TO BE OR NOT TO BE

After the Nazi invasion, a Polish theatre company tries to stage the play ‘Gestapo’, but is prevented by the German censors. The company, led by Josef (Jack Benny) and Maria (Carole Lombard) Tura, then turn to ‘Hamlet’, whose famous monologue, ‘To be or not to be’ – hence the original title – ends up becoming the backdrop for a whirlwind sequence of misunderstandings and deceptions against the Nazis, as well as the amorous intrigues of the beautiful Maria. Overwhelming rhythm, irresistible jokes, continual crossovers between reality and the stage, and masterful acting are the ingredients of this fierce satire in which life in the theatre ends up constantly intermingled with the events of the war. Lubitsch succeeds in combining the comedy of the situations with a strongly political message, even if at the time of its release the use of a light and funny register in a tragic era like the Nazi one was judged almost improper. A remake of the film was made in 1983 by Alan Johnson under the title ‘To be or not to be’.