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The Movie:
Strictly Ballroom
A Review by Mark McLeod
March 21th 2002 with additional Canadian edition comments written on May 8th
Note : The majority of this review covers the US release by Miramax. This
new edition from Lions Gate Entertainment in Canada is simply a repackaging
of the US disc. All elements used on this DVD are identical to the US disc.
Being a movie reviewer isn't always about seeing the films you necessarily
want to see. It's about seeing an ever changing array of films covering all
the various genres and starring both big name Hollywood stars and little
known actors and actresses. It's about seeing just about everything under
the sun regardless of past experiences. There are actors that I dislike and
their are the ones I like. The same goes for directors, producers and
writers and just about everyone else who has a major role in the production
of a motion picture. My first experience with director Baz Luhrmann was his
1996 adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet" a film which I thought failed in
capturing the classic Shakespearean tale. The pure over the top direction
and quick cutting visuals nearly made me ill and I had to turn off the film
before it's conclusion. Over the years to follow, I heard about a musical
"Moulin Rouge" which had gone through numerous production problems
including a bad knee injury to principal actress Nicole Kidman. This peaked
my interest because deep down in my soul lies a boy who loves a musical and
the idea of using modern songs in a period piece seemed like an interesting
concept. Flash forward to the summer of 2001 and the film's debut. I wasn't
sure what to expect when I went into this film nor was my best friend who
hesitantly accompanied me due to the presence of Miss Kidman. Roughly 2
hours later, it was evident that I had seen one of the best films of the
year as well as a new director for my must see list. Forgetting for a
minute that this was from the same director whose other film I hated so
much just a few years earlier. After seeing "Moulin Rouge" five times
during it's theatrical release and sampling the exquisite DVD. I knew that
it was time to give another Bazmark production a chance. A few months
later, I found myself sitting down to view "Strictly Ballroom" the first
part of the magical "Red Curtain Trilogy" and a series that I had been up
to this point split down the middle.
Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio) and Liz (Gia Carides) are two of the best
ballroom dancers in all of Australia. They have been dancing together for a
number of years and they are finally the odds on favorites to win the Pan
Pacific Grand Prix, the most revered competition in the ballroom dancing
world. However Scott has gotten tired of dancing the standard steps and
begins to experiment with more "crowd pleasing" type moves. This is frowned
upon in the very classical oriented world and Scott's mother Shirley (Pat
Thompson) is very upset with her son as is Liz who just wants to win and
receive recognition for her efforts. Liz decides that it's best to break
off their partnership. Unsure of what to do the dance studio led by
instructor Les Kendall (Peter Whitford) begins to audition replacements for
Scott as the championships are just three weeks away. Luck isn't on their
side though many girls want to win the championship none of them are at the
same skill level as Scott. At the same time that these auditions are
happening the studio's least experienced klutz of a dancer Fran (Tara
Morice) tries to convince Scott to give her a chance. He reluctantly
accepts and although her technical skill is quite lacking, she has a
creative flare similar to Scott's. After a number of practices, Scott asks
Fran to dance with him at the next event. At the event things don't go
exactly as planned as Federation President Barry Fife (Bill Hunter) has a
dubious plan to set Scott up with Tina Sparkle the partner of the current
champion who is set to announce his retirement that evening. Barry hopes
that by setting up Scott, he can curb the mischievous nature of Scott's
moves and regain order within the world of dance. No one can believe that
Scott would rather dance with Fran, then the gorgeous accomplished Tina who
is he almost guaranteed a win. So as the Pan Pacific approaches Scott and
Fran begin to come together as a team and as a couple despite everyone's
objections.
The story of "Strictly Ballroom" is very generic and is one of the most
used story conventions in both modern and historic cinema. Boy meets Girl,
Boy and Girl fall in love, Boy and Girl get pulled apart and then as a
audience we wait for their inevitable reunion. The story progresses through
the logical and required steps until it reaches the ending that was known
to the viewers since the beginning. However where this film breaks away
from that convention is in the fresh and modern approach it takes to
unleash the comedy, drama and romance set amidst the most unlikely background.
"Strictly Ballroom" is the first film in a three part "Red Curtain" trilogy
from the mastermind of theatrical cinema Baz Luhrmann an Australian native
who got his start with Opera and Stage productions in his home country. He
is one of the most versatile and innovative directors I've come across with
each of his film's focusing on taking the most basic story elements and
turning them into a vibrant extravaganza that's a marvel for the senses.
His camera techniques are fast and furious sucking the viewer into the
world of the picture. The colors used and the constantly engaging visuals
are out of this world prove that there's nothing to extreme for a Baz
Luhrmann film. He employs break neck camera panning and is the master of
the quick cut editing technique that's so popular nowadays. In a way this
Australian is the father of the MTV editing style. In this his directorial
debut he takes a very personal story and one that's been told numerous
times before and through the uniqueness of his visuals and direction causes
this film to transcend the very basic concept it's about. A relationship
that goes through more then it's fair share of hardships set in the world
of dance.
