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The Shop around the corner - What is your opinion on this film?

posted 17 years ago by rexshard93
14 replies | jump to latest

SPOILERS

Hi Everyone,
Why is your opinion on this film? As for me, I love this film. Great Performances from everyone, Great Screenplay by Samson Raphaelson and Great Direction by Lubitsch.

Some people may say this is just an obvious film. But they don't understand some of the important things in the film.

Lubitsch and Samson Raphaelson proved that even a Shop around the Corner can make a wonderful story.

Another thing I loved about the film is Matuschek's shop is more like a true family. Somebody wrote a beautiful comment about The shop around the corner long time ago. I think the comment was like this.

"The shop is the place where everyone can feel he is part of a family, a family sometimes truer than the real one (see the boss's wife)."

Lubitsch makes this happen by making the real family more like unreal. For Example, we don't see Hugo Matuschek's wife or Pirovitch's family. We only see Pirovitch talking to his Mama through phone and Pirovitch talking about his family. But we don't actually see them.

This film also shows Greed, Selfishness, and Jealousy are the major things that leads to the corruption of a family. Greed and Selfishness of Vadas is a great example.

At hospital, Hugo Matuschek (Frank Morgan) says like this to Alfred Kralik (James Stewart) "Its impossible that I ever distrusted you. I hated you. I couldn't stand your presence. That's how far Jealousy can drive a man."

We see a happy family in the end. And Rudy also becomes a part of the family.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] rockcairn69 17 years ago

Yea, this is one of my favorite films, too. I was hoping that somewhere on this message board somebody would ask--and maybe even answer--the obvious question. At least obvious for me from the first time I saw this gem.

Around the corner from what??

"Go back to your oar, Forty One."

[–] xylonian-1 16 years ago

"Around the corner from what??"

Well it does seem it is right around the corner from being on the top 250 :) but think "The Shop around the corner" was supposed to mean it was a neighborhood, friendly store (????) I just saw this film for the first time and think it might become a favorite....

Vesele Vianoce!!!! http://www.iarelative.com/czech/xmas/index.html

[–] marvel88 16 years ago

It's really a wonderful film, terrifically directed by Ernst Lubitsch. He seemed to always bring out the best in his performers, and this one is the prime example. All of the cast work so well off each other. What can be said about the pure chemistry between Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan?

"I know you're in there, Fagerstrom!"-Conan O'Brien

[–] movieluvr4 16 years ago

I believe the phrase "around the corner" refers to the fact that the shop is around the corner from one of the main drags in Budapest. I think it's in the trailer for the movie -- Frank Morgan mentions it at one point.

Great movie -- superb cast and excellent directing -- another example of the Lubitsch touch!

[–] gdd55 15 years ago

movieluvr4 is correct. The shop is around the corner from Andrassy ut, which is one of the main streets in Budapest. I think the shop was located on Balta Street which I don't think is anywhere near Andrassy ut, although some street names may have been changed in the last 70 years. During the communist era Andrassy ut 60 was home to the headquarters of the secret police. It re-opened as a museum and memorial dedicated to the victims of the communist and fascist regimes.

[–] twistedpurple10 16 years ago

Haha I came here to say how it sounded like the same thing as the good old summertime && to see if anyone had posted about the relativity.
I hadn't realized that it was a remake of this movie.
I had seen the ending of good old summertime yesterday on tcm. && I read the description && it said "two rival shopkeepers unknowingly fall in love with eachother through the mail." && then when this movie started (Which I'm watching right now.)I was like "gee this seems just like the movie I watched yesterday, I wonder if other people thought of it too."
So I came on here to do so, && come to find out it was the remake of this movie.
See I just got into all these old movies in the past few days.
I've been watching Turner Classic Movies pretty much nonstop.
I've noticed that they play a lot of Judy Garland movies as well.
&& I don't know much about the old movies seeing as how I just started watching them all the time quite recently.
But I have been finding out new things about all of these old time movies && stars.
Very interesting stuff.

hehe I kinda got off track with the last half.
But oh well.
haha.

[–] cleome24 16 years ago

I loved this dear film! There are lots of little gems throughout the movie; great acting and writing with a timeless story of an alternative family.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] arman0612 13 years ago

This is a perfect film in every single way: the performances, the direction, the screenplay and so on, and what I like more about it is the fact that it actually has a lot of depth, it's not only a happy film but it deals with many issues without being too centered on each of them (like suicide for instance, without being grim or particularly depressing, but still addressing the issue). It certainly is underrated because it seems like it's never discussed when talking about James Stewart's career and it really should be mentioned as a highlight in his career. 10/10. Perfection is not often around the corner but it is here.

[–] Molly-31 13 years ago

I think it's one of the loveliest pictures ever made, bar none.

Don't forget your tsvets!

[–] lizcarlo87 13 years ago

It’s one of my favorites I adore it very much.

[–] generalusgrant 13 years ago

Along with everyone else here, I love the movie and always have. In fact, I love it more now in my 40's as I did as a child when I first saw it. And I have to say the two "remakes," In the Good Old Summertime and You've Got Mail, are both terrible in comparison. Especially the Garland-Van Johnson remake. Van Johnson attempting to step into Stewart's shoes is a joke.

[–] loocheeuh 13 years ago

I adore this movie. I actually don't mind IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME, but it's such a different film--more light-hearted and set during the optimistic turn of the century.

Here, the threat of the war that is coming, combined with the depression they are just getting out of (there's a line indicating they have the best financial year since 1928), hangs over everything, making it all that much more poignant.