There have been many movies made that are strictly about the tango but I want to focus on movies that have it incorporated into it which means that the main plot is not about the tango itself. In the past decade there have been several, including Chicago (2002), Shall We Dance (2004), Rent (2005), and Take the Lead (2006) [1]. All of these movies and musicals are about dancing and they mix in the tango into the storyline which means that the tango is one of the most prevalent dance styles. The first movie that actually came to my mind is RENT which first was a Tony award winning musical [2]There is a song called the Tango Maureen where Mark and Joanna talk about Maureen who Mark used to date and who Joanne is dating now. Halfway through the song, Mark hits his head and seems to go into a “dream” where he sees Maureen dancing the tango with another man.
First, the tango is danced with the man leading the entire time. When Mark and Joanne dance it starts off with Mark leading but then they switch because Joanne, being a lesbian, has also learned how to dance the tango by leading. Mark makes a comment about how hard it is to dance backward and Joanne comes back at him with “you should try it in heels.” I find it funny because it is stereotypical of the women dancing in heels being the follower. Also, men just assume that being the follower is easy because you do not have to think about the next step to take but this is simply not true. Mark now sees what it is like to be on the other side and see a women's perspective.
Second, the scene with Maureen dancing the tango with all the other couples dancing behind her is very stereotypical of the tango because she is the only women wearing a red dress which makes herstand out. She also has a flower in her hair which is also another stereotype seen in the tango. The scene is very well made and choreographed based on the steps of the dance.
Lastly, I want to talk about the music behind the Tango Maureen. In the scene with Maureen you can clearly hear the original tango music. The lyrics also go along with the real tango because it is about love. These lyrics are about how they were betrayed by Maureen and yet they can not give up on her love. I want to analyze some of the lyrics toward the end of the song because they do relate to the tango and I find them very comical. Mark and Joanne sing, “You pretend to believe her 'cause in the end-you can't leave her.” This is talking about how even though Maureen betrayed them, they can not be without her and still love her no matter what. Most tango songs are about love and how they can not live without another person or how they have lost their lover and want them back which this song is basically emphasizing. But this next line is one of my favorites, “So you think, might as well...Dance a tango to hell. At least I'll have tangoed at all.” (All lyrics came from here) I love them because they are a spin off of the saying “it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.” It is just a fun way to play on words while still incorporating the tango genre.
By showing the tango in movies that are not necessarily about the tango shows its diversity. Not only can the tango be danced in clubs in Buenos Aires in the early 1900s but it can make its way to the big screen in the 21st century. This shows how it has crossed generations from being danced by poor people in the streets to being the sexy and passionate dance that we all see today in major motion pictures like Rent.
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