Monday, May 14, 2012

LIMELIGHT: THE DISCO DON


Is it just me or has anyone else noticed the self-absorbed attitude taken by folks who live in the New York hoi paloi? For some reason these people seem to think that if they're interested in something then everyone else is interested in the same thing, or that they should be. Perhaps this explains why they seem interested in a fashion or idea that never catches on until several years later at which time they think it has passed. High profile dance clubs was one such creature and LIMELIGHT, a documentary covering the life of New York club owner Peter Gatien, tells us much about that world of the past.

Gatien was a Canadian who had an idea, the desire to build the ultimate club in New York City. Long past the days when disco ruled in clubs like 54, Gatien wanted to make something special and achieved his dream when he built clubs like Limelight, The Tunnel and Palladium. Each had its own decor, style and theme and each was popular with various crowds. The clubs became THE place to be seen by various celebrities and in turn created a few of their own.

But the clubs came tumbling down when it came to what went on behind the scenes. While Gatien wanted to create a place for people to hang, for people to enjoy themselves and to ultimately make money in the process, to do so meant including others. When you toss that many people into the mix something is bound to go wrong. As the film describes various people involved in Gatien's clubs were involved in many things from drug dealing to murder and their contributions with these things led the collapse of those same clubs.

While this was going on there was also a change in the world of New York City. Where the world on NYC was filled with drugs and crime and what many would consider socially unacceptable behavior, those in charge changed. Along comes a district attorney by the name of Rudolph Guliani who decides it's time to clean up New York. Times Square changed with the downfall of porn houses, pimps and prostitutes and the recreation of the area into a world filled with family oriented businesses. Included in this clean up were the clubs of Gatien, clubs filled with hedonistic leaning people who wanted to do what they wanted without consequence.

These two items combined to bring down the fall of the clubs and of Gatien. As the documentary unfolds you get the impression that Gatien wanted nothing more than to offer a place for club goers to gather while making a profit at the same time. For one man to control this entire empire would be impossible. The choices Gatien made in those who helped run things was his mistake. It was these people that chose to do things that would harm more than help his clubs.

 The film combines documented footage and stills from the clubs, news footage and interviews with those who were there to make an interesting film. It does so not using just those who were involved in the club side of things but government officials who helped lead to the closings of the clubs as well. Best of all it includes interviews with Gatien himself.

When you walk away from this film you won't consider Gatien the devil that he may have been portrayed as by those who prosecuted him. You won't consider him a saint either. You will have a behind the scenes look at what it takes to not only create a business but to keep it in check as well. This movie doesn't offer any clear cut bad guys. It does show the world as it really is.

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