Strictly Ballroom

Scott Hastings is a talented ballroom dancer.

But his unbridled creativity compels him to invent his own dance steps, much to the chagrin of his mother, who dreams of seeing him win the very serious Pan Pacific competition.

Annoyed by Scott's audacity, his dance partner drops him. While an audition is being organised to replace her, Scott starts to secretly train with Fran, a rookie dancer who shares his desire for emancipation. With Strictly Ballroom (1992), his first feature film, Baz Luhrmann inaugurated his "Red Curtain Trilogy" dedicated to the performing arts with William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet in 1996 and Moulin Rouge! in 2001.

Under the guise of a grand romantic comedy, the film is an indictment of conformity and family pressure.

With a mise-en-scène in which excess reigns supreme, outrageous make-up, glittering costumes, frantic editing and off-kilter framing all combine to create a unique atmosphere where conflict is expressed through rhythm and resolved through dance.

Vincent Annen (CEC, UNIL)