Golden Eighties

Alongside the comedy, the musical was and is the original genre that permits the audience to be addressed directly. People regularly sing and dance directly into the camera – a way of paying tribute to varieté and vaudeville, cinema’s early forerunners. In GOLDEN EIGHTIES, the “corps de ballet” consisting of hairdressers at a shopping mall salon repeatedly sings and dances facing the audience head on, with the film unfolding entirely within the mall. By singing, these working girls comment upon several of the big emotions, which are dealt with in the salon, but also in the men’s outfitters next door and the café. For all the poppy liveliness of the ensemble’s performance, Akerman weaves memories of past traumas into the film as a thoughtful counterpoint to all the turmoil of love. (mg)