Miramax | 1992 | 94 mins. | PG
If asked to describe director Australian director Baz Luhrmann in one word, I might use hyper-stylized—watching Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge and the epic Australia take you to a hyper-stylized universe where everything is almost cartoonishly exaggerated, yet the campy trappings are welcomed by many (The one exception to that rule, Australia, was just a straight out disappointment). However, if you’re a film fan whose never appreciated Luhrmann’s style, you might want to give his first film, 1992’s Strictly Ballroom, a shot. A rather subdued piece of work, the film is a funny, yet bizarre love story set in the world of professional ballroom dancing.
Luhrmann began work on Strictly Ballroom as a drama student, and then reworked to become an award-winning production at a Czech theater festival, and still further retooled into a successful stage show. In bringing it to the screen, Luhrmann created the first of what he now refers to as his “red-curtain cinematic form,” using a highly stylized, theatrical presentation to tell a simple, classic story, with lots of self-aware film references thrown in for good measure.
Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio) was raised to be a champion of ballroom dance. He and his parents, Doug and Shirley (Barry Otto and Pat Thomson), former dance competitors themselves, want Scott to win the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix Championships, the biggest prize on the circuit. While Scott wants to win, he also wants to try some of his own dance steps. Unfortunately for him, his parents and the Australian Dance Federation won’t allow it. His partner is so flustered by it all; she leaves him in the dust. With little choice, Scott takes on an eager, but in experienced partner. Fran (Tara Morice) has promise, but she’s a bit of a klutz and somewhat plain looking for the world of ballroom dance. Nevertheless, they develop a Spanish dance routine, and, of course, she develops into a lovely young woman. I bet you can guess the rest from there…
The film’s radiantly lit colors are presented in 1.74:1 widescreen ratio, enhanced for 16×9 televisions. The transfer is only average by DVD standards, reasonably well defined, considering the amount of color on screen, but not perfect, with a small amount of noticeable grain in some scenes. Color and shading differentiation in light and dark areas are not always the best, either, and there is a thin veneer or patina of gloss to the image’s appearance.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is loud and fairly immersive, with plenty of action in the rear channels. The surrounds are used mainly for musical ambiance, and the fronts do a good job conveying clean, clear dialogue.
We get the following special features:
From Stage to Screen (23:21): In this exclusive featurette, which features Baz Luhrmann in an extended interview. He discusses the development of the story, elaborating on its history through two previous stage versions and the process of becoming a motion picture. It also reveals the reason behind why the film’s dedicated to …, which is actually a heartfelt story. This mini-doc, though short, certainly warrants the attention of the film’s fans.
The following were released on previous DVD editions:
Audio Commentary with Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, and John O’Connell, a vintage mini-doc on Australian professional dancers entitled Samba to Slow Fox (30:15, 4×3), as well as a Deleted Scene (1:56, non-16×9 Letterbox) and a Design Gallery.
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