FLASHDANCE

US, 1983, 95 minutes, Colour.
Jennifer Beals, Michael Nouri, Lilia Skala.
Directed by Adrian Lyne.

Flashdance is an entertaining musical of the early '80s. It is very much influenced by the popular video clip style and the promotion of popular songs.

The Pittsburgh setting is used quite well and there is Mawbys, a bar where foundry workers recreate in the evenings - which has stage facilities like a Broadway theatre. Here, Alex does aerobic dancing. She also has ambitions to be a ballet dancer. In fact, the story is the conventional one (from Rocky to A Star Is Born) whereby she has a chance to audition and build for herself a new career. Jennifer Beals (who did not do all the dancing) is a vivacious heroine. There are some good numbers in the video clip style. The showpiece is 'Flashdance ? What a Feeling' sung by Irene Kara. Direction is by Adrian Lyne who directed the film about youth in Los Angeles, Foxes.

1. Popular entertainment of the early '80s? Musical - with the Rocky and Saturday Night Fever overtones? Aerobic dancing? The American dream and success?

2. The quality of the music and production? The work of Giorgio Moroda? Irene Kara and the title song? The range of music selected? Its atmosphere, feel?

3. The video clip style and the influence of television? Lighting, compositions, movement? Editing?

4. The title and the focus on dance? The presentation of ballet and ballet traditions? Formal dancing? Mawbys and spontaneous and creative dancing? Alex and her exercises and keeping fit? Aerobics?

5. The title and its tone? the focus on the flashiness, the flash of an instant? The title song and 'What a Feeling? The use of the title song throughout the film?

6. The background of Pittsburgh - the steel city of America, the look of the city, its feel, authentic locations, the streets, the mills? Society and restaurants, theatre? Mawbys and the recreation of the workers? The Zanzibar Strip Joint? The foundries, the steelworkers, recreation? Dreams and transcending life in Pittsburgh?

7. The introduction to Alex - audience reaction to discover a girl working in the factory? independent, living in the warehouse, her apartment set-up? Her love for her dog? Her exercises and keeping fit? Welding and work? Her being accepted into the world of the workers? Her release with her dancing at Mawbys? Her relationship with the girls there? The exhilaration of her dancing? The visits to Hannah and the dreams of ballet? Her lack of education? Her hopes? The audience identifying with Alex? Working girls identifying with her and her dreams?

8. The visit to the ballet school, wanting to enrol, her sense of embarrassment with those waiting for practice? The visits to Hannah and the memories? The visit to the ballet and her delight? The talking with Hannah and Alex feeling the possibility of the future? Her promise to Hannah to enrol? The sadness of the discovery of her death?

9. Alex at work, the men, the encounter with Nick and his seeing her at Mawbys? The sharing of discussions? Her falling in love with him? The meal, the visit to her apartment, the beginning of the affair? Her happiness with Nick, the visit to the ballet, her jealousy of his wife, the smashing of the window? The reconciliation and the workers applauding? The audition and her joy - the tunnel and her realising that Nick has arranged the audition, her walking and the cars screeching to a halt in the tunnel? The end and Nick and the dog waiting for her? Her strength of love and relationship?

10. The routines at Mawbys, the girls and their problems, discussions? Hoping for men to come along? The ageing dancer and her story about her dresses ? and not wanting to wear them anymore? A possible future for Alex?

11. Alex as a person, her charm, her ability to relate to people yet her insecurities? The significance of the confession sequences, talking about herself and her feelings, her return to confession before the audition?

12. Nick as the self-made man? His relationship with his men? The outings at Mawbys and his enjoying them? Attraction to Alex? Dating her. going home with her? The jealousy and his mansion? The dinner ? and the sarcastic encounter with his wife? His arranging the audition? Alex's hostility? The end? The sketch of a self-made man?

13. Hannah and the touch of class and ballet? Her memories? The visit to the ballet? Her urging Alex to enrol? Alex’s visit? and the bald news 'She died yesterday'?

14. The girls at Mawbys? Jeannie as an attractive girl. waitress, her ambitions with skating. her practice. her relationship with her parents, Richie and his wanting to be a comedian and leaving her in Pittsburgh? The importance of the skating audition - the atmosphere of the audition, 'Gloria' as the music? Her skill,. her fall, her collapse? Her disappointment? The support of her father? Her mother? Alex? Her going downhill? The men from the Zanzibar? Her going across? Her posing nude? Alex's going down and rescuing her?

15. Richie and his work in the kitchen. the comedy style? His ambitions in Los Angeles? His coming to say farewell to Alex? His return? Relationship with Jeannie? The owner of Mawbys and his enjoyment of his place, music? The contrast with the Zanzibar and the two toughs who managed it? Their visits to Mawbys? Their recruiting the girls? Jeannie?

16. A contrived piece of entertainment - very much on the wavelength of young audiences of the 80s?