Shall we dance?
An experienced ballroom dancer who believes in "dancing his own steps" and
a beginner, take on the Australian Pan Pacific Championships to show the
Ballroom Confederation that there are new steps.
Strictly Ballroom was released in 1992 and is the first film in Luhrmann’s Red Curtain trilogy. It was the first film ever directed by Baz Luhrmann, and it was with this film that he established his unique style.
The opening for the Red Curtain trilogy was established by this film. The opening of the films consist of a red curtain being opened much like one would in a live theatre performance. As per Baz Luhrmann’s style, it makes it clear to the viewer that they are watching a performance and not a slice of real life.
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As all the films in the Red Curtain Trilogy, ‘Strictly Ballroom’ centralizes on a specific theatre motif. In this film Luhrmann explores the device of Dance, he emphasizes this by the use of specific camera movements in reflection to what is occurring on screen.
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As mentioned by Corrigan and White (115) ” Movement in movies re-creates a part of the human experience that could be represented only with the advent of film technology(…) the camera can move by panning, tilting, or tracking and refocus through adjusting the lens in a zoom” During the waltz in the opening dance scene, long and flowing tracking shots and pan shots are used.
This then contrasted by the fast and erratic movements of the characters in the Latin dance scene. Luhrmann has the camera movements reflect Scott’s erratic dancing and movements by changing the pacing of the shots to long continuous shots of him, and quick cuts to capture the reactions of the bystanders as it moves freely around the
ballroom. Camera movement is also used to reflect the level of skill a character has as a dancer. In contrast to Scott the character of Fran is vastly less experienced and this is shown in the movements of the camera. In the following clip Fran’s inexperience is shown though the acting and camera movement between 20 mins and 22 mins. The camera movement around Fran is very sparse, there is no fluidity or flow to the movement. The camera merely tracks the characters as they move with no complex shots, tracking or framing. However Fran’s skill at dancing improves as the movie progresses and Luhrmann introduces similar techniques that he used during the Latin dancing featuring Scott. Again his cuts are very quick during certain aspects of the scene and long continuous shots are used to add a sense of flow and fluidity. Strictly Ballroom is an exceptional first film for the Red Curtain Trilogy. Baz Luhrmann uses camera movement in a very creative and subtle way in order to reflect the actions and skills of the characters in the shot. With it’s complex and beautifully choreographed dance numbers it is truly a fantastic viewing experience for the whole family.
1. The title "Strictly Ballroom" gives us the idea & impression of very stern & rules in a very rigid & strict environment with many expectations & restrictions. It also implies the concept of very orthodox textbook ballroom dancing which is very stiff & done exactly in a specific way which it's expected to be done.
Even though both films are highly reviewed, they both follow the same plot, but then have some major and minor differences. Herbert Ross and Craig Brewer directed an outstanding dancing film, that most American’s like looking at the reviews of the
How the film techniques used by Baz Luhrman to influence the portrayal and development of characters in the film Strictly Ballroom?
When the lights come up the audience is immediately thrown into an old and dingy movie theatre complete with popcorn strewn across the floor. It is within this set that deep social commentary is made throughout the
From the reading, I was most interested in the section regarding ballet training. The text states the recommended age for ballet training is eight years old. I truly thought this was crazy because I started ballet at three years old. The text also explains that children who are preparing for ballet classes typically wear soft glove slippers on their feet to allow them to get used to the feeling of Pointe shoes. When I first began ballet class, my instructor encouraged us to purchase ballet shoes until we were ten years old. At the age of ten, we were given the option to begin using Pointe shoes. I remember I was so excited to get my first pair of Pointe shoes because I thought they were stunning and graceful, until my feet began to bleed.
The women who exert the greatest influence on the life of Scott Hastings are Sherley Hastings, Fran and Yaya (Frans grandmother), this will be explored with reference to the film strictly ballroom as a whole.
My first choice was a ballet piece named La Sylphide. La Sylphide is a story about a young Scottish man named James who is soon to be wed. He falls asleep and has an intricate dream about a beautiful sylphide, which is a spirit. In his dream they dance and he soon falls in love with the sylphide. When he awakes, he soon forgets about the sylphide and focuses on his fiancée.
