Lesson 2- Strictly Ballroom

"Strictly Ballroom" (1992) is an Australian comedy/drama production. It tells the story of Scott Hastings, a boy from a family of ballroom dancers who is a star dancer himself. Good and as capable of winning the Pan-pacific Grand Prix as he is, he refuses to follow the conventional way of ballroom dancing, much to the horror of his mother and instructors.

The story is mainly centered around Scott's attempt to win the Pan-pacific Grand Prix Dancing Championship. It portrays his encounters and conflicts along the way, namely having to deal with his dictator mother, Shirley Hastings, and instructors, a dysfunctional relationship with his former partner Liz, and eventually a much more enriching one with an initially unassuming yet later on gutsy and determined Spanish gypsy girl, Fran, who teaches him to dance from the heart.

Overall, I thought the film was very fresh, probably due to the fact it was the first Australian movie I had ever seen from beginning to end. Fresh in the sense that the conversations, the things they said and the acting was very different from an American production, which I am more accustomed to. Emotions were intense and the actors really played out the parts straight from the heart.

I have to commend the actors who played "demanding" characters. 

They were REALLY demanding. 

Kudos to the actors =)

  

Above: Liz Holt, Scott Hasting's former dance partner 

who is mean to Fran and wants to win the Pan-pacific Grand Prix,
therefore, she repeatedly pleads Scott to dance according 

to the requirements of the federation.

Above: Barry Fife, the demanding and conniving 

President of the Australian Dancing Federation.

Above: Shirley Hastings, Scott's mother who wants to dictate 

her son's every decision in his dancing career, 

all for the sake of him winning the Pan-pacific Grand Prix. 

Having said that, I felt that many parts were slightly messy. As a member of the audience, many scenes caused me much cognitive overload (which left me with a headache), in the sense that there was a lot of shouting and screaming (due to the demanding nature of the characters), many flashing of colours (ballroom dancer's costumes, make up, lights) and a whole lot of music.

Also, I found it interesting, how Fran, a girl who appears as an unattractive, clumsy beginner, can...

from this, 

become this...

And do  all this....

    

in the span of 2 weeks !!! 

MIRACULOUS, no? 

However, if we look at this miracle the way Dr. Goh mentioned in class, it would be a portrayal of the transformation of Fran through the eyes of Scott, which, so far is the only explanation I deem rational for the rapid transformation =)

Above: Scott's parents, Doug and Shirley Hastings

Also, I disliked how Scott's father, Doug Hastings was treated throughout the show. He was always portrayed as the inconsequential nobody, a joke, the unimportant weirdo who belonged in the background. However, at the end, it turns out he plays an important character - the one who finally tells Scott the underlying truth of the whole movie. 

All in all, it was a very interesting movie. They chose to reflect human personality and behaviour using the element of dance, an art, an expression, and the element of competition, an instance where one's true nature would show forth
. A highlighted psychological concept was that of social influence- the power of obedience, compliance and conformity.

The take home message of the show? Of course the quote by Fran, 

"Vivir con miedo, es como vivir a medias!"

 - A life lived in fear is a life half lived!

For more info: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1045568-strictly_ballroom/
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dtfxf3FFx4