In any film that deals with a principal character or characters having a
special talent the director is faced with the added responsibility of
finding someone who is able to convey through their performance that they
actually can do the activity they are portraying. In some films this is
singing, archery or even kung fu. In the case of "Strictly Ballroom" it's
the art of ballroom dancing. For the male lead role of Scott Hastings, Baz
decided to cast professional dancer Paul Mercurio who at the time was in
the top of the rankings in the modern dance community. While he was a
trained dancer he had very limited experience with ballroom. Luckily he is
able to pull it off quite nicely and this is probably due to the improvised
more showoff type moves the character of Scott uses in his routines. As
for acting he manages to portray the complicated Scott quite well and if I
had not know this was his acting debut then I probably wouldn't have
guessed it. In the female lead Fran we have Tara Morice who is quite the
opposite to her male counterpart having very limited dance experience prior
to the film. Morice is reprising her role from the stage production and
apparently had to really fight for this role. Her transformation from ugly
duckling to stunning beauty isn't all that surprising but the emotions she
carries forth seem real and genuine. Her dancing while not as technically
perfect as Mercurio is eye catching and pleasing and probably better then
most non dancers could do. Along the same lines as "Moulin Rouge" and
"Romeo and Juliet" the supporting cast is full of colorful performances
from Dance Federation President Barry Fife (Bill Hunter) to Scott's mother
Shirley (Pat Thompson) and Scott's ex partner Liz Holt played by Gia
Carides. Carides is probably best known to American audiences for her small
role in the Austin Powers sequel "The Spy Who Shagged Me". Also worth
noting is an excellent cameo type role from legendary Flamenco dancer
Antonio Vargas who plays Fran's father.
I'll be the first one to admit that a film about ballroom dancing wouldn't
normally be high up on my list of things to see. I'm a male and just like
figure skating or any sort dance oriented activity the subject matter just
doesn't interest me. However this film managed to captivate me with it's
high energy, extremely visual and over the top amount of heart. Fans of
Luhrmann's later films will find all the trademark aspects they've come to
know and love though one has to remember that this was his first motion
picture and as such remains much smaller in scale. The combination of
music, dance, comedy and drama makes "Strictly Ballroom" a highly enjoyable
film for people of all ages.
Movie Rating : 8/10
The DVD
VIDEO:
"Strictly Ballroom" is a Baz Luhrmann film and as such the quality of the
transfer automatically has to be that much better to convey his complex and
ultra-stylistic visuals. Miramax is up to the task presenting "Strictly
Ballroom" in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Released in 1992 this
film looks as good or better then it must have back then. Aside from a few
minor concerns this is a refreshing delight of a transfer. Colors are
deeply detailed and the extravagant hues that bring the world of Australian
dance to life. The reds and yellows especially are lush and vibrant
providing a stunning visual experience. The transfer has adequate sharpness
with a nice amount of detail however there are a few shot focus shots
sprinkled throughout the film that I believe were the directors intention.
The print used is quite clean considering it's age and aside from some
minor dust specks and the occasional grainy shot there is nothing really
problematic about the print. Happily there are no problems created in the
digital domain as the print is free of annoying enhancement and shimmering.
Although this isn't close to the near perfect transfer on Luhrmann's
"Moulin Rouge" DVD it still far exceeds the expectations of this reviewer.
A strong visual effort from Miramax nonetheless with components that'll
make you go Wow.
Video Rating : 8.5/10
SOUND:
As is the case with the visuals, the audio also plays a heightened role in
director Baz Luhrmann's films. From the pop rock musical soundtrack to
"Romeo and Juliet" to the full on musical assault of "Moulin Rouge"
Luhrmann's film's just scream out to be listened to in digital sound.
Miramax goes all out here with their brand new 5.1 remix for "Strictly
Ballroom". which provides a lot more punch then I was expecting given the
age and budget limitations of the film. This is Luhrmann's smallest film in
terms of scope and as such doesn't present quite the workout of his later
work. For the most part it's a dialogue driven mix but during the
competition and practice scenes the mix opens up to all the speakers to
present a rich and warm musical experience. The music is crystal clear and
mixed to perfection throughout the picture. Dialogue is easily heard above
the chaos of the music. Surround usage is fairly limited as the majority of
the film takes place indoors and with only a handful of characters on
screen at anytime there isn't much room for ambience. Some of the sound
effects sounded pretty sharp especially the sound of the shoes hitting the
hard wood floors during the dance scenes. Although this doesn't approach
upon reference quality material it's proof that the sound mixes of low
budget pictures don't need to suffer due to lack of money.
Audio Rating : 8.5/10
EXTRAS:
It seems there's two distinct types of directors, those who embrace the DVD
format and are eager to share the movie magic with their audience and those
who either dislike the format or don't wish to share as much information
about their work. Luckily Baz Luhrmann is in the former category rather
then that latter as he released what I feel was the DVD of the year "Moulin
Rouge" which was jammed packed with just about everything a fan could want.
His single disc "Special Edition" release of "Romeo and Juliet" also
contains a fair bit of bonus material. So I was looking forward to seeing
what he would offer on this release.
