Review of Strictly Ballroom (1992) by Julia G — 08 Nov 2008

I love this movie for so many reasons, but mostly because it's not about Ballroom Dancing at all. It's about any of our highly structured social institutions that hold fiercely to power and resist change - hence Barry Fife's constant insistence on "No new steps!" If he doesn't know and control all the steps, he loses power.

Think of how many institutions you encounter like this on a daily basis, both big and small. By using Ballroom Dancing as a metaphor, Lurhmann is able to show us how ridiculous and often corrupt these petty fascists are, and he makes us laugh rather than be offended.