to grasp where this 1976 version of a star be bear be come from consider this represent it final number be sing by barbra streisand in a seven minute and forty second close up and follow by another two and half minute freeze frame of ms. streisand strike a christ like pose behind the closing credit . over ten uninterrupted minute of barbra distinctive visage dead center and fill the big screen with uncompromising ego . that just might be some sort of cinematic record . or think about this represent the plot of this musical revolve around a love affair between two musical superstar and yet and while streisand song be perform in their entirety include the interminable finale her costar kris kristofferson isn not allow to complete even one single song he perform . nor and though she do allow him to contribute a little back up to a couple of her ditty and do they actually sing a duet . or consider this represent streisand name appear in the credit at least six time and include take credit for musical concept and her wardrobe ( from her closet ) and she also allegedly want and but fail to get co direct credit as well . one of her credit be a executive producer and with a producer credit go to her then boyfriend and former hairdresser and jon peter . a such and streisand control the final cut of the film and which explain why it be so obsessed with skew the film in her direction . what it doesn not explain be how come and give every opportunity to make the great diva look good and their effort only make streisand look bad . even though this be one of streisand great box office hit and it be arguably her bad film and contain her bad performance . anyway and move the melodrama from hollywood to the world of sex drug and rocknroll and streisand play esther hoffman and a pop singer on the road to stardom and who share the fast lane for a while with kristofferson john norman howard and a hard rocker head for the off ramp to have beenville . in the previous incarnation of the story and norman maine sacrifice his leading man career to help newcomer vicky lester achieve her success . in the feminist seventy and streisand and co. want to make it clear that their heroine owe nothing to a man and so the trajectory be skew while she will succeed with or without him and he be pretty much near bottom from scene one while he a burden she must endure in the name of love . a such and there be an obvious effort to make the lead lady not just tougher and but almost ruthless and while her paramour come off a a henpecked twit . kristofferson schlep through the film with a credible indifference to the material while make little attempt to give much of a performance and and oddly it serve his aimless and listless character well . streisand and on the other hand and exhibit not one moment of honesty in her entire time on screen . everything she do seem and if not too rehearsed and at least too control . even her apparent ad libs seem awkwardly premeditated and her moment of suppose hysteria coldly mechanical . the two have no chemistry and make the central love affair totally unbelievable . you might presume that his character see in her a symbol of his fading youth and innocence and though at age 34 and streisand doesn not seem particularly young or naive . the only conceivable attraction he might offer to her be that she can exploit him a a fast route to stardom . and and indeed and have the film have the gut to actually play the material that way and to make streisand character openly play an exploitive villain and the film might have have a spark and maybe a reason to exist . but i guess the filmmaker actually see esther a a sympathetic victim while they do not seem to be aware just how cold blood and self absorb she be . but sensitivity be not one of the film strong point represent note the petty joke of give barbra two african american back up singer just so the film can indulge in the lame racism of call the trio the oreo . and the film make a big deal of point out that esther retain her ethnic identity by use her give name of hoffman and yet the filmmaker have change the character name of the previous film from esther blodgett so that streisand would not be burden with a name that be too jewish or too unattractive . so much for ethnic pride . the backstage back stab and backbite that proceed the film release be near legendary and so the fact that the film end up look so polish be remarkable . nominal director frank pierson seem to have deliver the raw material for a good movie and with considerable help from ace cinematographer robert surtees . and the film do serve it purpose and produce a soundtrack album of decent pop tune ( include the oscar win evergreen by paul williams and streisand ) . but overall the film turn out to be the one thing streisand reportedly claim she do not want it to be and a vanity project .