A semi-autobiographical musical that leaves the viewer feeling confused and slightly disappointed, "All That Jazz" was directed by Bob Fosse and released in 1979. Following the life of Joe Gideon, played by Roy Scheider, as he choreographs, womanizes, and abuses his way to self-destruction, "All That Jazz" actually chronicles the life of Bob Fosse – a well-known musical theatre choreographer and director, screenwriter, and film director. While the art direction is superb, the costumes nearly flawless, and the score really, really moving, I kept waiting for the film to get better, and it never did. Between the wide area of subject matter (from the movie that Gideon was supposedly editing, to rehearsals for a new musical that he was staging, to his various complicated relationships with his ex-wife, girlfriend, and daughter), not actually knowing who Bob Fosse is, and the random, seemingly nonsensical Angel of Death (Jessica Lange) scenes, I spent the entire movie feeling like I was on the outside of an inside joke.
The movie was choppy. It is not the editing and transitions that were choppy – and what transitions were choppy were that way for artistic value – but that the film jumped from one area to the next without giving the viewer time to catch up. In one scene you would be watching Gideon direct his dancers in the moves for a number, in the next he would be conversing with Angelique, the Angel of Death, on a topic that seemed to have nothing to do with the rehearsals we had just seen, and then in the next scene, he would be editing a movie that seemed to only be included in "All That Jazz" because it focused on the various stages of death. While some could argue that such choppiness was for artistic value, or that it was to make a specific point, I would say that you lose the value and the point when the movie becomes unintelligible and impossible to keep up with.
The costumes, although there wasn't really all that much to them until the closing scene, were great. The mis-matched leotards and leg warmers contrasting with business suits and button-down shirts, only seemed to add to the gritty, slightly maniacal feel of the movie itself. The score was my favorite part of the film – along with the final number where Gideon sings to an audience of the movie's entire cast. The score was sharp and impeccably crafted and worked endlessly to try to create emotions and reactions that the choppiness of the film itself only took away from. The color, also, was incredibly well done, and could be appreciated most in scenes like the one where Joe is taken to the hospital, when the walls and the doctors' uniforms are all starkly white, giving the messy, colorful Gideon the air of being out of place and too contrary to save.
The actors did what they could with a script that was jumbled and confused. Gideon had incredible chemistry with all of the women he had to work with on the screen, excepting Jessica Lange as Angelique – his scenes with her seemed wooden and out of place. However, his chemistry with Leland Palmer, who plays his former wife; Erzsabet Foldi, his daughter; Cynd Charisse, his mistress; and Deborah Geffner as a one-night stand is all fantastic – and all four of them manage to hold their own in solo scenes or interactions with each other. Roy Scheider himself carries the entire movie, giving an impassioned and heart-wrenching performance as the destructive, lonely Joe Gideon which gives the movie most of its soul and, for me, most of its value.
Far more messy in the way that it is told and the subject matter that it tries to cover than other musicals – "Chicago" comes to mind – "All That Jazz" is a movie that, I believe, could have lasting value for those who know enough about Bob Fosse to appreciate the story that it tries to tell and the nuances – such as his ritual of declaring, "It's showtime, folks!" to himself in the mirror every morning – that it covers. However, if you are like me and have no idea who Bob Fosse is or of the impact that he seems to have had on American musical theatre and film, then the movie might not do much for you. It'll probably even make you feel left out.
The movie was choppy. It is not the editing and transitions that were choppy – and what transitions were choppy were that way for artistic value – but that the film jumped from one area to the next without giving the viewer time to catch up. In one scene you would be watching Gideon direct his dancers in the moves for a number, in the next he would be conversing with Angelique, the Angel of Death, on a topic that seemed to have nothing to do with the rehearsals we had just seen, and then in the next scene, he would be editing a movie that seemed to only be included in "All That Jazz" because it focused on the various stages of death. While some could argue that such choppiness was for artistic value, or that it was to make a specific point, I would say that you lose the value and the point when the movie becomes unintelligible and impossible to keep up with.
The costumes, although there wasn't really all that much to them until the closing scene, were great. The mis-matched leotards and leg warmers contrasting with business suits and button-down shirts, only seemed to add to the gritty, slightly maniacal feel of the movie itself. The score was my favorite part of the film – along with the final number where Gideon sings to an audience of the movie's entire cast. The score was sharp and impeccably crafted and worked endlessly to try to create emotions and reactions that the choppiness of the film itself only took away from. The color, also, was incredibly well done, and could be appreciated most in scenes like the one where Joe is taken to the hospital, when the walls and the doctors' uniforms are all starkly white, giving the messy, colorful Gideon the air of being out of place and too contrary to save.
The actors did what they could with a script that was jumbled and confused. Gideon had incredible chemistry with all of the women he had to work with on the screen, excepting Jessica Lange as Angelique – his scenes with her seemed wooden and out of place. However, his chemistry with Leland Palmer, who plays his former wife; Erzsabet Foldi, his daughter; Cynd Charisse, his mistress; and Deborah Geffner as a one-night stand is all fantastic – and all four of them manage to hold their own in solo scenes or interactions with each other. Roy Scheider himself carries the entire movie, giving an impassioned and heart-wrenching performance as the destructive, lonely Joe Gideon which gives the movie most of its soul and, for me, most of its value.
Far more messy in the way that it is told and the subject matter that it tries to cover than other musicals – "Chicago" comes to mind – "All That Jazz" is a movie that, I believe, could have lasting value for those who know enough about Bob Fosse to appreciate the story that it tries to tell and the nuances – such as his ritual of declaring, "It's showtime, folks!" to himself in the mirror every morning – that it covers. However, if you are like me and have no idea who Bob Fosse is or of the impact that he seems to have had on American musical theatre and film, then the movie might not do much for you. It'll probably even make you feel left out.