Satirical on every level, Bob Fosse's 1972 film Cabaret redefines the previously accepted genre of the musical. Using the songs and routines as cunning tools of social commentary the musical numbers both predict and interpret the world of Berlin in 1931.

The opening routine, 'Wilkommen', is a powerful introduction to the opposing worlds of the protagonists Brian and Sally and also indicates the significance all songs in the Cabaret will be instilled with. As the camera moves from the distorted mirror to the grotesquely masked face of the Master of Ceremonies (Joel Grey) who claims, 'I am your host, wilkommen', the need to look below the 'beautiful' surface of both the cabaret and Berlin is established. As the opening progresses the MC welcomes in three languages, English, French and German, communicating from the outset that the satirical and political messages of the film are universal, but often in need of personal interpretation. It is obvious the the MC as a good host will meet all our needs and it is vital to note that it is with him that we establish our initial identification; the relationship with Bria

'Life is a cabaret...' Do the events of the film support this view of Sally?

Sally's powerful closing song, in which she asserts that 'life is a cabaret', indicates her decision to turn away from reality. She chooses the world of the cabaret as a way forward in life over her real relationships with Brian or her father. The song's call to a frivolous life stands in stark contrast to the events portrayed in the film. Sally is characteristically ignorant of the fact that Berlin may be in any kind of serious trouble. She offers us a fantasy, for we can see that outside of the Kit Kat Club, life is anything but a cabaret.

Although Sally proves herself able to observe at least that there is another level of existence other than her own, she remains apparently unaffected by her ordeals, and we find her at the end of the film much the same as she was at the beginning: on stage under lights, fitting her theatrical and dramatical persona more so than she ever could in the outside world. Sally seems more genuinely her true self on stage, while elsewhere she seems out of place. For her, the affirmation she gains from performing is enough to continue her hedonistic lifestyle. Having touched upon a world of reality, Sally willingly returns to the fraudulent world of the cabaret and asserts for all she is worth that for her, life is indeed a cabaret.

As the camera finds the Master of Ceremonies, our host bids farewell again in three languages. And as the camera pans once again across the distorted mirror we are left with a final image of a swastika which is distorted and grotesque - just like the Berlin Fosse reveals in Cabaret

Some common words found in the essay are:
Berlin Sally, Berlin Sally's, Natalia Fritz, Liza Minnelli, Aryan Hitler, Sally Sally's, Kat Klub, Sally Brian, Bob Fosse's, Germany Set, world cabaret, kit kat, 'life cabaret', throughout film, kit kat club, attitude towards, events portrayed, kat klub, decision abortion, reality sally, outside kit kat, kit kat klub, social commentary,
Approximate Word count = 1776
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)