THE STORY:
The log line: A photographer is drawn into the violent and reckless world of "high stakes" gambling by a stranger who teaches her to dance.
The Synopsis
The Twelfth lesson is a musical thriller with both a personal drama and a love story.
The existence of violence and gangsters with the female photographer holding the key to the story, by means of a reel of undeveloped film which is taken after the heroine (Terry) witnessing an attack on the hero (Ralph), is at the heart of the thriller. Order and chaos verses conquest or the quest for validation, married with the value of love, or the morality of right and wrong drive the love story and personal drama. After witnessing the attack Ralph is pursued by terry and when she learns that he is a dancer, she becomes involved with him, and for money Ralph agrees to give terry 12 dance lessons.
Ralph is a gambler and a dancer and is a character who wants to "do it his way" and he is seeking to assert his independence from his father who regards his son’s actions and decisions with the attitude "you will see one day."
Ralph sees himself as the same as his friend Bo (a helpless gambler) and will do anything to maintain his friend Bo. His father does not approve of Ralph’s dancing or his friends. Hardshuffle the gangster will take any type of bet, so when Ralph and hardshuffle clash some ones got to loose, but who?
The concept of the twelfth lesson is intriguing and strong visually, combining music dance and evocative flash back/ fantasy with a hybrid genre and visual style that confronts the viewer with real surprises. The story feels edgy and reads like a hybrid between a stage show and a film.
Characterization
Ralph is an interesting combination- a dancer teacher who has fallen in with a mean crowd in the world of professional gambling. In this regard the project has an echo of a bleak thriller .There is mystery to Ralph as Ralph is engaged in a personal battle which splits his character. Ralph’s father had plans for his son to follow in his footsteps .Ralph was "not so sure", as a result of this conflict Ralph took up the dance and developed close relationships with talented outsiders artist musicians, and in this action Ralph sees himself as the some as his friends
Ralph is good-looking but vaguely burnt-out, his eyes a bit crazy, his hair neatly cut, his jaw firm, has mouth a smiling snarl. The visual image is on that square jaw every minute. Uniformed in boots, smart pants, tie and trim leather jacket, he's an elegant young hoodlum who can switch to an svelte dancer. He's angry all the time but brings vibrant energy to both of his conflicting lives. Ralph teaches a beautiful dark-haired young photographer and coaches her in dance. If he's an artist it's the, coiled, macho kind. How can you teach anybody dance excellence? The impossibility of the process is signaled by the photographer what does she really want?. This relationship is an "oasis of calm" to the otherwise crazy one that contrasts in such a piece as this are telegraphed without much subtlety -- but the unconventionality of the pair helps the scenes to avoid cliche. And the intensity is just as focused in these quiet moments. e.g. Bo .
Bo introduced the concept of outlaws to gather ( outlaws 4 life a brotherhood of risk takers).
In this respect ( the relationship Ralph has with outlaws 4 life) we see Bo as having the power to release Ralph from his world and chooses not to, or by acknowledging Ralph’s talent freeing Ralph of any obligation. Bo is the real gambler There are other strong relationships. Ralph isn't isolated; he works with partners, one of who looks dark , is superb as the blowzy, burnt out muzo, BO a big sensualist, an irresistible presence, always smoking drinking and eating, soft but nasty, irritating but impossible for Ralph not to love and protect.and Ralph is his loyal sidekick gambles as a means of acceptance by his friend. Ralph values his street cred more that he values his career and can be dangerous physically when cornered. His relationship with Bo is more that it seems Ralph needs Bo and the chaos that Bo lives with. This relationship legitimises his lack of success in his chosen field
Ralph has many friends however he denies his dependency on these people he believes that his relationship with his dad has real significance and wants to prove that he can make his way independently in the big city.
Terry is a safe professional well attached and supported by a group of professional who look after her (JP being the most prominent) and in this respect Terry is well organized and always in control however she has voyeuristic tendencies. Terry has given Ralph a chance to escape the violence and danger through a love interest that orbits around his art, although she doesn’t recognise herself in the role as the lessons take place.
Terry is attracted to the dark side which she has access to through Ralph, and all though the 12 lessons are a distraction from her plans with JP (to light up the art world). Terry finally has discovered her own secret and her reluctance to develop the film shows that she is unwilling to betray this secret or believes that there are greater rewards ahead if she curb her voyeurism and begins to rely upon her instincts in other words "go with it" and trust your self, terry is not a stereotype in the fact that she is in complete control of all aspects of her relationship with Ralph.
BO. Bo is a mischievous character who is a musician that plays the sax although we never see or hear his work.he has a reputation around town as a small time hustler and is known by the many different persona that he created , above all be has formed a loose collective of people and they are called outlaws for life, he thought an introduction to Ralph persuades Ralph that this way of living is the only way to survive. Bo is persuasive and controlling on the surface however he has made to many enemies and is a lonely character full of regrets. He plays on Ralph's good nature and enlists Ralph to his cause and relies n obligation to cement his friendship.
