Overview
A comedic journey through the chaos of war, where laughter becomes a weapon against tyranny.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- irreverent
- suspenseful
- classic comedy night
- war satire double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly found the remake uneven but admired its genuine sentiment, theatrical set pieces, and standout performances despite concerns about delayed jokes and the crassness of treating Nazi evil as farce.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Polish acting troupe repeatedly uses stage personas, costumes, and performance skills to evade Nazis and aid escape.
Gestapo figures are rendered as buffoons while the troupe remains exposed to the real peril of the Nazi occupation.
Anna Bronski's marriage to Frederick is tested by her relationship with Lieutenant Andre Sobinski and the resistance mission.
The troupe's final theatrical confrontation places stagecraft directly against an audience of Nazis.
Films like To Be or Not to Be, and why
To Be or Not to Be
wartime romance combining theatrical performance, disguise, and comic resistance against Nazi oppression
The Producers
wartime romantic comedy balancing farce with genuine emotional sentiment amid Nazi danger
The Great Dictator
ensemble theatrical comedy using performance and deception to confront fascism
Casablanca
romantic wartime drama with comic espionage, theatricality, and resistance themes
Movie Details
- Director
- Alan Johnson
- Release Date
- 1983-12-16
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (242)
Cast
- Mel Brooks
- Anne Bancroft
- Tim Matheson
- Charles Durning
- José Ferrer
- George Gaynes
- Christopher Lloyd
- George Wyner
- Lewis J. Stadlen
- Jack Riley
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Shout! Factory Amazon Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is To Be or Not to Be about?
- A Polish theater troupe turns performance, romance, and audacious disguise into weapons against the Nazi occupation.
- What is To Be or Not to Be like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of To Be or Not to Be as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is To Be or Not to Be violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in To Be or Not to Be as mild.
- What did critics think of To Be or Not to Be?
- Critics broadly found the remake uneven but admired its genuine sentiment, theatrical set pieces, and standout performances despite concerns about delayed jokes and the crassness of treating Nazi evil as farce.
- Which films are like To Be or Not to Be?
- Films with a similar feel include To Be or Not to Be, The Producers, The Great Dictator, and Casablanca.
- How long is To Be or Not to Be?
- To Be or Not to Be runs 107 minutes.
- Where can I watch To Be or Not to Be?
- In United States, To Be or Not to Be streams on Shout! Factory Amazon Channel.
