Every week starting from the week beginning January 20 students will be required to write a minimum of 1 blog entry on the movie that we have watched in class. This entry will be due every Tuesday at 12 noon exactly ONE WEEK after the previous weeks film screening.

Your blog entries may take one of many different approaches: you can reflect on parts of the film that you found interesting or had an impact on you. You can describe how this film illustrates a particular psychological theory or idea. You can link part of the film to your own life experiences. You can critique the film, describing what you liked or disliked about the story or the acting. You can even set up links to other films or TV shows that share similar themes to the film.

The blog entry should be a minimum of 300 words.

Note that your lecturer, tutor and fellow classmates will be given access to this blog so please use your discernment when deciding what to write and share.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Movie Review 2: Strictly Ballroom (6.8/10)

 "A life lived in fear is a life half-lived"
- Fran, Strictly Ballroom (1992)
In the film "Strictly Ballroom", dancing was presumably used because of director Mark Anthony "Baz" Lurhmann's exposure to the art by his mother, a ballroom dancer. This provided him with the adequate knowledge regarding the competitive nature of the different ballroom dances, especially Paso Doble, which he used to portray Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio) and Fran's (Tara Morice) expression of freedom. The choice of Paso Doble, a dance symbolising a fight between a bull and a matador, was Lurhmann's way of showing the Davis-vs.-Goliath like battle Scott was facing against the Australian Dancing Federation.

Elements of social influences were evident throughout the film. Scott constantly faced pressure by his mother to conform to Federation rules, while Fran's father discouraged and ridiculed it. Early in the film, Liz Holt complies with dancing partner Scott's new steps whilst taking part in a dancing competition. Being put in a situation where she had to respond immediately, Liz found herself regretting it at hindsight. Also, Doug Hastings was pressured into long-term submission and obedience by his peers and wife. He, instead of retaliating, swore off dancing after being betrayed by all of them. However, it was Federation President Barry Fife who was adept in making others comply to him. He discouraged new steps by labelling them as "crowed pleasers", threatened to revoke teaching licenses, and used much flattery and ingratiation to direct dancers whichever way he wills.

Personally, I enjoyed the film primarily due to Lurhmann's satirical directing style, from the music (Blue danube, Carmen, Time after time, Love is in the air) to the cinematography (exaggerated close-ups, interchanging high-angle and low-angle shots). While the actors performances were decent, the best scene was undoubtably when Scott broke the fourth wall. Mercurio managed to compress and deliver the character's frustration in one word, and share this confiding moment of exasperation with the audience, before returning to his/Lurhmann's satirical world.

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)