All That Jazz

All That Jazz

Year: 1979

Runtime: 123 min

Language: English

Director: Bob Fosse

DramaFantasyMusicMusical

A renowned choreographer and director, Joe Gideon finds his demanding life spiraling out of control. Juggling a Broadway show and a Hollywood film, he relies on medication and numerous relationships to maintain his relentless pace. As his physical and mental health deteriorates, Gideon is forced to confront the destructive consequences of his obsessive dedication and the unsustainable nature of his lifestyle.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen All That Jazz yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – All That Jazz (1979)

Explore the full timeline and setting of All That Jazz (1979). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Set in contemporary times, the film reflects the pressures of the entertainment industry and personal health crises that resonate with modern audiences. It encapsulates the fast-paced life of a workaholic, dealing with the consequences of a high-stakes career.

Location

Broadway, Hospital

Broadway is renowned as a major center for theatrical performances, especially musicals, known for its dazzling lights and vibrant atmosphere. The hospital serves as a contrasting backdrop, where life and death intertwine, highlighting the character's struggle with health and creative pursuits.

🏙️ Theater 🏥 Hospital

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:50

Main Characters – All That Jazz (1979)

Meet the key characters of All That Jazz (1979), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider)

Joe Gideon is a dynamic and ambitious theater director, whose intense drive for success and creativity ultimately leads to his downfall. His character personifies the chaos of balancing personal life and career aspirations, grappling with self-destructive tendencies and a deep fear of mortality.

🎬 Director 💔 Workaholic 🎤 Performer

Katie Jagger (Jessica Lange)

Katie Jagger is Joe's supportive yet troubled girlfriend, who provides a semblance of stability in his chaotic life. Her loving nature clashes with Joe's reckless lifestyle, highlighting the emotional strain that his ambitions place on their relationship.

💖 Supportive 🎤 Performer 😞 Strained Relationship

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:50

Major Themes – All That Jazz (1979)

Explore the central themes of All That Jazz (1979), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🎭 Creativity

The film delves into the relentless pursuit of creative excellence, showcasing how it can drive individuals to the brink of their limits. Joe's journey illustrates the fine line between brilliance and self-destruction that many artists walk.

💔 Mortality

Mortality looms over Joe as he grapples with declining health while maintaining a chaotic lifestyle. The narrative invites the audience to reflect on life, loss, and acceptance, ultimately questioning the cost of ambition.

👨‍👧‍👧 Relationships

Joe's interactions with his family, particularly his ex-wife and daughter, highlight the emotional turmoil that comes with personal relationships. His womanizing tendencies and workaholic nature strain these connections, displaying how love and regret coexist in his life.

Last Updated: October 22, 2024 at 22:50

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about artistic self-destruction like All That Jazz

Intimate portraits of brilliant creators consumed by their own genius and vices.If you were fascinated by the portrayal of creative burnout in All That Jazz, this thread features similar movies about talented artists on a downward spiral. Discover powerful dramas and biopics that explore the price of fame, addiction, and the dark side of genius in stories like Birdman and Whiplash.

exhaustinganxiousmelancholicoppressivefeverishintrospective

Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread typically follow a protagonist of exceptional talent whose obsessive dedication to their art leads to severe personal consequences. The narrative arc is often a decline, charting the character's reliance on substances, fractured relationships, and deteriorating health, all set against a backdrop of high-stakes creative pressure.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here because they share a central theme of the artist as a tragic figure. They create a similar mood of anxious, melancholic exhaustion through their focus on a character's internal and external collapse, often blending harsh realism with elements of fantasy to reflect a fractured psyche.

Surreal psychological dramas with a dark tone like All That Jazz

Dreamlike and disorienting explorations of a mind coming undone.For viewers who appreciated the dreamlike fantasy sequences and psychological depth of All That Jazz, this collection features movies that use surrealism to explore a character's mind. Find similar complex narratives with dark tones and bleak endings, such as Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream.

dreamlikefeverishsurrealpsychologicalclaustrophobicunsettling

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a subjective, often unreliable point of view, where the external world becomes a reflection of the protagonist's anxieties, regrets, or fears. The structure may jump between reality, memory, and fantasy, accelerating as the character's grip on reality weakens, typically leading to a tragic or bleak conclusion.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped together because they share a unique blend of harsh realism and expressive fantasy to convey internal turmoil. They create a coherent, feverish vibe through their variable pacing, high emotional intensity, and a visual and narrative style that is intentionally disorienting and dreamlike.

Unlock the Full Story of All That Jazz

Don't stop at just watching — explore All That Jazz in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what All That Jazz is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

All That Jazz Summary

Read a complete plot summary of All That Jazz, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

All That Jazz Summary

All That Jazz Timeline

Track the full timeline of All That Jazz with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

All That Jazz Timeline

All That Jazz Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of All That Jazz that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

All That Jazz Spoiler-Free Summary

More About All That Jazz

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about All That Jazz: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About All That Jazz

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