_Love & Friendship_ got me interested in _The Last Days of Disco_
again. On this 4th or 5th time I saw the film, I finally recognized
it for what it is -- a humanistic masterpiece to rival the greatest
films of the 1990s.

This must be Stillman's most egalitarian outing. While Alice
(Sevigny) and Charlotte (Beckinsale) are the protagonists, the
film revolves the 6-10 sharply drawn individuals who drift
in and out of their their disco-frequenting social group. Stillman
stylizes them, focusing exclusively on their interactions (parents
and small children are so completely absent in the film, it could
have been an early period Wong Kar-Wai). Despite this, the
social dynamics among these characters are so vivid and real, other
American indies of the period, who have clearly stratified leads
and sidekicks, seem completely outclassed by comparison.

Stillman is known more for writing than mise-en-scene, but the
dance-floor chloreography here is absolutely amazing. There
is so much to look at inside the disco that is the film's home,
but amidst the chaos, there is so much clarity. Stillman
is also amazingly generous towards each and every character,
bestowing on them memorable quirks, character flaws, but also
redeeming self-awareness and kindness. While the film has
the same ethnic homogeneity issue as the best of Rohmer's
and Renoir's films, _The Last Days of Disco_ is absolutely
worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as _My Night
at Maud's_ and _The Rules of the Game_.

I would have preferred a more charismatic actress than
Chloe Sevigny. But Kate Beckinsale is truly a revelation.
Her character is smart, opinionated, attractive, and
never tries to hide any of these things. Beckinsale is
still stunning 18 years later in _Love & Friendship_, but
(sorry to be sexist) her beauty in _The Last Days of Disco_
just takes your breath away.

One of the extraordinary theses of _Disco_ is that the
much reviled disco music and dance moves provide a unifying
social function akin to religious ceremonies. Thus the end
credits superimposes "Night Train" with "Amazing Grace.
"Beckinsale's Charlotte reveals her soulful side at the
hospital with a lovely rendering of the Christian hymn;
not long later the film ends on everyone on the subway
dancing to the disco number. The double rupture of the
fourth wall anticipates and may have surpassed Claire Denis'
ending to _Beau Travail_. It is an extraordinarily magnanimous,
uplifting, and brilliant grace note. I seldom radically
alter my opinion of films after the first viewing, but have
to admit I vastly underestimated _The Last Days of Disco_.
After watching it again, tbere is no doubt in my mind that Whit
Stillman is one of the greatest American cinematic masters.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)