Preview

Strictly Ballroom

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
15537 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Strictly Ballroom
Study Guide

Strictly
Ballroom

fiieducation

SYNOPSIS
At the Waratah Championships ballroom dancer Scott Hastings goes against Federation rules and impulsively dances his own steps, causing partner Liz Holt to dump him.
Then Fran, ugly duckling of the beginners’ class, offers to be Scott’s new partner.
Initially sceptical, he is persuaded by her ideas, and together they plan to dance their own steps at the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix Championships.
But Scott’s rebelliousness does not go unchallenged. His mother Shirley and coach
Les Kendall try various ways to prevent Scott from dancing with Fran, while corrupt
President Barry Fife plots Scott’s downfall by concocting a story about his parents’ dancing career that will convince him to compete at the Pan-Pacifics without Fran.
All seems lost until Scott’s father Doug reveals the truth. With Barry Fife’s desperate attempts at sabotage having little effect, Scott and Fran complete their spectacular dance to rapturous applause from the crowd. Everyone takes to the dance floor in celebration.

CAST
Scott Hastings
Fran
Barry Fife
Doug Hastings
Shirley Hastings
Liz Holt
Les
Rico
Ya Ya

Paul Mercurio
Tara Morice
Bill Hunter
Barry Otto
Pat Thomson
Gia Carides
Peter Whitford
Antonio Vargas
Armonia Benedito

Ken Railings
Tina Sparkle
Charm Leachman
Wayne Burns

John Hannan
Sonia Kruger
Kris McQuade
Pip Mushin

Vanessa Cronin
Kylie
Luke

Leonie Page
Lauren Hewett
Steve Grace

CREDITS
Director
Producer
Screenplay

Baz Luhrmann
Tristram Miall
Baz Luhrmann and

Running Time

Craig Pearce
94 Minutes

CONTENTS

Introduction

4

Images of Australia

5

Baz Luhrmann’s Vision

7

The World of the Film

10

Hero, Heroine, Villain

14

APPENDICES
A – Baz Luhrmann interview

18

B – Tristram Miall interview

20

C – Sequences for study

22

D – Key moments

23

E – Film language

24

F – Filmography

25

INTRODUCTION
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    twelfth night
    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages

    twelfth night

    While many will agree that Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is critically acclaimed to be one of the most entertaining and well-liked pieces that he has written, there tends to be a discrepancy over how the characters in the play are portrayed when it comes to the importance of gender roles. After reading James C Bulman’s article over the Globe’s more recent performance of Twelfth Night and Shakespeare’s original written version, I realized that there are many ways that this famous piece has been portrayed and each has its own pros and cons.…

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Boston Ballroom Dance Center
    • 76 Words
    • 1 Page

    Boston Ballroom Dance Center

    Boston Ballroom Dance Center is a dance school that is located in Newtown, Massachusetts. The owner and dance instructor Peter Kornel Kovacs has received numerous certifications and awards throughout his career. Their dance programs include intro lesson, social dancing, wedding dance lessons, parent dances, competitive dance sport, private dance lessons, and group class. Their services on wedding dance lessons include first dance lesson, parent dances, rehearsal dinner party group dance lesson, and bachelorette or bridal…

    • 76 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Canada's Sun Dance Interview Analysis
    • 930 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Canada's Sun Dance Interview Analysis

    The journalist also didn’t want to understand the overlying aspects of dance. She does this through interrupting Gillis while she was speaking and using hand motions vastly to express her views of the topic at hand. The journalist also stated that she didn’t understand or know much about the arts, specifically dance. While stating this truth, we see in the interview that she doesn’t try to grasp the many aspects of dance due to her rude behavior and only demanding answers for funding. Throughout the interview, we see these aspects of differences of opinion between Gillis and the journalist that brought these topics into the discussion.…

    • 930 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dances With Wolves
    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Dances With Wolves

    "Dances With Wolves,"� started off in St. David's Field, Tennessee, in 1863. During the Civil War, Lieutenant John J. Dunbar tried to commit suicide by riding right into the path of the Confederate States of America, but instead of being killed, he inspired the rest of the Union to fight, and they won the battle. After the battle, Dunbar was given the choice to any assignment he wanted, and chose to go out West. When he went to his post, he found it empty, but had plenty of provisions for everyone that he thought was there. But, being a true soldier, decided to wait for the other troops. None of them showed up. After a while, he found Indians, who didn't know whether to kill him or make peace with him. Dunbar, however, decided to go make peace, and while riding out to meet them, found an Indian woman trying to commit suicide. He stopped her, and carried her back to the Indian village. The Indians and he both made peace with each other, and became very good friends, giving each other food and clothing. Eventually, the Lieutenant learned the language of the Indians, and also found out that the woman that he saved spoke English, so that they could communicate. The Lieutenant found a friend, which was a wolf, and became friendly with it, letting it eat from his hand. From this knowledge, the Indians named Dunbar, "Dances With Wolves"�. From then on, he helped the Sioux Indians fight against the Pawnee, by giving them guns. During this time, the Indian woman who was actually white but was raised as an Indian and Dances With Wolves fell in love and married. Then, Dances With Wolves told the Indians that more white men were coming, so they moved camp. But Dances With Wolves forgot his journal at his post, and went back to get it, telling the Indians that he would catch up. When he arrived at the post, he found soldiers, who mistook him for an Indian, so they beat him up and chained him.…

