All That Jazz (1979)
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Presentation:
For someone that doesn’t like Broadway or musicals, this film did not convert me despite clearly having great moments. The cinematography in this film is quite good and most importantly the dance performances are well choreographed. This is more Broadway dancing than it is spontaneous singing in the rain, which I think will make it more palatable to non-musical fans. Compared to lighter musicals, this film exudes greatness with its art house storytelling of Bob Fosse’s abstract biographical reflections. The core story is actually compelling and by the end of the film we really understand his show biz world. Roy Schneider is not someone you would expect as a dancer, but he does nail the drug-using womanizer. Tonally, this is not your typical campy jazz hand waving you associate with and instead has a darker and sexier tone.
Conclusion:
What this film does really well is ironically not feel like a musical. With a strong anchor on the story, we think they are watching rehearsals when in reality we are actually watching the real thing. A film within a film, by the end of it you realize, “Oh yeah, that really was a 2 hour musical, wasn’t it?” It’s almost deceptive how slyly he incorporates the seamless dance numbers, which perfectly fit in the surreal dream sequences. Although I don’t think this will convert people outside of the industry, it is objectively novel and has a similar prestige as The Sound of Music. Unfortunately, I was unable to divorce the story from the musical context, which still made me lose interest. I’m just not into musicals at all, but if you’re the same and want to give this a chance, it should be able to break through to some because this is still one of the greatest musical classics in cinema.
Recommendations
It’s showtime!