All That Jazz
Joe Gideon is a Broadway director, choreographer and filmmaker, he in the process of casting the chorus and staging the dance numbers for his latest Broadway show, starring his ex-wife Audrey Paris in what is largely a vanity project for her in playing a role several years younger than her real age, and editing a film he directed on the life of stand-up comic Davis Newman. Joe's professional and personal lives are intertwined, he a chronic philanderer, having slept with and had relationships with a series of dancers in his shows, Victoria Porter, who he hired for the current show despite she not being the best dancer, in the former category, and Kate Jagger, his current girlfriend, in the latter category. That philandering has led to relationship problems, with Audrey during their marriage, and potentially now with Kate who wants a committed relationship with Joe largely in not wanting the alternative of entering the dating world again. Joe also lives a hard and fast life, he chain smoking, drinking heavily, listening to hard driving classical music and popping uppers to keep going. In addition to pressures from investors and meeting film deadlines above and beyond his own self-induced hard life, he is teetering on the brink physically and emotionally. With Kate, Audrey, and his and Audrey's teenage daughter Michelle looking over him as best they can, Joe flirts with "Angelique" in the process, he potentially succumbing to her if he doesn't listen to them or what his body is telling him.
Despite its modest budget of $12.0M, All That Jazz became a solid performer, earning $37.8M worldwide—a 215% return. The film's bold vision connected with viewers, proving that strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
All That Jazz (1979) reveals deliberately positioned plot construction, characteristic of Bob Fosse's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 14-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 3 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Joe Gideon
Angelique
Kate Jagger
Audrey Paris
Michelle Gideon
O'Connor Flood
Paul Klein
Main Cast & Characters
Joe Gideon
Played by Roy Scheider
A brilliant but self-destructive choreographer and director juggling multiple shows, relationships, and addictions while confronting his mortality.
Angelique
Played by Jessica Lange
A mysterious, ethereal figure in white who appears to Joe in hallucinatory sequences, representing death and acceptance.
Kate Jagger
Played by Ann Reinking
Joe's ex-wife and dance collaborator who maintains a complicated but caring relationship with him despite their divorce.
Audrey Paris
Played by Leland Palmer
Joe's girlfriend and lead performer in his show, struggling with his infidelity and self-destructive behavior.
Michelle Gideon
Played by Erzsebet Foldi
Joe's young daughter who loves him deeply but witnesses his flaws and deterioration.
O'Connor Flood
Played by Cliff Gorman
A stand-up comedian whose act Joe is editing, representing the raw material Joe shapes into art.
Paul Klein
Played by John Lithgow
A television executive and producer overseeing Joe's comedy special, concerned about budget and deadlines.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Joe Gideon's morning ritual: eyedrops, Dexedrine, Alka-Seltzer, Vivaldi, and "It's showtime, folks!" His daily routine of self-medication and self-delusion perfectly encapsulates his unsustainable lifestyle.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Joe experiences chest pains during an intense rehearsal but dismisses them, popping more pills. His body sends the first serious warning that his lifestyle is killing him, but he refuses to acknowledge it.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 31 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to Joe commits fully to both projects simultaneously, refusing to slow down despite the physical warnings. He actively chooses ambition and perfection over health, doubling down on his self-destructive commitment to being a "showman."., moving from reaction to action.
At 62 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Joe suffers a serious heart attack and collapses. The false victory of his creative success crashes into physical reality. He's hospitalized, and doctors tell him he must stop working. The stakes become life and death - literally., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 93 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Joe's condition worsens critically. He undergoes open-heart surgery, and during the operation, he has visions of his own death. The "whiff of death" becomes literal - his heart stops during surgery, and he must be resuscitated. Everything he's been running from catches up., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 99 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Joe realizes he cannot change and will not recover. Rather than fight, he accepts his fate and chooses to die as he lived - performing. He stages his own death as a final musical number, "Bye Bye Life," synthesizing his art and mortality., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
All That Jazz's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 14 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping All That Jazz against these established plot points, we can identify how Bob Fosse utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish All That Jazz within the drama genre.
Bob Fosse's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Bob Fosse films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.7, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. All That Jazz represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Bob Fosse filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Bob Fosse analyses, see Cabaret, Star 80.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Joe Gideon's morning ritual: eyedrops, Dexedrine, Alka-Seltzer, Vivaldi, and "It's showtime, folks!" His daily routine of self-medication and self-delusion perfectly encapsulates his unsustainable lifestyle.
Theme
Angelique asks Joe, "When are you going to stop living like there's no tomorrow?" This question, posed in the first fantasy sequence, establishes the central theme: the fatal price of burning the candle at both ends.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Joe's chaotic world: rehearsing his Broadway show "NY/LA" while simultaneously editing his film "The Stand-Up," juggling multiple women, chain-smoking, and maintaining his frenetic pace through pills and ego. We meet his daughter Michelle, ex-wife Audrey, and girlfriend Kate.
Disruption
Joe experiences chest pains during an intense rehearsal but dismisses them, popping more pills. His body sends the first serious warning that his lifestyle is killing him, but he refuses to acknowledge it.
Resistance
Joe continues his destructive pattern despite warnings from his body and loved ones. He pushes his dancers harder, struggles with the film's problematic comedian, and debates whether he can sustain his pace. The chest pains recur, but he medicates and performs his way through.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Joe commits fully to both projects simultaneously, refusing to slow down despite the physical warnings. He actively chooses ambition and perfection over health, doubling down on his self-destructive commitment to being a "showman."
Premise
The "fun and games" of watching a creative genius at work: brilliant choreography sessions, razor-sharp film editing, sexual conquests, and dazzling musical numbers. Joe is in his element, creating art at the highest level, even as his health deteriorates and relationships strain.
Midpoint
Joe suffers a serious heart attack and collapses. The false victory of his creative success crashes into physical reality. He's hospitalized, and doctors tell him he must stop working. The stakes become life and death - literally.
Opposition
In the hospital, Joe continues to direct and choreograph from his bed, refusing to surrender control. Doctors insist he needs surgery. His relationships unravel as Kate and Audrey confront his infidelity. The fantasy sequences with Angelique intensify as death closes in.
Collapse
Joe's condition worsens critically. He undergoes open-heart surgery, and during the operation, he has visions of his own death. The "whiff of death" becomes literal - his heart stops during surgery, and he must be resuscitated. Everything he's been running from catches up.
Crisis
In post-operative recovery, Joe faces his mortality. The fantasy sequences show him confronting the people he's hurt - his wife, lovers, colleagues. He's forced to see himself clearly for the first time, stripped of performance and pretense.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Joe realizes he cannot change and will not recover. Rather than fight, he accepts his fate and chooses to die as he lived - performing. He stages his own death as a final musical number, "Bye Bye Life," synthesizing his art and mortality.
Synthesis
The elaborate finale: Joe choreographs his own death as a spectacular musical production. Cast members, ex-lovers, and ghosts perform in a surreal celebration/condemnation of his life. Reality and fantasy merge completely as he directs his final bow.
Transformation
Joe is zipped into a body bag as "Bye Bye Love" plays. The final image mirrors the opening - but instead of "It's showtime, folks!" it's the end of the show. Joe achieved his art but paid with his life. A negative transformation: he hasn't changed, and it killed him.