoon was filmed at the early dawn of the technological age and the comparisons and questions the film raises have become even more true as the world has become far, far, more technologically advanced (or is it confused?) since that time.

Brigadoon is one of those rare films which is like a story of which you know nearly every word yet is at the same time fresh and vibrant on each perusing. I have watched this film three times and each time I discover another reason for which to relish it–whether it be about the plot, the dancing, the acting, the filming, or simply noticing what an utterly adorable grin Tommy has. :)

So in summary: romance, dancing, singing, and a thoughtful look at life are all wrapped up in one wonderful word–Brigadoon!