Around The World In 80 Days

Around The World In 80 Days
1956 - Warner Brothers
Directed By Michael Anderson



SYNOPSIS

Phileas Fogg (David Niven) makes a bet with colleagues and sets out on a trip to prove he can go around the world in 80 days.



MY THOUGHTS

It's considered by many to be the 'least worthy' film to ever capture a Best Picture Oscar... and it lives up to its reputation.
Somehow, academy voters decided this film was superior to fellow nominees The King And I, The Ten Commandments, Friendly Persuasion and Giant. I certainly don't see it. Time has aged those films like fine wine, while Around The World In 80 Days has turned to vinegar.

This dull trip around the world works more as a travelogue than a fictional film. In each stop along the way, we're treated to stereotypical local customs (i.e. in Spain - flamenco dancing, in India - human sacrifice.) It's a superficial way to pad a bare-bones plot and gets tedious, especially with its 3+ hour run time.
The film was actually shot in more than a dozen countries and practically every bit part in the film was played by well-known actors (Charles Boyer, Frank Sinatra, Buster Keaton, Peter Lorre, George Raft, Marlene Dietrich, and the list goes on and on and on.) In fact, the producer coined the term 'cameo role' during production.
The screen is also packed with hundreds or thousands of extras whenever possible. Amazing cinematography and sweeping music add to the sparkle. But, it's all epic flash and spectacle, and no substance.

The film begins with an extremely dry introduction by Edward R. Murrow while clips of the classic 1902 George Melies film A Trip To The Moon are shown. It was the first film to adapt a Jules Verne story. From the onset we're told we're watching a film, which causes a detachment from the rest of the proceedings. So much for getting us caught up in the narrative!

Once the story starts up, we are never given a reason to root for Fogg or even care one way or the other if he and his assistant make it.

David Niven plays the character very stiff-upper-lip British, so he's very bland and not very likable.

Despite the 3+ hour run time, much of the story is glossed over. We spend 30 minutes in Spain (much of it with flamenco dancing and a tedious bullfight,) then Fogg goes from Spain to France, then all the way to Egypt in a blink of an eye.
Later, Fogg apparently gets arrested in India after saving a princess (noted Indian actress Shirley MacLaine) from a sacrifice. We see the rescue, but none of the arrest + aftermath. It's alluded to by Fogg's cohorts back in England but never referenced by Fogg and his group so it may have never happened. The audience is left in the dark.

The film drags on and on. Much of the run time is devoted to the main actors watching the scenery. The film feels like you've been watching for 80 days.