All That Jazz
A brilliant but self-destructive Broadway artist turns his collapsing body and tangled relationships into one final act of theatrical spectacle.
Overview
A dazzling yet harrowing glimpse into the life of a Broadway director teetering on the edge of self-destruction.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- frenetic
- theatrical
- sardonic
- cinephile movie night
- musical film showcase
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's choreography, visual craft, and Roy Scheider's intense central performance while finding its self-reflexive story uneven and self-indulgent.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Joe Gideon's Broadway work, filmmaking, sexual relationships, and physical decline closely reflect Bob Fosse's own life and career.
The film turns illness, fear, ego, and death into elaborate stage-like performances, culminating in a showbiz treatment of bodily collapse.
Joe pursues casting, choreography, editing, sex, stimulants, and deadlines despite mounting emotional and medical warnings.
Angelique, played by Jessica Lange, appears as an alluring supernatural or psychological presence accompanying Joe's decline.
Films like All That Jazz, and why
8½
self-reflexive artist portrait, theatrical spectacle, and destructive creative obsession
Cabaret
musical drama centered on performance, ego, and personal collapse
The Red Shoes
autobiographical show-business drama blending emotional realism with stylized musical sequences
Movie Details
- Director
- Bob Fosse
- Release Date
- 1979-12-16
- Runtime
- 123 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (632)
Cast
- Roy Scheider
- Jessica Lange
- Ann Reinking
- Leland Palmer
- Cliff Gorman
- Ben Vereen
- Erzsebet Foldi
- Michael Tolan
- Max Wright
- William LeMassena
Common questions
- What is All That Jazz about?
- A brilliant but self-destructive Broadway artist turns his collapsing body and tangled relationships into one final act of theatrical spectacle.
- What is All That Jazz like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of All That Jazz as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is All That Jazz violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in All That Jazz as mild.
- What did critics think of All That Jazz?
- Critics broadly praised the film's choreography, visual craft, and Roy Scheider's intense central performance while finding its self-reflexive story uneven and self-indulgent.
- Which films are like All That Jazz?
- Films with a similar feel include 8½, Cabaret, and The Red Shoes.
- How long is All That Jazz?
- All That Jazz runs 123 minutes.
