Bob Fosse is dead. Moreover, Joe Gideon died both before and with him.
“All That Jazz,” the questionably semi-autobiographical film released in 1979, still holds up as a classic today. The theory of a “tortured artist” is personified in the film, directed by Bob Fosse himself, straying from the expected, setting a dark tone accompanied by tap dancing.
Gideon is what Fosse was: charismatic, talented and a workaholic addicted to pills. The story opens with that straight-out, never straying from the concrete flaws carving his humanity. Gideon’s own shortcomings are discussed in depth, using these characters as an outlet: his lack of settling down, his need to be right and his absence in his daughter’s life. But all of these come second to Gideon’s main goal: producing and casting a show.
The stresses of the show lay on the verge of reality and fiction. We see Gideon’s choreographing, temper and provocative direction in regard to this imagined show. This also brings up the movie’s title: “All That Jazz.” Though never explicitly mentioned in the film, the title is a reference to Fosse’s most popular work “Chicago”, the opening song’s title sharing a name with the film. This led me to wonder: how much of the film is a biopic?
There are apparent questions of authenticity when looking at a piece like “All that Jazz.” Each emotion is presented with intensity, and Gideon’s routine is shockingly precise: shower, smoke, pill, and daily affirmation of “It’s showtime.” The routine becomes scarce with each clip cutting down until we watch Gideon destroy himself.
As we follow the first act, we settle into this routine, watching it become the story’s epicenter. Occasionally, Gideon’s reality is shown via conversations with his ex-wife, girlfriend or muse, but besides that, the audience is in charge of deciphering Gideon’s work/life balance. This tension burns until it boils in a stunning and provocative choreography, something unheard of on the 70s television screens.
A few scenes later, Gideon collapses from a heart attack.
Past that point, we really aren’t sure what’s true–hospital visits blend with cast announcements. By the end of the movie, all we are seeing is musical numbers featuring his daughter, ex-wife and girlfriend and glimpses of post-surgery anesthesia doses. His life and where it stands is debatable, as we delve into his confused and dazed mindset, one of both art and pain.
“All That Jazz” is real and raw, ending unsettlingly with nothing tied up; a finale outside of fairytale endings. After watching, I felt nauseous, questions still lingering, not quite secure in the ending or its commentary. I think that’s the point. The show is about the businesses’ toxicity, seizing and dividing life–a conundrum that isn’t sure or explained but based upon blurred emotion.
Two years after the movie was released, Fosse died from compulsive smoking – something we assume plagued the end of Gideon. Work was Fosse’s legacy, with shows like “Chicago” and “Cabaret” still running on Broadway – and I can’t help but believe that this movie is his self-integration into that.
Despite the overwhelming emotion standing alongside the film, I firmly believe that it is an enticing and imperative watch. As a daughter of a father in a profession like Gideon and like Fosse, I can truly say the film is raw, real and an important watch for anyone, de glamorizing the industry on a groundbreaking level.
