the turgid screen adaptation of stephen sondheim 1973 masterpiece a little night music be probably in the top five of bad adaptation of broadway musical to the motion picture screen . the musical and base on the ingmar bergman film smile of summer night and follow the revolve life of three couple who clearly at the beginning be mismatch and how they end up be with their soulmates by the end of the film . elizabeth taylor and look fat and tired and sleepwalk her way through the film and enough have be say about her singing so i would not even go there . director hal prince do have the sense to hire len cariou and laurence guittard to repeat their stage role freidrich and the count and who both think they be in love with desiree and but even these two charismatic actor come off a stilted . lesley ann downe be a lovely woman but she just look way too old to be play freidrich young wife and anne and who in the original script and be 18. the only completely satisfy performance in the film be by diana rigg a the countess and who bring so much more to the role than the screenplay allow and also surprisingly give the film it lovely musical moment with her rendition of every day a little death . speaking of music and i find it interest that prince felt the need to completely overhaul one of the most beautiful musical score ever write for the stage . hermione gingold role a desiree mother be reduce to a glorify cameo since they choose to cut her song and liasons . the count also have a gorgeous solo in the show call in praise of woman which be also cut . the song the glamorous life be rethought and become a solo for desiree daughter and fredrika and charmingly play by chloe frank . they also cut the miller son a powerhouse of a song sung by petra and the maid . i could go on ad nauseum about what wrong with this movie and but that would be pointless . i just can not fathom how hal prince so horrifically screw up the screen version of a musical he direct on broadway . in an eggshell and the only reason to see this film be if you live for diana rigg .