STORY STUDY - CRITERION WEEK - 558. “Topsy-Turvy”
Inspiration can come from anywhere. An apple falling on or near Isaac’s Newton helped inspire him to create his law of gravity. It’s a good thing a sword didn’t fall on this playwright’s head.
Directed and written by Mike Leigh, Topsy-Turvy is the story of creative team W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, playwright and composer, respectively. Sullivan wants to write a “grand opera” and when their producer commissions them to create a new show after their current one, Princess Ida closes.
After visiting Japanese Village in Knightsbridge, London, and buying a Japanese sword, which falls off its display wall, Gilbert is inspired to write a libretto set in exotic Japan. Sullivan likes the idea. Together, their work would become The Mikado.
This period piece set in the 1880s is gorgeous. The production design of London looks accurate and feels real. However, it’s the design of the Savoy Theatre where they put on the operas is where the colors are more exaggerated and vibrant.
This is one of those films where the conflict is based on the difficulty of making an opera happen told from the point of view of not only Gilbert and Sullivan, but also from the actors. I should also point out that any time conflict between characters does happen it gets resolved really quickly.
When Sullivan objects to Gilbert’s initial idea of a fantasy story, because they’ve done so many in the past, Gilbert doesn’t listen to him. Then, when Gilbert gets the inspiration to do a more serious opera, Sullivan accepts the idea. These two scenes are within the span of 20 minutes, maybe even less. Gilbert wants to cut out the song, the cast doesn’t want him to. Simple as that.
While some viewers may think this is weak storytelling, I personally find it not too much of a problem because there’s more story to tell as the film progressed. The film comes off as more documentary than a typical biopic.
Topsy-Turvy is a film I have vague recollections of when I was watching it win various Academy Awards. Years down the line, I got a chance to watch it when I found it on the Criterion Collection library, especially since finding out what it was about.
This is a film that feels like you are watching humorous scenes one right after the other, but I promise there is a coherent, but slow film since it feels like there is no urgency. However, sometimes, having no urgency is not a flaw; it just means that there are other elements to pay attention to.
Grab a sword, and check it out.
