The Great Ziegfeld is a great drama of capitalism, with all its glamor, hubris, deceptions, and steep declines. On the way, we are presented with tons of witty dialogue, that nearly a century later do not feel outdated. For fans of the musical and the varieté there a numerous lavish stage scenes. But the greatest asset of the film are its very lovable characters, first and foremost the talented and compassionate Anna Held, a French singer with looming and ludicrous borderline personality disorder, and the official competing show producer and secret friend Frank Billings, who can never keep up with Florenz's self-dealing shenanigans, but does not take it the wrong way, since his philosophy tells him that life is nothing more than a friendly game of poker. And ultimately the charismatic, womanizing, ever-sweetalking Great Ziegfeld himself.
As the mischievous strive for fame, money, and greatness of the latter is so enjoyable to watch, one cannot really accuse the movie of much more than that it doesn't let you look that far behind the facades as to be let to doubt whether a much less sparkling economic reality and the ruthless promotion of the American Dream will really leave true love, friendship and humaneness forever untouched.
Review of The Great Ziegfeld
