Film Review – Bringing Up Baby
Howard Hawk's screwball comedy, Bringing Up Baby (1938), that entails a series of misunderstandings occurring one after the other between a polite paleontologist, a gorgeous clumsy woman and a leopard named Baby. After their run in at a golf course, Susan (Katharine Hepburn) convinces David (Cary Grant) to help take care of her auntie's pet leopard, as she believes David is a zoologist rather than a paleontologist. A series of comical errors ensue throughout the film played out by excellent overall performances by the entire cast.
The plot was at times very frustrating to follow, due to the absurd misunderstandings that consist of stupidity too hard to believe. This is most prominent towards the end when somehow everyone involved ends up in trouble with the police. However, aside from that, the film is a joy to watch for the brilliant acting and screen presence of Cary Grant and for the wonderful comic timing by Katharine Hepburn. Hepburn and Grant share great on-screen chemistry which at first seems to elicit the dynamic of a brother/sister friendship. Though as the film progresses, their bizarre relationship unfolds into quite an unlikely romance that didn't seem entirely convincing.
In many scenes, Hawks and the editor, George Hively, deliberately showed long durations between cuts, eliciting a dynamic that resonates with an on-stage play. This decision was cleverly made to accentuate the acting skills of the cast members, particularly Hepburn and Grant. The camera lets the comedy unfold through their performances without interruption. This technique allows them the freedom that two great actors require to get the best out of their talents. It is a technique that has since been used throughout cinema for decades.
Bringing Up Baby is a classical film that consists of good writing, great comic performances and many laughs along the way.
Howard Hawk's screwball comedy, Bringing Up Baby (1938), that entails a series of misunderstandings occurring one after the other between a polite paleontologist, a gorgeous clumsy woman and a leopard named Baby. After their run in at a golf course, Susan (Katharine Hepburn) convinces David (Cary Grant) to help take care of her auntie's pet leopard, as she believes David is a zoologist rather than a paleontologist. A series of comical errors ensue throughout the film played out by excellent overall performances by the entire cast.
The plot was at times very frustrating to follow, due to the absurd misunderstandings that consist of stupidity too hard to believe. This is most prominent towards the end when somehow everyone involved ends up in trouble with the police. However, aside from that, the film is a joy to watch for the brilliant acting and screen presence of Cary Grant and for the wonderful comic timing by Katharine Hepburn. Hepburn and Grant share great on-screen chemistry which at first seems to elicit the dynamic of a brother/sister friendship. Though as the film progresses, their bizarre relationship unfolds into quite an unlikely romance that didn't seem entirely convincing.
In many scenes, Hawks and the editor, George Hively, deliberately showed long durations between cuts, eliciting a dynamic that resonates with an on-stage play. This decision was cleverly made to accentuate the acting skills of the cast members, particularly Hepburn and Grant. The camera lets the comedy unfold through their performances without interruption. This technique allows them the freedom that two great actors require to get the best out of their talents. It is a technique that has since been used throughout cinema for decades.
Bringing Up Baby is a classical film that consists of good writing, great comic performances and many laughs along the way.