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Strictly Ballroom Play Analysis
    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Strictly Ballroom Play Analysis

    Vision is a means of communication of one`s thought and feelings to convey not only “what is” but “what could be”. Each vision reflects the values, altitude, emotion and experience of individual or social groups to express and react to their perception of the world around them. Vision involves a creative intellectual mind and also mental imaginings. Those listening and viewing people`s visions will become intellectual or emotionally connection with the composer`s or actor`s vision. We are all provoked to respond to vision in some away.…

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Blood Brothers Theatre Review
    • 1286 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Blood Brothers Theatre Review

    We visited the Phoenix Theatre on the fourth of October and when we the play started…

    • 1286 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    citizen kane sequence analysis
    • 1602 Words
    • 5 Pages

    citizen kane sequence analysis

    Mise-en-scene, cinematography and editing are visual elements in film that create meaning in the shots/sequences of the film. Ultimately it is these factors that can establish narrative agents and their relations, drive the narrative and place the view in a certain point of view of the narrative. Orson Welle’s 1941 film, Citizen Kane, is considered significant for its technical innovations with its use of deep focus lenses, low angles, high contrast lighting, long takes and dissolves. In my essay I will be analyzing the sequence depicting Kane’s “Declaration of Principles.” I will show how the elements of mise-en-scene, the cinematography and editing choices help to visually depict Kane as a powerful subject, establish narrative conflict and create perspective within the sequence.…

    • 1602 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Belonging - Strictly Ballroom
    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Belonging - Strictly Ballroom

    The film, “Strictly Ballroom”, demonstrates the difficulty in expressing one’s individuality because of the rules and regulations enforced by cultures and governing bodies. It begins with opening scene presenting a silhouette of the ballroom world, which is a metaphor used to set the criteria of belonging. The synchronisation of each dance partner shows the forceful conformist nature to belong. The use of high angle shots of Scott and Fran dancing on the roof of the studio portrays their isolation and alienation from the rest of the ‘dance world’, expressing the effort they must undertake to express their individuality. The restrictiveness of this world is highlighted by the antagonist Barry Fife. His dictorial nature is presented in the close up of his mouth in which he quotes, “You can dance any steps you like, but that doesn’t mean you’ll win”. This image, elaborates his influential power of his position as he proposes that no new dance styles can be performed. This creates a barrier to belong along-side…

    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Conflict In A Separation

    • 279 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Conflict In A Separation

    - She is caught in the middle of conflict he lays onus on her to direct his choices…

    • 279 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Cabaret
    • 718 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Cabaret

    Cabaret provides for its audience an animated and a uniquely exciting dramatization of Berlin, Germany just before the Second World War. The story of many Germans living in an uncertain world is shown through just a few characters. Life is a cabaret, or so the famed song goes. After watching "Cabaret," you'll agree to an extent, but also realize how unsettling the assertion is. Taking place in the early 1930s, a portrait of life in decadent Berlin, is both uplifting and grim. Not your typical musical, it is comedic and dramatic, realistic, very tasteful, and ultimately thought provoking.…

    • 718 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cabaret
    • 263 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Cabaret

    Cabaret is based off a book written by Christopher Isherwood. The music is composed by John Kander and the lyrics by Fred Ebb. Directed by Chase Bringardner, Cabaret’s cast includes 25 performers. The play is set in 1931 Berlin when the Nazi regime is coming into power. It focuses on the bustling nightlife at the Kit Kat Klub that serves as an as escape from the growing turmoil that grips the country. The play is a risqué take on the terror that the Nazi regime puts on the nightlife community before the war starts. It focuses on the love life of an English cabaret performer named Sally and an American writer Cliff. It also includes a second “doomed” romance between a German and an elderly Jewish woman. The Music in the play was phenomenal. Selections include full ensemble to solo performances. One song, “Tomorrow Belongs to Me”, is written in the style of a traditional german song, sung by the Nazi youth. It stired up patriotism for the fatherland. It has often been compared to the Nazi Anthem, and stirred up controversy for the play as people began calling the composersers anti-semitic. The composers John Kander and Fred Ebb are a famous songwriting team who have written many songs for movies and plays alike. Their most famous song is sung by Frank Sinatra, and is entitled New York, New York. They worked together from 1962 all the way upto 2002. They are legends in the musical industry. Cabaret was an excellent play and I would defiantly recommend it to any…

    • 263 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Sample Resume for Dancers
    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Sample Resume for Dancers

    Ballet Hernando Cortez, Theresa Howard, Drew Jacoby, Scott Jovovich, Cherylyn Lavagnino, Dwight Rhoden, Desmond Richardson, Katy Spreadbury…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Scorsese
    • 1744 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Scorsese

    Use a range of auteur theories to examine the work of two significant directors you have studied on this module. One director should have produced the majority of their work prior to 1960 and the other should have produced it from the 1970s onwards.…

    • 1744 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    DANCE 101
    • 2545 Words
    • 11 Pages

    DANCE 101

    1.1.1 Before starting this chapter it might be useful for you to write out your definition of dance. Let’s pretend for a moment that aliens landed on earth looking for intelligent life. Obviously they ended up at your apartment and asked you all sorts of questions. One of which is: “What is dance?” What would you say?…

    • 2545 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Monty Python
    • 917 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Monty Python

    1. Analyse the misguided reasoning that leads the villagers to conclude that the witch should be burnt in the Monty Python sketch.…

    • 917 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics