Movie Review: A Chorus Line (1985)

Genre: Musical Drama  

Director: Richard Attenborough  

Starring: Michael Douglas, Terrence Mann, Alyson Reed, Audrey Landers  

Running Time: 118 minutes  

Synopsis: At a Broadway theatre, choreographer Zach (Michael Douglas) and his assistant Larry (Terrence Mann) are presiding over open auditions for eight spots on the chorus line of a new show. A large group of hopeful dancers is whittled down to 17 finalists, and Zach prods them one by one to bare their souls and share their personal stories before he makes the final cuts. The process is complicated by the unannounced arrival of faded star Cassie (Alyson Reed), Zach's former protege (and lover) now struggling for any dancing job.

What Works Well: A difficult-to-film Broadway mega-hit arrives on the screen with middling results. Director Richard Attenborough respects the single-set confines, and provides key finalist dancers with just enough definition to differentiate journeys and highlight collective desperation. The musical numbers are kept relatively short, contributing to an in-control running time, while Michael Douglas conveys chain-smoking stress stemming from the dual responsibility of selecting dancers and influencing career trajectories.

What Does Not Work As Well: Intimacy, energy, and the sense of a shared but competitive experience are notably missing. The story's soul is relegated to the background, the pure passion for dancing and the sacrifice to achieve a shot at anonymous on-stage participation lost in the shuffle. In cinematic terms, only two musical numbers soar: Dance Ten; Looks Three (performed by Audrey Landers as Val) and the ironic finale and show-stopper One (by the ensemble). The few flashbacks to the history between Zach and Cassie just get in the way.

Key Quote:

Zach (addressing the finalists): Since I need great dancers, I can't expect you all to be great actors. So I don't want anybody to try to act.



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