Compare and Contrast Two Films

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Compare and Contrast Two Films
According to Peter Temin, class refers to a group of people who enjoy a similar status in a society, and all the resources are commonly distributed amongst them. On the other hand, the non-biological definition of gender is that it is a set of characteristics of a human being (man and woman) that separate the person from others and have been shaped through the social interaction in the society. These interactions comprise of cultural values and beliefs (Temin 13). Below, the comparison and contrast of two dance films from the past (Dirty Dancing and Strictly Ballroom) have been presented. Both Dirty Dancing and Strictly Ballroom have different stories, but their underlying themes are the same.
Dirty Dancing Narrative
Released in 1987, Dirty Dancing was an American dance-drama film. It was directed by Emile Ardolino and choreographed by Kenny Ortega. The film’s central character is Francis houseman, known as Baby. She is a bright girl with full of hope and naïve at the same time. During a vacation, she falls in love with Johnny Castle, a boy who works as a dancing instructor.
The film also has intertwined sub-plots such as her sister’s love story with a waiter that meets ill fate. During the course of the film, Baby learns that the world she is not a place as she has in her mind and that it is impossible to be changed. She learns how class separation and gender biases are penetrated in the society.
The movie has gender, class, and sexuality as its working themes, which are carefully crafted through thoughtful characterization and mise-en-scene. The dialogue writer seems to have kept the storyline in his mind while writing the punch lines for the actors. The dialogues are witty and strong to bring out the underlying meaning to the surface, without any hard lines.
Strictly Ballroom Narrative
Released in 1992, this is an Australian romantic film. Strictly Ballroom was directed by Baz Luhrmann who was also the co-writer of the project. Scott and Fran, the two main characters of the film, lend support to each in their internal quest for finding independence. Scott comes from a family that has a history in dancing, but he loses the competition because he is dancing his own version of moves. Scott teams up with Fran who is plain yet determined and motivated girl. Fran’s father helps them both to achieve their goals.
Strictly Ballroom deals with themes of class and gender. The settings of this movie identify two worlds within the city of Sydney, which are set apart due to their cultural values and beliefs. One world belongs to Anglo-Australian people (Ballroom) where strict rules apply, and he who works there must follow the rules and regulations to survive. These people are shown to be conservative, and they give more value to what is outside and apparent. The funny looking hairstyles and glitzy costumes present them as superficial people.
The second world created in the film lie by the railway tracks of the city, where Scott’s family live. The Spanish people are presented to be more authentic and real, and their dancing desire is based on their internal satisfaction not merely to win the competition, such as An...