strictly ballroom fran character analysis

This story is about the Hastings family who are Australian and who take part in Strictly Ballroom is a 1992 Australian ballroom dance film. Strictly Ballroom (1992) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. His mother (Pat Thompson), who teaches at Kendall's Dance Academy, has high hopes for her son. Strictly Ballroom Selected Key Scenes Analysis. You've got your Pan Pacifics to win, and I'm back in Shirley Hastings, Coot’s mother and a cosmetics consultant, was known for her excellent dancing with her husband, Doug, when they were young. In his essay ‘Head On: multicultural representations of Australian identity in 1990s national cinema’, he argues that Strictly Ballroom “remains problematic for a number of reasons… the dominant are able to learn from the Other, thus governing their access to a place within the representation of multicultural Australian identity: for Strictly Ballroom white identity therefore remains at the core of Australian-ness.”. Strictly Ballroom Essay Analysis Essay By Acceptable, We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. Framing the film as an anti-establishment manifesto might be too long a bow to draw, however; there’s little to suggest that Luhrmann’s experience on the stage stifled his creativity. STRICTLY BALLROOM The 7.30am traffic report is finished by Mike Winter. Interview with director Baz Luhrmann and actor Paul Mercurio of Strictly Ballroom. Raking in over 20 million dollars at the local box office – and over $80 million internationally – Strictly Ballroom remains in the top 10 highest grossing Australian films of all time a quarter of a century later. That kind of fear is not like a fear of heights or being afraid of dying, it is being afraid of other people who could destroy their lives forever. The roaring success of Strictly Ballroom didn't stop at the AFI awards. Scene 1 (DVD Chapter 1) The Southern Districts Waratah Championship This scene represents the benefits of belonging to a group the dancers are represented as glamorous and moving in harmony. ... As it is the 10th anniversary of Strictly ballroom, we have decided to bring in the great director and producer of Strictly ballroom, "Baz Luhrmann", to come and talk to us about his academy award wining film. He had also lived his life in fear and his life was half lived trying to prevent everyone from doing what he was afraid of. The speaker in Raymond Wells and the Burning encounters many personal challenges, and struggles to find an opportunity to belong. But such challenges predated the existence of the Strictly Ballroom stage play, so interpreting the film as an ‘up yours’ to the Film Finance Corporation is a stretch. Fran is a beginning dancer and a bit of an ugly duckly who has the audacity to ask to be Scott's partner after his unorthodox style causes his regular partner to dance out of his life. Barry Fife, winner of the 1967 Pan Pacific, is the president of the dance federation. A powerful message is this: A life lived in fear is a life half lived. Bronwyn Horn Creative Writing July 23, 2018 July 23, 2018 5 Minutes (written in 2009 for my year 12 English class) Barry is vehemently opposed to anything that isn’t “strictly ballroom”, as exemplified by Scott’s scandalous, experimental steps in the film’s opening scene. Indeed, the story of Fran, her family, and her cultural heritage is secondary to Scott’s journey throughout Strictly Ballroom. Barry was completely against that because he, too, lived his life in fear. There are a lot of characters in Strictly Ballroom who had lived their lives in fear. It is used to show attributes and emotions of characters and provides examples of clashing cultures though dance. Arts Research Paper: Close Analysis of Strictly Ballroom. “Strictly Ballroom” is memorable as a stylish, fast paced and irreverent parody of … Centring on the countdown to the all-important Pan-Pacific Grand Prix Dancing Championships, this is a film of love and betrayal, creativity and conservativism, song and dance. Adapted for the cinema from Baz Luhrmann’s stage play by producers Ted Albert and Tristram Miall, the film was a phenomenal success – eventually. Blog. Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio) has been preparing for the Australian Ballroom Dance Federation Championships since the age of six. Strictly Ballroom employs the dance medium to effectively create characterisation, the plot and a clash of cultures. Together, these three films form the director’s “Red Curtain Trilogy”, founded on arch artifice and abundant emotionality. They held back because they were afraid of what others could do to them and did not live their life to their full potential. Strictly Ballroom is one of the most popular Australian films ever made. It tells the story of Scott and Fran, who rebel against Dance Federation rules in order to dance their own steps. That said, Luhrmann did encounter plenty of resistance trying to direct this, his first feature film. Strictly Ballroom is a work of aesthetic restlessness. Finally, if you’re a big fan of dance, you may already be watching something inspired by Strictly Ballroom without realising it. “A life lived in fear is a life half lived. Over its 94-minute runtime, Luhrmann packs the screen with sumptuous dance sequences, slapstick comedy and expressionistic homages to silent filmmaking. SBS acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia. Strictly Ballroom (1992) tells the story of Scott Hastings, a skilled, young, Australian ballroom dancer who yearns to dance his own, original steps.A contestant in the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix dance competition, Scott faces pressure from his mother and his dancing coach to dance only within the approved regulations, as his talent gives him a strong chance at winning as long as does so. If you’re watching Strictly Ballroom for the first time, it’s hard to suggest following it up with anything other than Luhrmann’s subsequent films, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge. But it certainly launched them into the upper stratospheres; twenty five years later, Mercurio is synonymous with Australian dance, Luhrmann is Australia’s most successful film director (with another three films in the aforementioned box office top 10) and Martin is our most awarded Australian in Oscar history, with four golden statuettes to her name. He is not accepted by the other yellow ducks because of his appearance. I’d argue that Strictly Ballroom