Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Strictly Ballroom Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 14, 2008

Approximately sixteen years ago Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom became the darling of critics and audiences around the world. From Cannes (Award of the Youth), to Bogota (Golden Precolumbian Circle), to London (ALFS Award), to Vancouver (Most Popular Film Award), the story of two dancers willing to break the restrictive boundaries of old clichés proved impossible to resist. Courtesy of UK-based distributors ITV-Granada.

Scott (Mercurio), an ambitious ballroom dancer, is preparing diligently for the contest of his life – the Australian Pan Pacific Championship. He dreams of winning the gold. Fran (Morice), a shy Spanish girl, is a beginner – she likes dancing but does not believe her time will ever come. Yet, she secretly dreams of sharing the stage with Scott. As luck will have it Scott’s extravagant new steps are dismissed by his mother, a retired dancer, and just about everyone else around him. During a federation contest he is also dismissed by the judges for his frivolous improvisations. His partner Liz (Gia Carides) loudly denounces him and leaves.

Fran enters.

Shy at first Fran offers to show Scott a few of her steps. Scott isn’t impressed but with hardly any time to find a new partner he agrees to train with Fran. Until a better offer comes along. But the more the couple trains the more it becomes obvious that Scott might have found his dream partner. And more. Romance is in the air. The Pan Pacific Championship arrives and Scott is warned again that his new style of dancing will force the judges, outspoken traditionalists, to disqualify him. But Scott and Fran are determined to dance.

Where is my dream partner?

Strictly Ballroom is a film that follows a familiar route. One that Grease (1978), Dirty Dancing (1987), and The Cutting Edge (1992) all exploited quite successfully. The story revolves around a handsome dancer whose desire to experiment ends up being the perfect excuse for a lavish romance story with a not so attractive girl. At least not that attractive looking when she is first introduced to the audience. Then things, expectantly, change. The power of music and the magic of dancing bring two hearts together. Love conquers all.

So, what makes Strictly Ballroom stand on its own?

The short answer is Baz Luhrmann. The long one is everything that he does with the camera. And that is what we want to talk about.

As noted earlier there is nothing about Strictly Ballroom and its story that will knock your socks off. I am fairly certain that if told by a different director this film would have never generated so much positive feedback. Yet, the fabulous music, the excellent camerawork, and the touchy sentimentality soap operas are known for reframed in a manner suitable for big budget musicals transform this film into an offer few, if any, viewers could resist.

I also loved Baz Luhrmann’s eye for detail. When Scott and Fran dance his camera absorbs every little twitch of their bodies. They laugh, cry, fight, and show emotions that stick above the often sugary lines their characters are required to utter. The effect is quite surprising as it gives just enough credibility to Strictly Ballroom as to entice those looking for a deeper meaning behind an admittedly clichéd narrative. All of this gets even more impressive given that Strictly Ballroom was the Australian director’s first commercial attempt behind the camera.

Finally, I must admit that every time I see Strictly Ballroom I always get this mild sense of rage mixed with a solid dose of sentimentality. Why? Because, frankly, films such as Strictly Ballroom are undoubtedly a thing of the past. They belong to an era when even though directors did not have all of the fancy digital equipment they enjoy nowadays their films had so much more magic, so much more spirit. They made their audiences believe some truly unbelievable stories. And that is all we want a good film to deliver – a bit of magic to let us forget reality for a few hours.

Strictly Ballroom Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented on Blu-ray high-definition in 1080p Strictly Ballroom has been slightly cropped from its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 to 1.78:1. This being said, the actual transfer will more than likely prove to be a topic for passionate discussions. Why? Because there is a varying degree of sharpness and detail throughout a number of scenes which is quite obvious (especially if you view the disc on a larger than 50' screen) even for the untrained eye. But before you dismiss this disc it is probably a good idea to hear why Strictly Ballroom looks the way it does. As I mentioned in the synopsis above it was Baz Luhrmann's debut feature and as such was finalized under some quite frustrating conditions - the budget was incredibly small (you shall notice quickly), the different locations required multiple takes, etc. With other words, if you are looking for the image and composition perfectionism Baz delivered in Moulin Rouge I am quite certain Strictly Ballroom will not meet your expectations. With this tiny disclaimer out of the way the actual presentation is certainly above average. The color-scheme is intact and notably livelier than the one seen on the R1 DVD, contrast is acceptable, and I could not detect any signs of DNR manipulation (such would have been quite shocking to begin with since all of these ITV discs offer unrestored HD prints). So, film grain, I am happy to report, looks to be untouched. More importantly when blown up the image does not break - a side effect the SDVD transfer certainly could not offset adequately. As far as the quality of the actual print is concerned I must note that there are a few tiny scratches here and there that I noticed during the opening scenes but nothing that should prevent you from enjoying the film. So, to sum it all up, if you are looking for a sparkling new print of Strictly Ballroom (and if such materializes it will certainly not be what you probably have in mind given the source limitations described earlier) then I must suggest that you wait for Miramax to deliver one. Which I don't foresee happening any time soon given that the director's widely acclaimed Moulin Rouge is yet to be introduced on Blu-ray by Fox. Yet, if you are looking to see this marvelous film in the best possible presentation currently available in any market then this UK produced disc is it.

Strictly Ballroom Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two different tracks found on this disc – English Dolby Digital Mono 2.0 and English Dolby Digital 5.1. Both of those mixes are quite good. I personally opted for the original Mono track as I prefer to avoid secondary, even if elaborate, mixes. This being said, the Mono track does not reveal any issues. The marvelous soundtrack comes off the speakers flawlessly. There is enough richness and variety here even if the Mono track does not sound as effective as some prefer. A quick switch to the 5.1 track brings much more depth and I am fairly certain clarity. There is a notably better separation between music and dialog and I also noticed that during a few selected scenes (the first encounter between Fran's father and Scott) there is better overall balance. Disturbing hissing, pop-ups, or cracks are not present. Optional English subtitles are provided.

Strictly Ballroom Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

If you are using a region A PS3 or SA then the only extra that you would have access to on this disc is the offered in HD original theatrical trailer. The Behind The Scenes documentary and music video for John Paul Young's "Love is in the Air" are presented in standard-def PAL hence you won't be able to see them.

Strictly Ballroom Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A personal favorite of mine Strictly Ballroom arrives on BD courtesy of British distribs ITV. I am truly happy to be able to add this excellent, if somewhat naïve, little gem to my collection. The acting is full of flavor, the music is irresistible, the dancing is intoxicating, what more could one ask from a film. The transfer may not be everyone's cup of tea but I am pleased. It is better than what I have on my SDVD and it is most certainly better than the dusty LD I own.