“Strictly Ballroom” is a unique film created by Australian, Baz Luhrmann to comedically represent competitive ballroom dancing. The film Strictly Ballroom was directed and co-written by Baz Luhrmann, screenplay was written with the help of Craig Pearce and Andrew Bevel. This film was Baz Lohmann’s debut movie after finding success in theatre. Strictly Ballroom was set in Sydney, during the early 90s. Consequently, there are many diverse aspects to this film however, one that stands out is the theme of “family relationships and conflict”, which is present in this film through costume, language and camera angles.
... like Szpilman is gradually getting into that becoming a pianist phase and how the film overall has increased his confidence. The camera then zooms into his hand playing the piano showing the audience what to focus on. One hand has a lot of light towards it whilst the other hand is dark, which could mean that maybe his other hand will be in the light as he continues to play the piano, which is his lifelong dream. Then the camera zooms out showing us what else is in the frame. The director does this to show the audience that we should focus on where the light is coming from. The curtains have quite a detailed pattern on them which suggests that the room might have belonged to a professional and wealthy pianist. This might suggest that Szpilman is almost as if he is bringing the room back to life. This is shown with the different parts of the room covered with light.
The famous Australian director that is Baz Luhrmann has a modern cinematic eye, therefore always evolving, keeping up with the modern generation and most importantly writing for the modern generation. “The Great Gatsby” and “Strictly Ballroom” depicts the constant changing and conforming along with the development of music and fashion.
Not only does Tony’s dancing accentuate his violent energy, but it also accentuates the quirks of the other dancers in the 2001 Odyssey. All of these people seem to be possessed by vitality and pride, yet Tony is clearly depicted as being better than most, if not all, of his peers. Everyone’s dancing is fluid yet strictly choreographed, showing how much these dancers, who feast on style and arrogance, can’t afford to be sloppy.
In “The Great Gatsby” and “Strictly Ballroom” directed by Baz Luhrmann, it is evident that he is fond of outlandish visuals and intense music woven thought the movie. In both films, “The Great Gatsby” and “Strictly Ballroom”, characterization and symbolism are key features that Baz Luhrmann uses in order to grasp the audience and enhance the meaning and effect of his films, and how his techniques developed throughout the years.
The long take shots and lack of close ups create a fluid visual style and continuous environment that adds to this realistic feel. Andre Bazin argues that the coming of sound film made viewers more passive as they were now getting the director’s vision rather than their own. However, he claims that deep-focus cinematography creates more ambiguity and consequently a more active viewing experience. The elaborate masquerade party thrown in celebration of Jurieux’s success is an excellent example of the active viewing experience Renoir created in the film. Through camera movement and minimal cutting, Renoir takes advantage of the entire space of the estate and fills the frame with action in the fore, middle, and background. An underlying theme throughout The Rules of the Game was its scathing critique of both the aristocracy and society more generally, and this sequence not only critiques the exorbitant lifestyle of the wealthy, but also the working class’s attempts to imitate their superiors. The sequence begins with a play put on by several guests. Renoir allows the audience to entirety of room during the play by first panning to left of the stage and then zooming out as the frame displays a collection of guests seated in chairs, as well as additional guests along the back
Dancing is a beautiful form of expression that reveals a good deal about a person in a matter of minutes. Characters that dance in plays and novels usually flash some sort of underlying meaning pertaining to their story, shining light on themselves, other characters, and the movement of the action. In Ibsen's A Doll's House, Nora's performance of the tarantella summarizes the plot of the entire play.
Analysis of Movie Moulin Rouge In this essay I will be analyzing in depth four scenes from Baz Luhrmann's critically acclaimed Moulin Rouge that was released in 2000. I will be analyzing the opening sequence, the sequence in the Moulin Rouge itself, the two dancing sequences 'Like a Virgin' and 'Tango Roxanne' and the final scenes of the film. Throughout this essay I will be commenting on the filming techniques that Luhrmann uses and what affects these have on the audience, also I will be analyzing how the film is similar and different to typical Hollywood Musicals.