Can we all just take a moment to marvel at the complexity of this little dance number in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers? The song is called “Lonesome Polecat.”

One Long Take

During the song “Lonesome Polecat,” six of the titular Pontipee brothers chop wood and sing a sad song acknowledging that they made a mistake in kidnapping the girls they love. It all plays out in one continuous shot. No cutaways. The actors and camera operators had to nail every big and small beat. There was no CGI in 1954 to correct mistakes if the timing was off by even a fraction of a second.

“Lonesome Polecat” isn’t the most famous song from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Everyone knows “Goin’ Courtin’” and “Bless Your Beautiful Hide,” even if they don’t remember this one very well. However, this song follows in the footsteps of those other songs by using music to reveal character details and tell the story in creative ways. It almost feels like a stage musical in the moments when it employs long uninterrupted takes.

Perfect Unison

This is far from the most complicated dance number in the film. That honor goes to “Barn Dance.” It just goes to show how much care and thought went into this production when even small scenes are treated as grand gestures. I don’t know if you’ve chopped wood recently, but you feel it in every bone, muscle, and joint the next day after doing it. The range of motion and strength it requires are substantial. So seeing these guys effortlessly chop wood is by itself impressive. Especially considering how many takes it must have required to get this just right.

The choreography is what truly blows my mind. Seeing the unison in which two and then three men chop wood is astonishing. I really like the casual final move they make to jam their axes into a piece of wood. They make it look so easy and natural, but it must have required an incredible amount of practice and timing. I like how ax swings are used to punctuate notes in the song and a saw goes back and forth, adding to the rhythm of the song. Who would’ve guessed that chopping wood could be so musical!

Real Ax

And then there’s the part where one of the brothers starts swinging an ax around as if it were a cane in a dance routine. Yet it’s a dangerous tool, and it’s coming awfully close to two of the other actors. I’m astonished at how well controlled everyone is. There’s not a single flinch or hesitation in anyone’s face. They have all gotten their performance down so minutely that they can do it without looking or worrying.

Perhaps it was a prop ax that wasn’t sharp, but it still looks heavy. And I imagine the guy in charge of props on the set probably didn’t assuage any fears when he pointed to the prop ax and told the actors, “Relax!”

An Elevated Musical

“Lonesome Polecat” typifies Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. It appears to be a nice, simple musical. It’s not quite on the same level as An American in Paris. But it manages to add all kinds of complicated dance moves into the proceedings, elevating it far beyond its basic story premise. I’m astounded by how well the actors, choreographers, camera operators, and others managed to pull off such incredible filmmaking feats.

If you’re interested in a visual and audible treat, I highly recommend checking out Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. It’s memorable for so many reasons. And you won’t be able to get “Bless Your Beautiful Hide” out of your head for weeks. I certainly haven’t.

This is the Deja Reviewer bidding you farewell until we meet again.

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