remains the strongest film in this trilogy – and, indeed, Luhrmann’s entire filmography – but if you’re a fan, you’ll find much to love in his later works. Strictly Ballroom faced early distribution hurdles, with a prominent cinema chain dropping it “after an executive believed the film was not worthy of a cinema release.” But acceptance into the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard programme brought acclaim (and awards: the now-defunct Prix De Jeunesse, or “Youth Prize”, was bestowed upon the film) and forged a path towards local success, kicking off with its premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 20, 1992. For the most part, it’s a classic ‘ugly duckling’/Cinderella storyline; Fran is introduced with acne and glasses, but concludes the film with nothing on her face. To him, it’s all about the dancing and when Scott dances non-federation steps, Doug is always filming because he is extremely proud of his son. Anchoring Strictly Ballroom’s take on culture and creativity is the romance between Scott and Fran. Soon after, Rico was supportive of Fran. A character that makes a dramatic change is Scott Hastings. But Scott and Fran’s burgeoning relationship represents more than just classic Hollywood romance. They held back because they were afraid of what others could do to them and did not live their life to their full potential. Well, except for a pash with Scott. In addition to the benefits described above, “Strictly Ballroom” will also introduce children to the world of competitive ballroom dancing and to flamenco. However, the characters in Strictly Ballroom, in particular Scott and Fran, are able to conquer both the external and personal barriers … While the precise target of Strictly Ballroom’s satire might be unclear, its underlying philosophy – that art is about creativity, not awards – is unmistakable. Whatever the intent, Strictly Ballroom’s moral has a simple resonance. This background proves crucial to the second half of the film, with Scott and Fran learning the ‘real’ version of the traditional Spanish Paso Doble dance – as opposed to the milquetoast, ‘strictly ballroom’ version – from Fran’s father Rico (Antonio Vargas). Doug is also afraid of the way Scott dances but in a totally opposite way. Strictly Ballroom is a modern Australian fairy tale, telling the story of a Prince Charming – Paul Mercurio’s Scott, the heir apparent to the local ballroom crown – and his ‘ugly duckling’ dance partner turned Disney princess, Fran (Tara Morice). This film shows us that to be happy and content, you need to stand up to others and do what is right. A life half lived is a life full of regrets. April 16, 2021. Some of these characters include Shirley Hastings, Doug Hastings and Barry Fife. There is a series of questions for each sequence that guides the viewing of the students and encourage them to keep a personal Response Journal. A guide to Baz Luhrmann's 1992 Australian cinema landmark, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this week. She lost her confidence when Barry Fife convinced her that she would lose the Pan Pacific because of Doug making up dance steps on the stage. While the film does away with the mockumentary framing so swiftly you’d be forgiven for forgetting about it by the closing credits, Luhrmann nonetheless maintains his parodic take on cultural conservatism throughout. There’s a broader message about close-mindedness running through the film – a message that might be even broader than you’d think, if this Luhrmann quote is anything to go by: “It sounds incredible, but we did it at first in response to the Cold War...it was a statement that the individual is not ALWAYS without power.”. Generously, this can be read as an advocacy of Australian multiculturalism, pointing to a future where white supremacy – as embodied by Barry Fife – is overthrown in favour of collaboration, acceptance and originality. STRICTLY BALLROOM Fran 'Paso Doble' Acting By Michaela Marinucci Fran Lighting FRAN'S DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE FILM 2 'Just Fran' 4 thank you for watching Lighting Editing 'You really are a gutless wonder!' Along with many other international and local award wins, the film received eight BAFTA nominations in 1993, resulting in three wins, plus a Golden Globe nod in 1994, sealing its place as a global smash hit. It’s tempting to read Strictly Ballroom as a direct rebuke to the Australian art world; a screed imagining institutions as more interested in preserving themselves than fostering real creativity. Secretly, however, he longs to try some new, original steps in his dancing. That’s clarified by its opening moments, which are cut together like a mockumentary with cast members’ talking heads narrating Scott’s ballroom experimentation with an air of disbelief. You also might want to keep an eye out for future productions of Strictly Ballroom the Musical; while it’s not currently touring, the popularity of this stage show suggests you won’t have to wait too long for it to reappear. When Albert and Miall requested funding from the Film Finance Corporation, they were told “get yourselves a new director”. He changes from being smug and self centred to being accepting of other cultures and that other people can be successful with the help of family and friends. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy. Dance is used to explore character’s feelings and struggles at a point in time to further enhance the plot. As the paragon of entrenched traditionalism – and the villain of the piece – we have Australian Dancing Federation President Barry Fife (Bill Hunter). Their romance is primarily sold through their shared dance sequences, with the director comparing it to classic Fred Astaire films like Top Hat: “It was story, story, story and now the main emotional moment will be told through dance.”. Doug had lived his life in fear and when you look at him, you can see he regrets his past decisions. Only the good-hearted Fran (Tara Morice) believes in him, and offers to become his partner. Barry is afraid of losing his power over the dance federation. At the end of the film Fran’s physical appearance changed dramatically and so did her confidence. He changes from being smug and self centred to being accepting of other cultures and that other people can be successful with the help of family and friends. There are a lot of characters in Strictly Ballroom who had lived their lives in fear. 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