Film Review: A Chorus Line (1985)

Like it or not, most people in the world are likely to experience Broadway musicals only through Hollywood adaptations. This can be a good or bad thing, but for every Cabaret, Chicago or similar adaptation that does things right or improves on the source material there are plenty of those that end up as disappointments. One such example is A Chorus Line, 1985 film directed by Richard Attenborrough.

The film is based on the eponymous 1975 Broadway musical composed by Marvin Hamlisch and written by Edward Kleban, James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Kleban, known not only for winning most prestigious awards (including Pulitzer Prize for Drama) but also for high number of original performances that made it into one of the most popular and long-standing musicals in history. The plot takes place in Broadway theatre where the number of professional dancers have gathered in hope of getting cast in another prestigious production. Zach (played by Michael Douglas), the choreographer and casting director, has the task of choosing four boys and four girls that would dance as a chorus line. As the number of potential candidates dwindle, Zach asks them not only to show their dance skills but also to tell something about their private lives. Things get complicated when one of the potential dancers turns out to be Cassie (played by Alyson Reed), once an accomplished Broadway dancer who desperately needs job after failing in her Hollywood career. Things are further complicated because Cassie and Zach used to be lovers.

Despite being extremely ambitious production with a large budget, A Chorus Line failed at the box office and the critics weren’t friendly either. Most complaints were directed at Attenborrough, British film maker who had earned “Oscar” and prestige by making spectacular biopics. Although he, at first glance, looked like an odd choice for this project, he had some experience with musicals in the past, namely 1969 Oh! What a Lovely War. Attenborrough tries to make the film as epic as possible, despite entire plot taking place on a single stage in very limited time. He tries to transcend this limitation by extensive use of flahsbacks, most of them dealing with character of Cassie and her romance with Zach. Because of that, character of Cassie is given emphasis at the expense of anyone else, and although Alyson Reed does decent job, she doesn’t win audience’s sympathies and the chemistry with Douglas is utterly lacking. Use of Douglas, who was among the hottest stars in mid 1980s Hollywood, puts film at odds with the rest of the cast, which is made of mostly unknown artists (with exception of Audrey Launders, star of Dallas TV show whose lack of actual dancing abilities is hidden with the clever editing and use of body doubles). Dance and music numbers are likeable, but film version, which introduces synthesisers that weren’t used in original stage version, might sound too 1980s for today’s audience. In the end, A Chorus Line can be recommended only to the most devout fans of the original, while the rest of audience should try either another film musical or seek stage version.

RATING: 4/10 (++)

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