Barbra Streisand’s film debut gets the 4K treatment from Criterion
It’s been at least a couple decades since my college roommate introduced me to Funny Girl, the musical biography of comic actress Fanny Brice. And at the time, the lack of an HEA made me feel that it wasn’t a movie for me. Since Criterion Collection released this 4K restoration the same year another close friend and I have been streaming Streisand movies together, the musical was worth revisiting.
A young Barbra Streisand made her film debut in Funny Girl after the original theatrical version turned her into a Broadway star. As a famous name with the Ziegfeld Follies, a 30-something Brice looks back on her career in theater and her ill-fated romance with gambler Nicky Arnstein (Omar Sharif). Streisand and Sharif have a heated chemistry, even during the silly “You Are Woman, I Am Man” number as Arnstein seduces the naïve Brice. Arnstein wants to support his family through his own means (however sketchy they may be) and Brice’s fame and financial success have him doubting his worth. God forbid a woman earns more than her husband.
Brice’s home life and career stand in contrast, as she asserts control in her theater work as much as she can. When boss Ziegfeld (Walter Pidgeon) rules she must perform a finale song which calls her “the most beautiful girl in the world,” Fanny makes a quick decision with hilarious results; the audience laughs because she wants them to. Funny Girl is heavy on self-effacing humor as neither Brice nor Streisand fall under the feminine ideal of their time.
Although when Streisand as Brice kicks off the film, saying, “Hello, gorgeous,” to herself in a mirror, the viewer believes it. The camera worships her. The costumes tell us about her character while giving her a flawless look. William Wyler (The Best Years of Our Lives) directed the film and a crew worked on it, but there is little doubt this is Streisand’s film.
And as I’ve grown older, I can recognize that the ending is happy enough as is. It’s better for Fanny to let go of a relationship that demands too much from her with little emotional reward. If Arnstein won’t accept her help due to stereotypical gender roles, then it’s better for Fanny to find her own way. With the ending number, “My Man,” Streisand goes against film musical production expectations and sings/records the song live (with Wyler’s approval); in this way, both character and performer claim space and voice on that stage.
The Criterion Collection Bluray package includes:
- a 4K digital restoration of the film
- 40-minute audio essay from Streisand (recorded in 2024 for this release) about her involvement with the original Broadway show and the later film. She speaks about her performance being informed by her reading of interview transcripts with Brice. She shares stories about producer Ray Stark and embracing the opportunity to collaborate with filmmaker William Wyler. On cinematographer Stradler: “He wanted to show me off.” On co-star Sharif: “He seemed real to me.”
- An informative 2024 conversation between David Wyler (son of William) and Alicia Malone on his father’s varied directing career (“He wanted to do everything”) and working with Streisand on Funny Girl.
- An hour-long documentary from 1986, Directed by William Wyler, includes Wyler’s last interview in 1981 and a star-studded group of interviewees (including Streisand).
- Clip from a 2003 conversation with Omar Sharif, with fairly cruddy audio quality.
- a deleted scene from Funny Girl where the married couple actually discuss how Brice might contribute to their shared living expenses (shock!)
- featurettes from the original theatrical release, including an introduction to Streisand
