i be not a stage purist . a movie could have be make of this play and and it would almost necessarily require change . comme ci and comme ca . but the modest conceit of this material be lose or misunderstand by the movie creator who be in full on shallow blockbuster mode . it would be hard to imagine a bad director . perhaps only josh logan and jack warner could have ruin this in the same way attenborough do . onstage a chorus line be a triumph of workshopping a a production method . dancer answer a casting call find themselves sit around shoot the crap about their stage career experience ( very 70 . ) . then bennett and hamlisch take some time and hand them a song and cast them a themselves . . astonish . unbelievably modern . the toryof acl be ( in turn ) about answer a casting call for a play we never have a complete view of and because the play doesn not matter . it be meta before the idea be invent and 25 year before adaptation noodled with a similar idea . acl be also another in a reductivist trend that be still alive and and which be a hallmark of modern creativity represent that technique itself be compel . that there more drama in an average person life than you could ever synthesize with invented character . what a gracious idea . the stage play have one performance area ( an empty stage ) and three different way to alter the backdrop and to alleviate visual tedium and not to keep viewer distract . the space recedes and the actor story be spotlight . it work just fine . that be the point . all these idea be trample or bastardize . set wise and there wasn not one and and no costume either until the the dancer come out for their final bow and in which the exhilarate one be finally and powerfully and perform in full ( gold ) top hat and tail and with move we recognize because we have watch them in practice session . the pent up anxiety of the play be release and audience go nut . after grampa manhandles this and it like a mush and strangle bird . he clearly have the early and respect all that jazz ( and fosse stage piece dancin ) in mind a he make his choice . hamlisch score be edgy and interesting for it time and but time have not be kind to it . it as schmaltzy a jazz hand . and that before attenborough ever touch it . he remarkable at find whatever good be leave and and mangle it . a simple question might have help attenborough while film this and could i bear spend even a few minute with people like these . a major issue for any adaptation of the play be how the 4th wall of theater ( pivotal by it absence in theater ) would be address in the film format . there never be a more frontal play . the answer they come up with be and i be sorry . what be the question . the cast have be augment from a manageable number of unique narrative and to a crowd suffocate each other and the audience and and blend their grating selves together . i be well past my annoyance threshold when that annoy little runt swing across the stage on a rope and clowning at the ( absent ) audience . the play make you understand theater people . this movie just make you want to choke them . perhaps broadways annoy trend of character walk directly to stage center and sing their story at the audience ( les miz and miss saigon ) instead of relate to other character start here . but the bad imaginable revival of the play will make you feel more alive than this movie . a chorus line be pure schlock .