«Pygmalion» or «My fair lady»

     George Bernard Shaw was an outstanding playwright and publicist. One of his best works is the play «Pygmalion»

     This was one of the first plays I've ever read, and to this day is one of my favorites. Most people know this story, right? It is the tale of the one man Henry Higgins Professor of phonetics who makes a bet that he can transform a flower-girl from the street, Eliza Doolittle, into a lady - simply by changing her vocabulary and language.

     «Pygmalion» is a deep literary play which has fascinating themes about language and moral obligation. It is also a social critique (as the best plays, poems and novels are) challenging the way we live our lives. Though it is humorous and witty the most powerful aspect of this play is in how it reflects on our true reality. The combination of Shaw's wit and satire with creating an amazingly play was a treat to read!

      Through the years, countless film directors have adapted and recreated various novels and plays to make them ideal for the big-screen. In many cases, directors strive to keep their screenplay adaptations true to the original literature; however, viewers often find contrasts in certain areas of the film. Although My Fair Lady (The first great adaptation of Shaw's famous play) is based on Pygmalion there are some differences between both works.  The author of the play Pygmalion, who had passed away prior to the production of My Fair Lady in 1938, therefore, he could not assist in the transition from play to movie. For this reason, director Anthony Askuith has attempted to retain some similarities and also incorporate a few changes of his own. Although readers can discover numerous similarities between «My Fair Lady» and «Pygmalion» in certain aspects such as character interaction and the portrayal of social status, one can also detect several contradictions in the two plots, especially during the conclusion.

      However Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller are outstanding. Eliza Doolittle is a strong, independent and level-headed heroine who has guts and self-worth even before her 'magical' lady-like transformation. She knows what she wants, and she determinedly sets out on the path that she thinks would lead her to her dream - working in a flower shop. She may be comical and pathetic in the beginning - but she knows she's not nothing. She stands up for herself even when she is clearly in an unfavorable situation - a woman vs. a man, a social nothing vs. a respected gentleman, a physically weaker creature vs. a physically more intimidating one. All these qualities have provided us Wendy at her play. The character of the aloof, supercilious Henry Higgins has always bothered me a bit. Leslie Howard does an outstanding job playing the haughty side of Henry Higgins, but his performance isn't nuanced enough to see much decency in him. Wilfrid Lawson turns in a stellar performance as Eliza's father Alfred Dolittle. You can practically smell the liquor on his breath when he laughs in Higgins' face.

      All in all i can say, fine production is in every detail. The wit and wisdom of G.B. Shaw come through in every scene. Overall this is a great movie and amazing play .