I Am a Camera

Based on Christopher Isherwood's autobiographical Berlin Stories, which later became the basis for John Van Druten's award-winning play I Am a Camera, this story of a struggling writer and a vivacious nightclub crooner in 1930's Berlin is perhaps better known to today's audiences in its most recent incarnation: Bob Fosse's Cabaret. Though not as decadent, by half, as Cabaret, I Am a Camera is a compelling (if somewhat sanitized) version of Isherwood's tales which features good performances from Laurence Harvey as Isherwood and Julie Harris as the irrepressible Sally Bowles. While trying to eke out a meager existence as a writer, Isherwood meets Bowles, and she introduces him to a new concept: living well is not only the best revenge, it's the only reason for living. Though often penniless, Sally careens through life like a rich heiress, trading her innate sparkle for food, drinks, and conversation. Isherwood, in tow, doesn't get much writing done, but he does get a crash course in the hedonistic lifestyle. Hanging over the entire proceedings is the impending Nazi takeover, and this specter of doom lends a poignantly ironic flavor to the carefree atmosphere of Sally and her friends. We know, as she does not, that time is running out. Not in the same league as Cabaret, I Am a Camera is nevertheless an enjoyable version of Isherwood's stories. Recommended. (R. Pitman)