STRICTLY BALLROOM

Australia, 1992, 94 minutes, Colour.
Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice, Barry Otto, Bill Hunter, Pat Thomsen, Peter Whitford, Gia Carides, Kris McQuade?.
Directed by Baz Luhrmann.

Strictly Ballroom is a very entertaining film. Prize-winner at Cannes and the Australian Film Institute Awards, it originated as a play in workshop with its actor-director Baz Luhrman. The play was developed and taken overseas where it won awards in Europe. It was then turned into the screenplay of the present film.

The film is reminiscent of David Williamson's play The Club (filmed by Bruce Beresford in 1980). The surface is ballroom dancing in an Australian inner city. Under the surface are family tensions as well as the politics in an organisation such as that for ballroom dancing.

The characterisations are excellent. Paul Mercurio is not only an excellent dancer but acts well in the central role. He is well supported by Tara Morice as the rather mouse-like would-be dander who, Cinderella-like, turns into the star. A range of older character actors exaggerate, with warmth, some of the politician and parent characters: Barry Otto is superb as Mercurio's father, Pat Thompson as his mother; Peter Woodford as the dance coach, Bill Hunter as the president of the association.

The dancing is entertaining, the costumes lavish, the poses of the ballroom dancers both serious and caricature. There is enough to delight people who enjoy dancing (with some flamenco dancing added in). There is also sufficient irony for those who like some substance to the glittering surface.

1. The appeal and impact of the film? Success and awards?

2. The basis in a play, a play in a workshop, the development of the screenplay for stage and then for screen? The transition? The quality of the direction, the dialogues and interactions? The dance sequences?

3. The Australian inner city, the more rundown suburbs: the hall, shops, the streets? The atmosphere of the inner city (rooftops with Coca-Cola? signs)? The inside world of the ballroom? The glamour and the glitz?

4. Costumes? Decor? Actual costumes - with the caricature and the ironic touch Make-up and artificiality? Sparkle (even in the credits and the title)? The flashbacks for the older generation and the artificial style of make-up and decor?

5. The range of the musical score, classics, The Blue Danube, ballroom music, Latin-American? music, Spanish, modern songs?

6. The structure of the film: the initial interviews with names and explanations, the building up of the initial episode, the disaster, the consequences? The heightened way of speaking, vocabulary choice - as if it were a national crisis? The Pan Pacific competition, ballroom dancing and the rules? The videoing of the dancing? The flashbacks?

7. The basic mythical stories that appeal to audiences: the hero and his achievement, his independence from parents? The hero as the rebel against artificial rules? The Cinderella story? The interaction of politics? Family and independence?

8. The dancing, the styles, the glamour, costumes, choreography, accepted moves, the rules, developing new moves? The dancers and their artificial smiles? The sponsors, the judges, the rowdy Australian supporters?

9. Scott as hero, his performance, his dancing out of the ordinary, his partnership with Liz, the accepted style? His parents and their affirmation of him? The episode, the dancing, his being trapped by Ken, his own initiative and steps, the achievement, Liz and her bewilderment, the audience acclaim? The judgment - and their losing, anger?

10. The portrait of Scott: within his family, mother and father and sister? The training, his ability in dancing, hopes, the Pan Pacific competition? The pressures on him? The clash with Liz and her walking out? The search for a partner, the collage of auditions and the range of possible partners and their styles? Liz and his advice, training, the rules? Barry and his dominating of the association? His mother and her happy face, pressures? Not noticing Fran, the chance meeting, heir talking, her challenge to him, his beginning to teach her, at home with her, the practices, spending the weeks in training, on the rooftop? Her achievement? Taking her home, her family, the dare about the flamenco dancing, his performance, their training him to dance? The experience and exhilaration of learning, the flamenco? Dancing with the head and with the heart, pretending and not pretending? The plans for the final, the politics and his having Tina Sparkle as partner? The discussions and the family mix-up about Fran? The clash, his dancing with her, the confrontation? His choice and pursuit of Fran? Barry, the story of his mother and father, Les and his discovery of the fixing of the dance? Doug and his wanting to talk to his son, Scott being too busy, finally listening to his father? The dancing, the removal of the socket and the music stopping? His father clapping and everybody joining in? Success and achievement?

11. Fran, mousy, the slapstick and her being in everybody's way, behind the door? Clashes with Liz? The beginning, working around the hall? Her wanting to dance, rehearsing? Meeting Scott, challenging him, her gradually being transformed as she improves in the dancing? Her appearance? Going home, her grandmother, the clash with her father? Forbidden to go out, her pretending to help a friend? Her hopes, Scott and his going into the house, the family teaching him the dancing? The final, her dancing in the amateur section? Her disappointment, pretending to be injured? Hurt? The reconciliation - and the achievement?

12. Scott's mother, the initial interviews, her melodramatic way of talking, make-up, her hair, her code of behaviour, giving her life to dancing? Her spurning her husband, considering him boring? At the dance hall, the training, with Les? Being nice to the girls? Putting on her "happy face"? With Barry, training her daughter, her hopes for Scott? Her becoming desperate, her plea to Scott? The flashback, her dancing with Doug? The true story? Doug, quiet and in the background, his paunch, silence? Videoing his son - and watching it later? The locker full of trophies? Being spurned by his wife, by Les and Barry? Dancing in private? The truth about his dancing, the flashback and his style, the finale and his being ousted, Shirley decision against him, losing? The final confrontation with Shirley? Urging Scott on, clapping and providing the Beat?

13. Les, his appearance, weak, manner? The instructor and coach? At the competition, At work, dancing style, treatment of people, with Shirley? The rules? His attitude towards Scott, the threats? The clashes with Barry? The finale, his exposing Barry? His place in the flashbacks?

14. Barry, the judges and the panel, their behaviour, sitting enthroned, observing The conservative? The boss? His relationship with his fellow judge? Stickler by the rules, the plans, public relations, interviews? His attitude towards Scott, dominating him? The plans for Ken, Ken's failure? Tina Sparkle as Scott's partner? His backing of Wayne, getting Wayne to spy on Scott? The plot - Wayne overhearing it, pulling the plug out of socket? His being thwarted? His place in the flashback?

15. The flashback to 1967, the actors made up to look younger, artificial? Lighting? The dancing, the flare, performance? Interactions between Doug and Shirley, Barry and Les?

16. Liz, Scott's partner, her ambitions, upset in the crisis, unable to follow his dancing? Standing by the rules? Her tantrums? Going with Ken, performing with him, their clash, his drinking? Her being dumped by Ken, returning to Scott - and being left standing?

17. Ken, his hair, appearance, smile? His partner - and Liz wanting her to be injured and to be asked by Ken to be partner, it happening? Ken and his drinking? Dumping Liz? Wayne, his job, ambitions? Partner? Spying on Scott? Barry's plans and overhearing them, telling the truth? The other competitors?

18. The little girl, her comment on the family situations, Shirley's reactions to her? Her partner? The little boy and girl images of the adults? Trying to rectify the music at the end?

19. The judges, their style, establishment, Pomposity?

20. The Spanish family, the strictness, in the suburbs, their shop? The grandmother and her care for Fran? Her father, his tantrums? Forbidding her to go out? Scott's arrival, the dance, the instruction? The happy times of dancing? In the competition, the finale?

21. Themes of the Australian family, the place of the mother, the silent father? Pressure on children? Ballroom dancing as highlighting the cultural interactions of family? The contrast with the Spanish family and the pressures?

22. Ballroom dancing, tradition? Its place in suburban peoples lives? The politics - mirroring broader society? Strictly Ballroom as a microcosm?