Like many other pieces of art, this film was not really appreciated in its own time. Hitler's Germany is usually considered so evil that making any positive portrayal of it is met with shock and revulsion from nearly everyone. Of course this didn't stop Mel Brooks from directing this classic and turning the Third Reich into a joke. The producers is quite confusing to explain, not because of its plot (which is pretty simple) but because of the monetary aspects of the story. The film stars Zero Mostel as Max Bialystock, a producer for Broadway plays who is down on his luck and courts old women just to make ends meet. Desperately in need of a way to get his productions moving again, he takes the advice of an accountant Leopold Bloom (Gene Wilder) to produce a play that is so horrible that the IRS will not look into the reasons for its failure. Basically, it's hiding failure in plain sight. Since terrible plays are expected to lose money anyway, the IRS can be kept in the dark about the overselling of shares in the production, meaning Max and Leo won't have to pay people back after the thing bombs. To ensure the play is bad enough to close on its very first night (thereby preventing investors from getting their money), they need the assistance of the worst director of all time. Before they enlist his help, they need to settle on a play to produce. After many hours of searching, Max and Leo come across what they believe is the worst of the worst: a production called Springtime for Hitler, written by an ex-Nazi Franz Liebkind (Kenneth Mars). The duo go to his apartment in New York to buy the rights to the play and convince him it's going to portray Adolf in all his glory and will not disappoint. Immediately after buying the rights, Max gives away 25k% of the play to investors and then hires Roger De Bris to direct. He is widely considered the most horrendous director to ever live. During rehearsals, Max and Leo are trying to find the best person to play the role of Hitler when someone who isn't part of the audition, Lorenzo (Dick Shawn) puts on a ridiculous performance with a few musicians and manages to get the part. On opening night, the play begins with a song glorifying Germany's invasions of Poland and France while Max and Leo watch in giddy excitement. Much to their glee, disgusted patrons start leaving their seats and funneling out of the theater. Max and Leo go to a bar to celebrate how much of a failure the play is, but then the second act comes on. Lorenzo's portrayal of Hitler as a kind of hippie (alongside Eva Braun) garners huge praise and amusement from the audience. Franz watches and is enraged at the butchering of his play, so he gets onstage and tells everyone how Roger has thrown in a bunch of garbage that is not in the original script. He is knocked out and the audience still can't contain their laughter, believing it's part of the play. Max and Leo are now in trouble: the play is a smash and they're now expected to have more than enough money to pay back investors. Franz barges into Max's office and threatens to shoot both him and Leo with a Luger. Max and Franz come to a compromise and agree to blow up the theater to put an end to Springtime for Hitler, but they are busted and sentenced to a penitentiary. In prison, Max directs a new play and Leo is still trying to con people and oversell shares. After finally seeing this movie, I have to say I'm a little let down by it. I still thought it was pretty funny, but the humor doesn't seem to actually start until the play is performed. It's easy to see why the movie caused such a stir once you experience it, but it just goes to show people being unable to take a joke is nothing new. Part of the reason I was let down is because I was partially expecting Gene himself to be in the play. He's still good as always, but imagine how awesome it would have been to see him up there. Even though Brooks is no doubt proud of this movie, even he's aware of the backlash it got back then, but he considers it a badge of honor. Making something with this amount of bad taste must have been no easy task.
Review of The Producers
