All of which is to say, bless Papa Francesco.
Without him, I would not have rediscovered how stunning a work of artAll That Jazztends to be.
In fact, I suspect many have a habit of overlooking this song-and-dance nihilism for that very reason.
Jazzis like having Bob Fosses boozy breath exhaled onto your face.
Indeed,Jazzgoes a shade darker thanCabaret.
It is also one of themanythings that makesJazzpulsate with a possessed rhythm impossible to shake off.
Upon its release,Jazzwas not unfairly compared to Federico Fellinis8 12.
Its pretty hard to miss how much of an influence that titan of avant-garde filmmaking was on Fosse.
Anyone with a passing knowledge of Fosses career can spot the Chrysler Building-sized similarities.
And oh yeah, somewhere around this time he had open heart surgery.
Jazzis a master class of editing by Alan Heim.
It also helps propel the entire tone of the picture into something maddening and intentionally garish.
One can almost imagine the cocaine lines sprawled across the negative.
This intent is hardly subtle since Death is an actual character in the film.
But onscreen, she is always the unmentionable stranger… as well as Joes best friend.
And like Joes heart condition, Fosses was on borrowed time until his similar passing in 1987.
Yet strangely,All That Jazzis not a downer.
Its defiantly hilarious and uplifting while wallowing in doom.
This is the chance for Fosse to tear the velvet curtain off show business glitz.
Its showtime, folks stands as the buzzed exclamation point on the ritual.
The dancers arent the main characters; the guy crushing their dreams is.
They dont have time for lines unless theyre willing to sleep with him.
However, it also works on a much more interesting level than that.
Dancing before Joe Gideon is his legacy, implicitly promising him that his lifes work will go on.
As his literal progeny, she will continue his memory with love.
She even starred in and choreographed the revival of a Fosse show in 1996:Chicago.
That version still plays on the Great White Way.
All That JazzEverything Old Is New AgainfromDaniel ShannononVimeo.
This portion of the film is arguably excessive.
Yet, it works for two primary reasons.
The first is that Roy Scheider is giving his career best performance as Joe Gideon.
Throughout the film, Joe has proven to be a selfish, destructive, and casually cruel narcissist.
But hey, hes an artist!
And Scheider makes that mean something.
But most unfortunately, the ultimate vice turns out to be Death.
Granted, that country for Fosse looks like an icy blonde waiting in bed.
But that is what makes this movie such an alluring, and terrifying, romance.
Its eternally prescient with its ecclesial top hat and cane.
