STAR 80

US, 1983, 100 minutes, Colour.
Mariel Hemingway, Eric Roberts, Cliff Robertson, Roger Rees.
Directed by Bob Fosse.

Star 80 is Bob Fosse's film focusing on Playboy model and Playmate of the Year, Dorothy Stratton, who was embarking on a film career when she was brutally murdered by her estranged husband Paul Snider, who then killed himself. Dorothy Stratton's story was also the subject of a telemovie with Jamie Lee Curtis in the central role.

Star 80 was one of the major Hollywood films of 1983. However, it drew very mixed reactions. For some it was yet another of Bob Fosse's outstanding and interestingly offbeat films. For others it was a confusing and bleak, even prurient look, at the strange phenomenon of stardom and exploitation. The film received no Oscar nominations, though Eric Roberts as Paul Snider had received several awards including a Golden Globe.

Bob Fosse had a successful career as a dancer and then as a Broadway choreographer. His films are Sweet Charity, Cabaret (Oscar-winner 1972), Lennie, and All That Jazz. These films all focus on aspects of the entertainment industry - and all present an offbeat and bleak point of view. Star 80 certainly fits into this group. Fosse seems to be preoccupied by the glamour and its shadow side of exploitation and violence. One of the difficulties with the story of Dorothy Stratten is that she seemed to be a rather insignificant girl (and Mariel Hemingway plays her like this) who fulfilled something of the American dream. In such films as Galaxina she acted very poorly. In Peter Bogdanovich's They All Laughed, she seemed to be developing a comic style. (Peter Bogdanovich is portrayed in Star 80 by Roger Rees as Aram Nicholas, Dorothy's director and strong influence in her life, with whom she was romantically involved.)

while there is the emphasis on the Playboy glamour - with Cliff Robertson as Hugh Hefner - the screenplay seems more interested in the narcissistic and exhibitionist Paul Snider. Eric Roberts (King of the Gypsies, Raggedy Man) gives a highly stylised but striking performance. Carroll Baker appears as Dorothy's mother - with memories of Carroll Baker's early career in Hollywood and her controversial appearance in Baby Doll.

Photography is by Ingmar Bergman's favourite director, Sven Nykvist, there is a soundtrack of original and many contemporary songs. The overall effect of the film is a puzzling collage illustrating an American dream become nightmare.

1. Audience response to the film - interest, entertainment, distance, alienation? The extremely mixed reactions of the public and critics on release?

2. The work of Bob Fosse and his point of view? The bleak perspective on show business and the entertainment industry? The picturing of razzamatazz, glamour, and hype? Picture of achievement and success? The visual arts and performance? Narcissism and exhibitionism? Potential and its being limitless? Yet exploitation, sensationalism and inbuilt destructiveness? Control and breaking out of control? Violence - both emotional and physical? The ugliness of human nature? The shadow side of the human psyche? A constant theme in Fosse's films? His background in music, choreography and comedy? Did these influence this film?

3. Fosse's contribution to the film in his screenplay? The dialogue illustrating his point of view and attitude? His choice of writing about Dorothy Stratten? The importance of Paul Snider?

The screenplay's structure: collage, flashbacks? An emphasis on the presentation of material rather than the linear story? The importance of editing, fadeouts and superimpositions? The mergings of time and incidents? Atmosphere of confusion, puzzle? The demand on the audience to try to put pieces together and understand? The realism of memory operating in this way?

4. The colour photography, its qualities and style: the light of Vancouver, the atmosphere of California, Los Angeles? ordinary lifestyle, the atmosphere of Hugh Hefner and his mansion, photography studios? The elements of darkness and bleakness in the colour?

5. The background score: contemporary songs, new songs? The importance of so many of the lyrics - commenting on Dorothy's rise? Dorothy living a life of the lyrics of pop songs?

6. The intrinsic interest in Dorothy's story: an ordinary young girl in Vancouver. the fantasies and dream of young girls about glamour and success, wealth and attention? The almost too-easy fulfilment of dreams? Yet the nightmare quality? The ultimate reality of nightmare? The comment on the nightmare of the traditional American dream? Dorothy as mildly interesting in herself as a person? Yet the universal interest in her as a Playboy model? The presentation of her in the Playboy layouts (and her comment on so many photos taken)? The artificial style of the photos and their provocativeness? An artificial life story for this kind of Playboy Bunny and model? Her being presented as a man's fantasy playmate? Dorothy as a young girl. as a model. as an aspiring actress? This type of girl as the star of the '80s? The audience view. Paul Snider's view and his making of a star? The contradictions in Dorothy's life? The old story of a star is born - and Star 80 as an ironic '80s variation on this theme - this time with the destruction of both characters?

