MovieChat Forums > Flashdance (1983) Discussion > Be patient with me...

Be patient with me...

posted 20 years ago by yiggle
9 replies | jump to latest

I am involved in the fine arts on many spectrums. I also understand that some serious crap came out of the eighties as far as entertainment was concerned. So, tell me, HOW is this supposed to be a good movie? The audition scene is crap. She doesn't even do ballet...she does freaking Tae-Bo. And, in a serious audition, the performer does NOT ask to start over when they mess up, and a judge should not permit it, anyway. She should have taken a hint from her ice dancing friend (in just a leotard? Come ON!!!). I mean, the ice dancer fell on her keester MULTIPLE times and never got up and started over. Lastly, the very THOUGHT of a panel smoking in an audition for something like dancing, where air capacity is everything, and smoke KILLS that, is utterly appalling. Now, once again, HOW is this a good film?

Don't scold me. I'm not insulting you for liking it...I'm just trying to be enlightened to see this movie through the eyes of a polar opposite...I am intrigued... I TiVoed it because I THOUGHT it was supposed to be good...

[–] harmonium_303 20 years ago

Good points you do have. But as my father always says, it's just a movie. I wouldn't know, but in the 80s maybe they were allowed to smoke it they wanted to, although you are right about the whole air breathing thing. Plus, it was writted by the same guy who wrote Showgirls. That should solve your problems right there. As for her audition dancing, yes it's corny but who wants serious, gritty, real life? We want to see her succeed, and we want to see her dance her ass off. Maybe the judges felt bad because it's kind of obvious that she isn't from a rich family. I thought that her dance audition scene was awesome. The judges are always so used to seeing serious ballet dancing (which is very beautiful, don't get me wrong I do enjoy the ballet), so they might have enjoyed something a little different. Plus just because she didn't do ballet for her audition doesn't mean that she can't be taught the proper techniques; that's what the teachers are there for. As long as she had the drive and dance skills, I think that's what the judges really look for.

[–] morrisangela 20 years ago

oh come on, it was a classic 80's 'you can do anything' movie. completely satisfying, corny, cheesy, and above all great to watch. why analyse the most simplistic film? once upon a time, films were meant for entertainment...

[–] All_Hail_Punksy_Head 19 years ago

I suppose you people are relatively younger than I am (I'm 30). But in the 80's you could smoke just about ANYWHERE and people did. It didn't start becoming criminalized until the 90's.

[–] leelee1592 19 years ago

Yeah, you're right about a lot of things, harmonium, except about the learning ballet technique. You cna't just learn ballet from a teacher. You have to be trained for a good chunk of your life. I haven't seen this movie, but really, you can't go in to a ballet audition doing what Alex did and get in. There is no way. When judges audition someone, that's their job interview. They don't want anyone who doesn't have have *ballet* experience for their *ballet* company. And besides, at a real audition, not only would they have you do your own piece, but they would also have you take a class with barre, center work, etc, which is veyr hard to take with no ballet experience.

[–] JC_Aliss 19 years ago

I always wondered about the fact that here she is, trying to get into an advanced ballet company, and likely has NO experience "en pointe". Even forgetting the requisite talent required, doesn't that take YEARS of major PHYSICAL conditioning? From what I understand, it takes years for the foot arches to develop the strength to withstand your entire body weight.

I love this movie but I did always question that.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] orioleadams 19 years ago

LOL, you've raised many points that I've thought of while watching this movie. Not to mention the fact that a bunch of steelworkers are not going to watch some avant garde dancers while they're drinking their beer - they want to see girls take their clothes off.

[–] hallmd 19 years ago

Doesn’t anyone go to a movie to be entertained anymore? No matter what a movie contains, whether it's true, whether it makes sense or not. In spite of all the errors that you see in a movie
as long as it is entertaining and enjoyable then I am satisfied. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I love the Disco Sound, but then I am a 65 year old teenager who still gets turned on by Glen Miller.

All the best.

[–] jefgg 10 years ago

Critics have questioned whether an eighteen year old woman would have been given a job as a welder in a steel mill. It is a minor detail. It was a movie, not a documentary.