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Strictly Ballroom
Synopsis
This programme looks at the film that made Australian director Baz Luhrmann famous in 1992: Strictly Ballroom. It was his first feature, set in the world of ballroom dancing. Through interviews with the key members of the creative team, and clips from the film itself, the programme explores the techniques used to tell the story and make it engaging.
Strictly Ballroom was not made by Baz Luhrmann alone. Like any film, it is the sum of the efforts of a dedicated team of designers, cameramen, choreographers, editors and actors. In this programme, many of them reveal how the kinds of choices they had to make contributed to key scenes. They discuss the reasons for their decisions as well as the methods used.
Those interviewed include Craig Pearce (Scriptwriter), Catherine Martin (Production Designer), Jill Bilcock (Editor), Steve Mason (Cinematographer), Angus Strathie (Costume Designer), Tara Morice (the lead female actress who plays Fran) and Paul Mercurio (the lead male actor who plays Scott).
Main Issues
- The opening of the film. How the opening sequence of Strictly Ballroom was constructed to create certain expectations and then subvert them. This section also explores the contribution the first scene makes in creating the ‘world of the film’.
- Using different techniques. How documentary style and montage were used to accelerate the narrative.
- Keeping the audience interested. Here the emphasis is on the importance of contrast in a film, in terms of both pace and setting. It also suggests how lighting and editing can underline significant themes.
- Tricks of the trade. The programme examines a flashback sequence in the film, and looks at some of the ways in which it was filmed and lit in order to create its distinctive look.
- The big finale. This part of the programme concentrates on how the final dance sequence was constructed to create maximum impact.
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