7. Mariel Hemingway's appearance, performance? A certain naive and deadpan style? Her height, the credibility of her beauty - as Dorothy Stratten and for Playboy? At home, her mother and her sister, her work selling hamburgers etc.? The encounter with Paul, the dates, infatuation? The photography sessions and her overcoming inhibitions? The sexual liaison? Her lies to her mother on the phone (and Paul's later remembering this)? The competitions, the permissions to go to Los Angeles? Her arrival, the naive young girl in L.A.? Her awe of Hefner? The modelling and the layouts? Her ingenuous nature, not knowing what was going on, the parties, the types she met? The phone calls to Paul? His arrival, his taking over her life, managing? Her gratitude? Her response to his erratic behaviour and moods, the humiliations? The possibilities of acting, her poor films, her interviews and mistakes? The introduction to Nicholas and his attraction towards her, taking over her life, making her break with Paul? The tension in the phone calls to New York? Nicholas' handling of her - and his dreams of developing her potential? Her inability to cope? The return to Paul, the arguments, the desperation, the sexual attraction? Her death? The audience trying to understand this life via Fosse's collage and screenplay? The shuffling of time and incidents? How persuasive a portrait of Dorothy?

8. The Playboy world and Hugh Hefner, his values and what he stood for? The Playboy ethos, Its reputation, worldwide influence? Sex. sexuality? Accusations of sexism? Cliff Robertson's portrayal of Hefner - how sympathetic? Parties and entertainment, lavish style, his pyjamas? The host - yet his range of advisers and his business shrewdness? Interest in Dorothy, building her up? His dislike for Snider and refusing his requests? Hefner's reputation, power?

9. Bob Fosse's preoccupation with Paul Snider? The qualities of Eric Roberts' performance? The opening and his narcissism, the mirror, rehearsing his styles? A conman and hustler? His macho image? His erratic responses, indications of violence? The focusing on the aftermath of Dorothy's death and audiences being puzzled, the gradual filling in of the picture? The memoirs of people who knew him - his organising competitions e.g. the Wet Shirt Night? Yet his not getting enough money - and almost-succeeded? Clothes? Attraction towards Dorothy, taking her over, relationship, photos, sexuality? His fascination? The outings, the gifts for the family? The antagonism with Mrs Stratten? Her refusal to be persuaded to sign the permission? His signing it nonetheless? His pushing Dorothy? The phone calls to Los Angeles? His sleazy work at strip joints? His promiscuity? The arrival in Los Angeles, the Hefner car, the first encounter with Hefner and his quoting him, commenting on people's behaviour and remembering all about them e.g. the star in the television series - and the star's antagonism? His pushiness, interfering with the photography sessions, his being edged out of Dorothy's management? The importance of the marriage and his proposal, the desperation of the marriage? The lavish house. the barbecues? His flatting with the doctor friend - and the friend's observations and memoirs? His carpentry and inventions - and the bizarre sexual emphases? Dorothy's growing career and his decline? His organisation of the male strippers' show - again a financial failure? His growing obsession with Dorothy, the distance, suspicions, thinking her lying? Her return, the confrontation and his mad desperation, the violence of the death, the sexual overtones, his suicide? Audience response to Snider? Insight into his character?

10. The ordinariness of the background of Vancouver, hamburger shops, Mrs. Stratton (and Carroll Baker's performance), her concern about her daughter? Dorothy's sister? The interviews?

11. The Playboy layouts, sex provocation - to what purpose? The Playboy layout as a recurring refrain during the film?

12. The background of Hollywood, film-making? Aram Nicholas as a character? Interest in Dorothy, agents and push, interviews, truth and lies, Dorothy's acting inability, her learning, on the verge of a career? Nicholas' influence?

13. The film's portrayal of human nature and its ugliness?, Human nature and its potential - exploitation and destruction? A view of the shadow side of human nature and entertainment?