The Marx Brother's A Night at the OperaMovie Poster
The Marx Brother's A Night at the OperaClass consciousness and status are shown throughout the film A Night at the Opera. The different class status are seen in the main characters of the film. We are shown that status is very important in accomplishing the things that need to be done. Every character shows his or her class status through their actions and the things that they do. Class consciousness is shown through the clothes that the characters wear, their actions and the dialogue.
Middle-Working Class
Groucho Marx-
Groucho plays Mr. Driftwood, a character that works for the New York Opera Company.
He is classified as a middle-working class man who also dines and engages with
people of the upper class. We are shown this in the very first scene of the
film when Groucho is dining in an upper class restaurant. He was supposed to
be meeting with Mrs. Claypool, of the NY Opera Company, but first decided to
eat with another young woman. We can see that he might not have enough money
to pay for his meal or he has enough, and just doesn't want to pay. Next, he
moves over to his meeting with Mrs. Claypool, where he is seen acting rudely
to an older woman. Once he insults her many times he turns what he's saying
into something good and makes her smile and momentarily forget everything he
has said. From this we can see that he is clever with words, and can manipulate
how people perceive situations. Also, Groucho's lower status than the other
workers of the Opera Company is shown by the size of his room on the ship. It
barely has enough room for a bed; while, Rosa's room is actually two rooms joined
together.
Groucho's character as Mr. Driftwood is seen as a person who can "float" between classes. In one scene of the movie he is dining with very important people and working in close relations with them, as seen with Gottlieb and the benefactor. Then, in the next scene he is helping out the poorer characters of Chico, Harpo, and Ricardo.
Upper Class
Herman Gottlieb and Mrs. Claypool-
Herman Gottlieb and Mrs. Claypool represent the upper class society in contrast with Groucho's character. From Mrs. Claypool's expensive jewelry and nice evening gown, to Herman Gottlieb's fancy suit, their appearances give away their social status. Moreover, this assumption is supported by the power that each shows throughout the film.
Mr. Gottlieb- Mr. Gottlieb has control over who is in the opera, and thus, decides the future of others. When Rosa asks Mr. Gottlieb about putting Ricardo in the show, he says that Ricardo must be well known before Mr. Gottlieb will cast him as an important role. Although, by the end of the film, Mr. Gottlieb's status does not exempt him from the influence of people from lower classes. Groucho, Chico, and Harpo have Gottlieb's opera in an uproar, and they blackmail him into letting Ricardo sing. Mr. Gottlieb's wealth is shown again in the scene when he is discussing how much he will pay to have "the world's greatest tenor" sing in his opera. He is willing to pay one thousand dollars a night, and by Groucho's reaction- he says how large that amount is and that he wants to get a piece of it- we know that that sum is a good amount for only one night of singing.
Mrs. Claypool- Mrs. Claypool shows a higher class status by who she associates with and by her actions. She eats in a fancy restaurant with Groucho. Then she is seen with Mr. Gottlieb, who is in a position of power above Groucho. Also, she goes to the opera, which is an upper class evening event.
Rudolpho Lassparri- Rudolpho Lassparri also represents the upper class. He is a famous opera singer who gets special treatment because of his fame. He has control over pretty much everyone. He controls Mr. Gottlieb, because without Rudolpho, Gottlieb would lose his audiences. Rudolpho controls Rosa because if she disagrees with him, then she will not be in the opera. Also, he treats people of lower classes or of lower power however he wants to treat them. This is shown in the scene where he whips his servant, Harpo. People of other classes or power would not be able to get away with the type of force Rudolpho uses on others.
Lower Class
Chico and Harpo-
Chico and Harpo represent the lower class society in contrast with Groucho's character. Chico displays qualities of a lower class because he has had many odd jobs, such as working in the circus. Also, his clothes are those of a pauper- he has a worn jacket, and a poor man's hat. Plus, he can not read nor write. He admits to this during the scene where he and Groucho are trying to figure out the conditions of their contract. Then there is Harpo who is simply a servant who gets pushed around by everyone. It seems he is always being chased. In the first scene where we are introduced to Harpo, he seems clown-like. He is wearing all of Rudolpho's opera costume's, of which, one is a clown outfit. Rudolpho enters and treats Harpo like an animal- he whips Harpo while chasing him around the room trying to get the costumes back. In addition, Chico and Harpo exhibit their lack of money by the fact that they have to be stowaways to get a ride on the ship to New York.
Therefore, from the characters of Chico and Harpo to Groucho to Rudolpho, all class classes are displaced in this film. Also, the film shows how each of the classes influence and affect one another.