I attended a film club meeting last night (Friday, April 17). Naturally, in these trying times as we shelter in place and practice social distancing, we met on Zoom.
We discussed a film, Strictly Ballroom, I vaguely remember seeing in the theater a long time ago. So, I did take a refresher peek at the film before the meeting.
It's an Australian film which, according to our moderator and film buff guy, John Hickey, was a breakout film for the director-writer, Baz Luhrmann, and the Australian film industry as a whole. The award list for this film, starting with the Cannes festival in 1992, reflects the international fame it achieved and it's cross nationality appeal.
With a little prodding by Hickey, we agreed, that the film had several elements in it that strode hand-in-hand with tried and true authentic storytelling. Our reluctant hero is a young man, Scott, whose parents run a ballroom dance studio. Scott, we're informed by the dialogue, is going to be the next Champion of the Australian Ballroom Dance Competition. Scott isn't so reluctant to being the next champion as he is to dancing in the proscribed style and dictates of the federation run by Barry Fife. He has developed his "own steps," a no-no in ballroom dancing.
Dramatic theater, live or film, is replete with reluctant hero's who, for many reasons, do not want to respond to the challenge presented to them. It's a known element in almost any movie you can remember. For a fact, in Strictly Ballroom, while Scott is back and forth on the decision to face the challenge, it isn't really resolved until the final scene.
The second story running in this film is ironically the Romeo and Juliet theme. (The irony being that Luhrmann will later direct a film version Romeo and Juliet 1996) Scott loses his partner, Liz, when he refuses to buckle under and dance as he is supposed to dance. He picks a girl as his partner, Fran, who initially is presented to us as an ugly duckling and then becomes transformed, rather Cinderella-like, into a princess.
The Romeo and Juliet element takes hold when Scott learns the authentic way to perform, La Passa Doable. In addition to the dance itself, Scott learns from Fran's parents that dancing the steps may be fine, but the inspiration has to come from the heart. This is not a belief Scott's mother, Shirly, his coach, Les, or the head of the Federation, Barry Fife, hold dearly. It becomes a great revelation to Scott and a turning point in the emotional direction of the film.
The script is purposely transparent. You can pretty much figure out who the good guys are and which ones would wear black hats in the cowboy drama. Not to say, there aren't shapeshifters in the story. Hickey points out that the director insisted on his stories being accessible or, as Luhrmann himself said, simple.
While a few of us participants felt the acting and the story was a little over the top, Hickey defended Luhrmann by saying that his presentation was intended, and it was a trademark feature in his films.
By today's standards, I believe most people would look at this film and call it an exciting and entertaining Rom-Com. Knowing the importance of the production and comparing it with the capabilities and technology of the time it was made surely magnifies its status in film history.
To digital subscribes, this film is free on Netflix.
On the streaming front.
There is joy in Mudville, Bosch (Amazon) is back, and so is Ozark. (Netflix)
If you even liked Black Mirror a little bit, you should like Amazing Stories. (Apple+)
You must, if you haven't already, watch season one of Money Heist. Then you can watch the recently released season two. (Netflix)
If you missed the latest episodes of World on Fire and Baptiste because you were watching the Lady Ga Ga online concert, you could watch it from the PBS archive.
We discussed a film, Strictly Ballroom, I vaguely remember seeing in the theater a long time ago. So, I did take a refresher peek at the film before the meeting.
It's an Australian film which, according to our moderator and film buff guy, John Hickey, was a breakout film for the director-writer, Baz Luhrmann, and the Australian film industry as a whole. The award list for this film, starting with the Cannes festival in 1992, reflects the international fame it achieved and it's cross nationality appeal.
With a little prodding by Hickey, we agreed, that the film had several elements in it that strode hand-in-hand with tried and true authentic storytelling. Our reluctant hero is a young man, Scott, whose parents run a ballroom dance studio. Scott, we're informed by the dialogue, is going to be the next Champion of the Australian Ballroom Dance Competition. Scott isn't so reluctant to being the next champion as he is to dancing in the proscribed style and dictates of the federation run by Barry Fife. He has developed his "own steps," a no-no in ballroom dancing.
Dramatic theater, live or film, is replete with reluctant hero's who, for many reasons, do not want to respond to the challenge presented to them. It's a known element in almost any movie you can remember. For a fact, in Strictly Ballroom, while Scott is back and forth on the decision to face the challenge, it isn't really resolved until the final scene.
The second story running in this film is ironically the Romeo and Juliet theme. (The irony being that Luhrmann will later direct a film version Romeo and Juliet 1996) Scott loses his partner, Liz, when he refuses to buckle under and dance as he is supposed to dance. He picks a girl as his partner, Fran, who initially is presented to us as an ugly duckling and then becomes transformed, rather Cinderella-like, into a princess.
The Romeo and Juliet element takes hold when Scott learns the authentic way to perform, La Passa Doable. In addition to the dance itself, Scott learns from Fran's parents that dancing the steps may be fine, but the inspiration has to come from the heart. This is not a belief Scott's mother, Shirly, his coach, Les, or the head of the Federation, Barry Fife, hold dearly. It becomes a great revelation to Scott and a turning point in the emotional direction of the film.
The script is purposely transparent. You can pretty much figure out who the good guys are and which ones would wear black hats in the cowboy drama. Not to say, there aren't shapeshifters in the story. Hickey points out that the director insisted on his stories being accessible or, as Luhrmann himself said, simple.
While a few of us participants felt the acting and the story was a little over the top, Hickey defended Luhrmann by saying that his presentation was intended, and it was a trademark feature in his films.
By today's standards, I believe most people would look at this film and call it an exciting and entertaining Rom-Com. Knowing the importance of the production and comparing it with the capabilities and technology of the time it was made surely magnifies its status in film history.
To digital subscribes, this film is free on Netflix.
On the streaming front.
There is joy in Mudville, Bosch (Amazon) is back, and so is Ozark. (Netflix)
If you even liked Black Mirror a little bit, you should like Amazing Stories. (Apple+)
You must, if you haven't already, watch season one of Money Heist. Then you can watch the recently released season two. (Netflix)
If you missed the latest episodes of World on Fire and Baptiste because you were watching the Lady Ga Ga online concert, you could watch it from the PBS archive.
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