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Bedazzled (1967 film)
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Wikipedia article
'Bedazzled' is a 1967 British comedy DeLuxe Color fantasy romantic black comedy film directed and produced by Stanley Donen in Panavision format. It was written by comedian Peter Cook and starred both Cook and his comedy partner Dudley Moore. It is a comic retelling of the Faust legend, set in the Swinging London of the 1960s. The Devil (Cook) offers an unhappy young man (Moore) seven wishes in return for his soul, but twists the spirit of the wishes to frustrate the man's hopes.
Plot
Stanley Moon works as a cook in a Wimpy restaurant and is infatuated with the waitress, Margaret Spencer, but lacks confidence and is too socially inhibited to approach her. In despair at his life, he attempts suicide by hanging but is interrupted by a man claiming to be the Devil, incarnated as George Spiggott. When Stanley accuses George of being delusional, he offers Stanley a "trial wish". Stanley wishes for a raspberry ice lolly, and George takes him to buy one from a nearby shop.
Spiggott is in a game with God, trying to be the first to gather 100 billion souls. If he achieves this first, he will be readmitted to Heaven. He is also busy with minor acts of vandalism and spite, helped by his staff of the seven deadly sins, especially Lust and Envy.
In return for his soul, Spiggott offers Stanley seven wishes. Stanley uses these trying to satisfy his love for Margaret, but Spiggott twists his words to frustrate him. All of Stanley's wish scenes feature characters played by Peter Cook, George explaining that "There's a little of me in everyone." Stanley is told that blowing a raspberry will free him from the effects of a wish, if he changes his mind.
# Stanley first wishes to be more articulate. George Spiggott turns him into a talkative and pretentious intellectual with a strong Welsh accent. Margaret becomes an equally pretentious character, who enthusiastically agrees with all of Stanley's beliefs. Stanley stresses the importance of breaking free from one's social and moral constraints. When Stanley makes his move, however, she is horrified and starts screaming "rape."
# In his second wish, Stanley wishes to be a multi-millionaire with Margaret as his "very physical" wife. She ignores him and his lavish gifts, instead having affairs with his friends.
# In the third wish, Stanley is a rock star. However, his fame is very short lived and he is usurped by a new band ("This year's most exciting discovery, Drimble Wedge and The Vegetation") whose lead singer sings in a hypnotic, monotone voice about his disdain for anyone except himself ("You fill me with inertia"). Margaret, one of many entranced groupies, screams with excitement as she and other fans mob Drimble.
# Stanley comments in passing that he wishes he was "a fly on the wall" and George seizes on the opportunity to use this as Stanley's fourth wish. They both become flies on the wall in a morgue, where the police inspector is showing Margaret various dead bodies, hoping that she will identify one as Stanley. When the inspector invites Margaret to a vice squad party, Stanley launches an attack on him.
# Stanley wishes for a quiet life in the countryside, with children, and Margaret making the anniversary dinner. It soon becomes apparent, however, that Margaret is another man's wife. While deeply in love, even the attempt to consummate their affection drives both Stanley and Margaret into emotional agony.
# Stanley attempts to frame a sixth wish that George cannot ruin for him. He wishes that he and Margaret loved one another, lived away from the big city, and would always be together. However, George turns him into a nun of the Order of Saint Beryl, or the Leaping Beryllians, who glorify their founder by jumping on trampolines (expanding on a sketch that previously appeared in Cook and Moore's TV show 'Not Only... But Also'). Margaret is also a nun in the order, but refuses to consider consummating their love as they are both women. Stanley attempts to escape the wish by blowing a raspberry, to no effect, and he returns to London to confront George.
# When Stanley tries to use his seventh wish, George reveals he has 'already used it': his trial wish for an ice lolly.
Ultimately, Spiggott spares Stanley eternal damnation because he has exceeded his quota of 100 billion souls and can afford to be generous. Stanley is duly returned to his old job and life, wiser and more clear-sighted. Spiggott ascends to Heaven to meet God, but is rejected again; St Peter explains that when he gave Stanley back his soul, Spiggott did the right thing, but with the wrong motive.
In the closing scene, Stanley and Margaret are back in the restaurant. Stanley finally asks her out but she says she's already doing something, though she does suggest perhaps another night. Stanley smiles, happy that he has found the courage to talk to her. Spiggott tries to entice Stanley again, but Stanley turns him down. Frustrated, Spiggott leaves and threatens revenge on God by unleashing all the tawdry and shallow technological curses of the modern age.
Cast
Soundtrack
Moore wrote 'Bedazzled'
Novelisation
In 1968 'Sphere Books' published a novelisation of the Cook and Moore screenplay written by Michael J. Bird.
Reception
Box office
According to Fox records the film required $2,100,000 in rentals to break even and made $2,825,000.Critical response
The film was well received in the UK but had mixed reviews in the United States. Film aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 71% approval rating based on 35 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.7/10.Bosley Crowther of 'The New York Times' called it a "pretentiously metaphorical picture" which becomes "awfully precious and monotonous and eventually ... fags out in sheer bad taste." Crowther does, however, compliment Donen for his "colorful and graphic" 'mise-en-scne'. On the other hand, Roger Ebert compared the film's humour to that of Bob and Ray. He enthusiastically called 'Bedazzled's satire "barbed and contemporary ... dry and understated," and overall, a "magnificently photographed, intelligent, very funny film".
The unattributed and undated review in the 'Time Out Film Guide 2009' describes the film as a "hit and miss affair" which is "good fun sometimes", but suffers from a "threadbare" plot. 'The Virgin Film Guide' says "Cook and Moore brilliantly shift from character to character with just a change of voice (not unlike Peter Sellers), and the movie never flags".
Remake
In 2000, 20th Century Fox released an American remake by the same name, with Brendan Fraser as Elliot Richards (Dudley Moore's role) and Elizabeth Hurley as the Devil.References
Bibliography
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