Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Sabrina

by Jennifer Xu

I wasn't sure what to expect from Billy Wilder in one of his rare ventures into romantic comedy. Wilder always seems to have some kind of social agenda simmering beneath his films and Sabrina is no different. Surprisingly, Sabrina's cynical undertones never detract from its rather Cinderella-esque storyline and actually add to its idiosyncrasies.

Audrey Hepburn plays Sabrina Fairchild, the awkward daughter of a chauffeur, who is desperately in love with her employer's son David (William Holden) and will do anything to have her love returned. She frequently watches him romance other women with his tried-and-true routine of getting the orchestra to play "Isn't It Romantic?" and kissing them on the tennis courts, wishing it could be her. In an wholly Cinderella turn, she goes to Paris to learn how to cook and returns a lovely, cultured young lady, new haircut and all. Upon her return, Sabrina ends up catching the attentions of not only David but also his workaholic brother Linus (Humphrey Bogart, in a surprisingly comedic turn). Now she must choose between the playboy David and the hardworking, dependable Linus.

This might be the umpteenth time Hepburn plays the ingenue, but it never gets old. Audrey is luminous in her portrayal of Sabrina, gliding like a fawn and leaking charisma wherever she steps. Edith Head received an Oscar nomination for the understated, elegant costumes that sit gracefully upon Hepburn's slender frame, and I have no doubt she deserved it. This is also one of the few times Hepburn was permitted to sing undubbed and unedited. The scene where Hepburn sings "La Vie En Rose" to Linus in the car radiates ingenuity and effortless loveliness, despite her limited vocal capabilities. From that one song alone you can tell how David and Linus both could conceivably fall for her.

At root Sabrina is about social mobility and class consciousness. The issue of whether a chauffeur's daughter could rightfully marry into a rich family is broached upon perpetually in this film, albeit in jest. The decidedly conventional ending keeps the status quo as business lies undisrupted by matters of love. Although all this casts a rather serious shadow above this lighthearted patisserie, Wilder manages to maintain a perfect balance of social issue and frivolity, candour and playfulness. At times the screwball can get a little ridiculous, as screwball is prone to do, but Wilder manages to reel it in because of the divergent subject matter.

Sabrina's transformation reminded me of that of Leslie Caron's Gigi - the little girl returns the woman and catches the attentions of the man of her dreams. And like Gigi Sabrina is inescapably governed by a patriarchal hierarchy. As soon as Sabrina changes her appearance, it appears as if this is all she needs to make the men fall in love with her. She has no other qualities short of being beautiful. Sabrina is no doubt adorable and lovely, but the complete 180 degree turn David takes once she "gets a new haircut" screams of the misogynistic. A woman, it seems, needs to have a man in her life to be complete. Men just need a pretty accessory on their arms during dances.

Despite everything, Wilder manages to culture lovely strains of dialogue that never seem overtly hamstringed or sentimental. "The moon is reaching for me." Banter flows organically out of each character's mouth. But Sabrina's best quality is that it is a funny film. Ridiculous French mannerisms, complete deadpan narration by Hepburn, physical comedy - it's all there and more. I loved the bursts of black comedy - Sabrina diligently remembering to feed the goldfish before she prepares to kill herself, Bogart making up lies about jumping off a window ledge. Humphrey Bogart gets a rare comedic role as he bounces on his little piece of plastic and spanks William Holden on the rear end, but it never seems forced or out-of-character. These slight touches of the hand make Sabrina stand out as the unique confection it is.

Sabrina dips its toes in a little bit of genre-everything and emerges a fully-baked movie. Romance for the lovers, screwball for the laughers, situational comedy, social upheaval, with faint traces of cynicism bubbling at the surface. And to the tie the knot together is Hepburn at her finest - a beautiful, naive goddess juggling two men's affections with ease.