Title Theme
Probably no other movie in history features a title theme song so relentless in its ironic intention that has been so pervasively misapprehended for its sincerity. Sally Bowles sincerely believes that all it takes to defeat the prophets of doom is to defy them with a smile on your face by having a good time, but the tragic irony is that it was exactly this philosophy of decadent denial reality that would soon result in women like Sally being pressed into service in the joy divisions of Nazi concentration camps
The Voice of Angel
One of the most chillingly ironic reveals in movie history is when the camera slowly moves down from the extreme close-up of the beatific young blond boy singing “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” with the voice of an angel. The simple camera move trades in the currency of rough irony with fact that such seemingly benign bland innocence is wearing a Nazi uniform and will end his song by sticking his right arm straight out in the Heil Hitler salute.
One Lousy Gigolo
Natalia is at first wary of Fritz’s attention because she suspects he is only after her money. The truth could not be more complicated. Fritz is, in fact, a gigolo and his interest in Natalia was, in fact, stimulated by the fact that he is a department store heiress. Fritz has committed the one cardinal, unpardonable sin of the law of the gigolo: he has fallen in love with the woman. Complicating matters even more is the irony of Natalia refusing to marry him because she is Jewish and he is Christian and these are dangerous times for such a union in Germany. The irony here stemming from the fact that Fritz is only pretending to be Christian because admitting he is Jewish…well, these are dangerous times such an admission in Germany.
Slap Dance, What a Feeling!
One of the most corrosively ironic juxtapositions between the entertainment on stage at the cabaret and the real world outside is when the M.C. joins some of Kit Kat Klub girls for somewhat untraditional German slap dance. The slap dance is to classic German oompah0-music but contains an intensified sexuality that serves to make it all the fun and entertaining to the audience cloistered inside away from the real world. The dance is cross-edited with scenes of Nazi thugs beating up a waiter who had previously insulted on of them. The music that accompanies the M.C. slapping the skimpily attired bottoms of the dancing girls remains perfectly choreographed and the physical assault is symbolically duplicated on stage.
"Later, we'll be able to control them."
The epicenter of dramatic irony which pervades the entire film is this assertion voiced by the representative of the German old guard who remains astonishingly blind to the fact that the aristocratic control which had dominated Europe for centuries has crumbled to the point where it is on the verge of collapsing altogether and forever. His insulated view on the dependability of that outdated regime to once again come to rescue and put things back in order produces this lead-up to the sentiment expressed above: “The Nazis are just a gang of stupid hooligans, but they do serve a purpose. Let them get rid of the Communists.” Since nobody else in the movie knows just brutally misplaced his careless confidence will turn out to be, this becomes an example of dramatic irony that can be only be appreciated by the audience.
