Short Take: All That Jazz

One may be inclined to think of All That Jazz, directed and co-written by Bob Fosse, as two movies: Jazz and All That. The Jazz movie is an enormously entertaining backstage drama. It’s a fictional treatment of Fosse’s experiences during the post-production of his 1974 film Lenny, and the concurrent casting and rehearsals of the stage musical Chicago, which debuted on Broadway in 1975. The director-choreographer’s self-portrait is warts-and-all. The Fosse character (played by Roy Scheider) is a womanizer and an obsessive workaholic. He’s shown throwing his all into his two projects while trying not to alienate his producers, the young dancer he’s grooming (Deborah Geffner), and those in his personal life: his steady girlfriend (Ann Reinking), his ex-wife and stage-show leading lady (Leland Palmer), and his 12-year-old daughter (Erzsébet Foldi). One sees all the angst of the director’s life, but one also sees the work he takes pride in. There are the occasional joys as well, such as the happier moments with his daughter and girlfriend. The portrayal is anchored by Roy Scheider’s outstanding performance. He’s completely convincing as a harried, occasionally tyrannical perfectionist, and he makes it all of a piece with the character’s considerable charm. Scheider makes one believe one is watching Fosse as he truly is. That’s the Jazz movie, and it's terrific. However, there is also the All That movie mixed in. Following the obvious lead of the Federico Fellini film 8½, Fosse includes multiple fantasy scenes in which the director reflects on his life. These climax in a tasteless five-song production-number finale that may be the most insufferable musical sequence ever put on film. Thankfully, the non-fantasy material is so strong that one quickly puts the All That movie out of mind. The Jazz movie reigns. Giuseppe Rotunno provided the cinematography, and Alan Heim is credited with the top-notch editing. Robert Alan Aurthur is credited with co-writing the script.