In typical Bazmark fashion, Baz has agreed to sit down and discuss the
film that is "Strictly Ballroom". This time around he's joined by
production designer Catherine Martin (Moulin Rouge), and choreographer John
"Cha Cha" O'Connell. Luhrmann appears to be a big fan of DVD format and the
opportunities the audio commentary gives film makers as this is his 4th
commentary and he's only directed three movies. This is also the third
time Catherine Martin has sat down to record commentary. By this point in
the review, it should be fairly clear that I really respect the work Baz
and crew are doing and so it was with great anticipation that I sat down to
listen to this track. The discussion here really divides itself nicely
between interesting production notes and just plain fun as they look back
at the start of a revolutionary form of cinema. All the participants have
loads of information to share about the struggle to get the film off the
ground, the limitations caused by the film's $3 million Australian dollar
budget (approx $1 million US) and the casting problems. I found the track
quite lively and to be more of a discussion between friends then a simple
narration. Lurhmann and Co point out a number of extras who have gone on to
appear in other motion pictures including "Moulin Rouge". It's the perfect
mix of fun and frolic and informative chatter and I hope that Luhrmann
continues to comment on his films in the future.
"Samba to Slow Fox" is a documentary on Australian dance competitions in
the mid 1980s. It is said that this film is what inspired "Strictly
Ballroom" but to be completely honest with you it's a rather repetitive and
dry piece of film making. It's not that the subject matter isn't
interesting as the feature film proves that even the most simplistic
activity can make for a riveting film it's that it's rather boring. It
moves entirely to slow for it's own good and contains far too many
interview clips and not enough dancing. In one segment there's an interview
with some kids and their family and while the segment only lasts a little
over 2 minutes, it seems like 30. The beginning is similar to the end and
it just feels as if nothing has been accomplished. The short is missing
it's purpose. Still It's nice to have a non promotional type documentary
which is somewhat of a rarity outside of New Line's "Infinifilm Series"
discs but this one just lacks the kick it needs to make it interesting. At
30 minutes, this documentary truly overstays it's welcome.
It seems as though it was just the other day when I last talked about how
still galleries are presented on DVD and how studios should try new and
inventive multimedia approaches to the otherwise static content. It appears
as though Miramax was reading my mind with the animated presentation in the
"Design Gallery". Split into 5 sections (backstage snapshots, production
design, promotional, Baz's Family Album, and Scott and Fran) this is the
one of only a handful of discs taking this approach. Add to this the fact
that 4 of the 5 galleries feature narration by Director Baz Luhrmann and
you have yourself a winning group of still images. I only wish this had
been longer.
Rounding out the disc we have a Sneak Peek gallery which features trailers
for other Miramax films including "Chocolat", "Purple Noon", "Artemisia",
"Young Girls of Rochefort", "Blow Dry", "Basquait". Sadly there is no
trailer for "Strictly Ballroom".
It should also be noted that's there an easter egg on the disc that when
selected unlocks a deleted scene.
Director Baz Luhrmann has described this film as his smallest and most
personal and therefore this disc has considerably less in the extra section
then his more over the top cinematic projects. However this is still a Baz
Luhrmann disc and whatever he contributes is fine by me as he manages to
achieve a high level of quality without sacrificing quantity. There's no
better example of that then his 2 disc SE of "Moulin Rouge".
Extras Rating : 8/10
Additional Canadian Edition Notes
Lions Gate Home Entertainment owns the distribution rights to "Strictly
Ballroom" in Canada and up until this point had released the title in a
terrible bare bones edition with a pan-and-scan Full Frame transfer. This
came as a disappointment to Canadian fans who had to resort to importing
Miramax's excellent Special Edition. Now Lions Gate rectifies this
situation by releasing Miramax's SE in Canada on 6/18. The only differences
between the releases is that instead of an insert Lions Gate simply places
the chapter list on the back cover. In what might be considered a tradeoff
they do present a lovely film themed image on the disc itself whereas the
Miramax released was a generically labelled disc like the vast majority of
Buena Vista releases.
Final Thoughts:
"Moulin Rouge" opened my eyes to this director who I had previously shut
out after "Romeo and Juliet" and "Strictly Ballroom" opened them all that
much wider. Lurhmann's ability to draw the viewer into even the most
simplistic story through unconventional techniques is truly remarkable.
This film shows hints of what's to come and takes a subject matter I would
normally dismiss and really makes me care about the characters. Miramax's
DVD offers surprisngly good audio/video quality as well as a strong audio
commentary track and some other decent extras. As a DVD it's no match for
"Moulin Rouge" but the film is a winner as is the DVD in it's own ways.
Highly Recommended for fans of "Moulin Rouge" or inventive cinema at its
finest.
Disc Rating : 8/10
Note: This disc will eventually be included in an upcoming "Red Curtain Trilogy" box set, with "Moulin Rouge" and the upcoming Special Edition of Lhurmann's "Romeo and Juliet". All 3 will also be available on their own.
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