You may not know his face, but you'll definitely know his name. With a name like 'Baz Luhrmann' it is nearly unforgettable. He's a writer and director. Have a look at this dapper figure (Photo 2013):
And, you'll know the name, because he was the man behind films like Strictly Ballroom, The Moulin Rouge and Romeo and Juliet, not to forget The Great Gatsby.
I wonder if he gave himself that by line? 'From visionary director...'.
Let's face it, he's worked with some of the biggest stars in the world, and all of his films are iconic - they each have a certain musicality, and the cinematography stands out for all the right reasons - I think it's his play between the light and dark scenes, and the creation of the over-the-top characters - paired with his cuts in and out of high energy scenes to subdued moments. To be cliche, he takes us on rollercoasters.
Who can forget Shakespeare's Mercutio? A well respected and fierce member of the Montague family; standing by Romeo's side - until Baz Lurhmann put him in, ugh, this:
His celebration of decadence is perhaps his directorial signature, The Great Gatsby could certainly be accused of going over-the-top:
And so, when I say that this man can inspire dance - I'd hope you'd believe it! In fact, you could say he can-can-can:
Want to know what else were big? His budgets Romeo and Juliet had a 14.5 million USD budget. The Moulin Rouge had a 52.5 million USD budget. The Great Gatsby came in at 105 million USD budget. His epic, Australia, cost a mere 130 million USD budget.
And, his classic Australian film from 1992? The one that played just about every other weekend on free-to-air tele? The one that pretty much every Australia has seen as part of their 'growing up rituals', the one you watch with your Nan?
At a budget of 2.2 million USD, of course I'm talking about the one starring this lady:
And this handsome couple:
(OK, so it's a long way from Leonarod DiCaprio) Of course, I'm talking about 'Strictly Ballroom'.
In a nutshell:
Scott is one of the best dancers in the country, and he has been paired with the lovely Tina Sparkle. This is his big chance to win one of the biggest ballrooom dancing competitions in the country. Scott's parents run the local ballroom dancing school, and this win could be the culmination of the family's entire raison d'etre. It was the competition his parents didn't win (something shrouded in secrecy).
But - Scott doesn't want to just do 'Strictly ballroom' moves. He wants to be creative, inventive, innovative - this causes Tina Sparkle to crack the shits and leave him. He must now find a new partner. Everyone wants to dance with Scott, but he can't find a partner suitable to his calibre, just ahead of such a big competition.
That's when Fran (the lady above in glasses, who usually is seen in background shots dancing by herself, because she's not quite ready for a partner) steps in. She's clumsy, she's goofy, she doesn't wear anything with sequins - she is not like all the other girls in the film. Scott's mum tells her a bit of make-up wouldn't hurt.
But, her Cinderella story is about to unfold. Scott agrees to give her secret dance lessons when the studio closes. He then has the idea to remove her glasses and tie her hair back, and then, it begins, 'Love is in the air'
And, in one of Australian cinema's most memorable scene, Scott and Fran are dancing on the rooftop in front of the laundry on the clothesline, with a giant Coca Cola billboard flashing red behind them. It must be love, because Scott has asked Fran to partner him in the championships.
Scott and Fran are then taught dance, not be Scott's dancing teacher parents, but in the backyard of Fran's house, with trains going past. In this poor urban setting, there is life and joy - and Spanish dance is a way of life:
Then it's the big day, much to the embarrassment of Scott's mother, her son takes to the floor with Fran, and they are disqualified for their flashy moves:
Some people (Scott's mum, is really not happy with the dancing choices, or the dancing partner. Scott should be with a blonde lady - why has he picked the only brunette in the film?)
The power is cut, the lights dim, as the couple are asked to leave the floor. And then, 'Clap / Clap / Clap' - the rhythm of the heart is tapped out. The couple are back at Fran's house, as Fran's grandmother taps Scott's chest, 'Listen to the music with your heart'.
The couple begin to dance to the rhythm, bringing the Pasa Doble to life - the music starts again, and they are the only couple on the floor. The film builds to its crescendo:
They may have lost the Pan Pacific Championships, but the crowd roars - it's like we're at a football match - and every couple in the auditorium takes to the floor, celebrating love, celebrating dance. The Cinderella narrative is complete -
Have a look at this key scene from the film, it is absolutely iconic - as Scott enters the dance floor on his knees - you can't help but smile. It took me a while to get here with this post, but it's my favourte moment of dance in cinema:
This post was in response to the fabulous CineTv's Twitter prompt:
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