Receding

I recently watched Milos Forman's Hair (1979). The film flopped, I think, because the material was dated. Even the original 60s production was ersatz hippiedom, but a decade later it seemed entirely irrelevant. Michael Weller's script gives the piece an actual plot, but it's not enough.

Look at the name of the show. In the 60s, long hair was a statement. It was dangerous. By 1979, who cared? In fact, in 1979, it was short hair that made a statement. That's why I think Forman throws away the title tune, setting it in a prison, which distracts from how little it matters.



Nevertheless, the movie is fairly entertaining. The not-so-secret weapon of the show is non-hippie Galt MacDermot's music, which takes a lot of (let's call them) unconventional lyrics and turns them into a bunch of fascinating songs.

Unfortunately, the movie doesn't serve the score well. The arrangements are awful. Maybe it's just reflecting the times, but it sounds like they recorded the singers and then brought in a slick, cheesy band to back them.



PS Who removed the rear-view mirror?