Fame

Alan Parker, USA, 1980, 134 minutes

Fame is the story of eight teenage embryonic superstars who spend four years at Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts honing their skills. They share the modest ambitions of "wanting to live forever" and also, "wanting to learn how to fly". But then you probably know that already.

Though the characters didn't all turn out to be the successes they had hoped for, the film itself was a big hit. So they made a TV series out of it. It was a big hit as well. Singing and dancing to a disco beat in the corridors at the drop of a hat, combined with a dose of teenage angst, appeared to be just what the public were crying out for. On the other hand, like several of Parker's other box-office successes the critical reaction was mixed. That could be because of the snobbery which surrounded his origins as a director of television ads. Of course, like the performances of its leading characters, this film doesn't come in the Great Art category but Parker's showy commercial style is perfectly suited to this sort of project. And as the director of musicals including Bugsy Malone, The Wall and The Commitments there is no doubt that this is a genre he is fond of.

And there's more than just music. This film includes displays of every kind of artistic endeavour from juggling to joketelling. Unfortunately the wit is directed at all manner of religious, racial and sexual minorities. But then the film was made before the birth of political correctness.

Anyway, if you want to see our heroes tread the difficult path to the heights of superstardom, public adoration and the Pantheon of immortals, the show is on January 24th.

Review by Michael Morrison
Taken from EUFS Programme 1992-93