All that Jazz

Starring Roy Scheider. Directed by Bob Fosse. This is more ambitious movie that tackles similarly difficult subject matter -- with a lot of energy but less success -- Bob Fosse's "All That Jazz."

Like Fosse himself, the main character (played by Roy Scheider) is a successful Broadway director and chorographer, who has also made a hit in the film world. But life is too much for him. He turns to alcohol and drugs to help keep himself going, and his health begins to fail. The last portion of the picture is an extravagant "hospital hallucination" during which he tries to come to terms with the idea of his own death.

It was a radical idea to deal with such material in a musical-comedy format -- though Martin Brest accomplished the task (for a fraction of the cost) in the last few minutes of "Hot Tomorrows," with a lot more brio and optimism. In "All That Jass," Fosse borrows liberally from superior filmmakers (there's a lot of Fellini's "8 1/2") and coats everything with a lot of bouncy music. The trouble is, there's no insight to the exercise. Beneath the sound and fury, there seems to be nothing but a worried filmaker covering his anxieties with bombast and hoopla. It's colorful, but far from enriching.

You've read 3 of 3 free articles. Subscribe to continue.
QR Code to All that Jazz
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0124/012403.html
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe
CSM logo

Why is Christian Science in our name?

Our name is about honesty. The Monitor is owned by The Christian Science Church, and we’ve always been transparent about that.

The Church publishes the Monitor because it sees good journalism as vital to progress in the world. Since 1908, we’ve aimed “to injure no man, but to bless all mankind,” as our founder, Mary Baker Eddy, put it.

Here, you’ll find award-winning journalism not driven by commercial influences – a news organization that takes seriously its mission to uplift the world by seeking solutions and finding reasons for credible hope.

Explore values journalism About us