Terry's confidant agent and friend. J.P. . P.J. is a women of colour and Terry's agent.j.p.has seen terry grow up and Believes in terry and will fight for her to the end he also knows every thing about her.
The antagonist Hardshuffle and Mouse
Age between 55 and 65 .Enjoys the good the things in life.His weakness is his vanity.
Has built an empire on his ability to manipulate other people’s weaknesses
Hardshuffle relies on Mouse to enforce any deals that he makes and he does not like to get his hands dirty
HARDSHUFFLE COUNTRY HOUSE
We see this big country house with a long drive and three cars parked out side Hardshuffle at his country house playing snooker for money. We see him win the snooker game then discuss business with his boys. As his snooker opponents leave he decides to have a second bet(double or quits). He has 4 huge Dobermans. The cars are at the end of a long drive. He bets his dogs can get to the snooker opponents before they get to the car.
Hardshuffle It’s lunchtime, the restaurant has a glass front, and it’s busy with people. Hardshuffle is seated at a table with Mouse and just finished his lunch (venison pie) a recipe is attached to the end of the story). Hardshuffle has a Robbie Coltrane type figure, a suit from Saville Row, and is playing with a gold fountain pen (his trademark). Mouse has in his hands a piece of paper containing a list of some sort.
Ralph's Dad: (his name is never revealed)
A proximately the same age as hardshuffle his character stays in the shadows save to say that he talks to Ralph with high morale's . This gives clues as to what happened to Ralph's mother. However you get the sense that dad is the foil against which Ralph's action can be judged.
THE story its simplifications hides a complex moral tale. The crooks life like the classical dancers life can be no more than impressionistic ally dabbed in. both requires a disciplined approach he studied dance for months with their sequences -- may be trying too hard sometimes. Ralph, who showed us dark secret places last time, now reveals himself a virtuoso of violence and passion.
The story is about the relationship between a gambler/ dancer and photographer. It takes place in and around an inner city area, Ralph, the dancer, has a friend and gambling partner, Bo, who bets on games of snooker and plays for large stakes. Hardshuffle is the man behind the gambling operations in the snooker business. Mouse, his number one enforcer is asked to fix a match between Bo and one of Shuffles best players. When Ralph notices Mouse cheating he gets involved and a fight breaks out.
Terry witnesses the break out of the fight and is drawn into approaching Ralph, when she discovers that he teaches dance she persuades the unsuspecting Ralph to give her 12 lessons. The twelve lessons take place in twelve different locations and over a twelve-day period. The lessons start off in Ralph’s house, then move to the park, an abandoned warehouse, a night club, a restaurant, in the rain, on a train, on the street, Terry’s photography studio, and at a photographic show. Whilst drunk Bo and Ralph decide to use Terry’s money to teach Hardshuffle and his boys a lesson and at the same time settle an old score. Ralph is not always available for the lessons when he says and Terry however the lessons are the rhythms to the story and the consistent visual feature that drives the story from the beginning to the end.
Terry makes sure she gets her lessons.
Like a moth trapped in the lights of a speeding oncoming car Terry was horrified and also compelled by what she had witnessed and this alternative world to her own she now is entangled with. Like some strange and almost morbid bystander who for no reason they cam fathom cannot walk away from the seen of a terrible accident the compulsion was deeply rooted, as if this was what she had been wailing to happen. She found herself fixed in the moment and was a live again.
Terry’s agent, JP, commissions Terry to make a humorous collection of photographs for a huge project that he will be taking over to the States.
Ralph begins to believe that his student Terry is the best thing that has happened to him for some time and is more convinced when he accidentally sees PJ's fax confirming the commissioning of the photographs for the States. As the lessons intensify, both Ralph and Terry begin to see their dreams come into reality. Ralph could really make it this time and Terry has always wanted to move from behind the camera to in front.
Hardshuffle is never one to turn down an opportunity of making some money. So when he is presented with a bag full of cash and an all or nothing game of snooker, he can’t refuse. Bo and Ralph have a plan to gather all of Hard shuffles people together for the game and rob the lot of them. It seems like somebody has to lose, but whom?
The story ends with the couple Ralph and terry out foxing hardshuffle and a dance sequence at a Major airport before the two are seen soaring a jumbo and the plane heads upwards to the sun which is a large glowing red colour
the end.
In this one the boy gets the girl.
Venison Pie Recipe:
Method:
Pre heat the oven to 450F AFTER carrying out the second paragraph. Tenderise your meat by mallet or rolling pin. In a bowl mix the mace, flour and all spice and season well.Remove any fat or gristle from the meat (there shouldn't be much if indeed any) then cube and dust with the prepared flour.
Place in a pan along with the wine, vinegar, and ginger, and just enough stock to cover the meat. Simmer this gently for approx 1 hour. Remove from heat and add the onions and parsley. Place back on heat, cover and simmer for another 30 minutes.
Remove from heat again and allow to cool. Skim off any fat (there shouldn't be that much). Place in a pie dish, add the jelly and the remaining stock. Roll out the pastry and cover the pie. Make a steam hole in the middle and bake for about 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
Serve with a potato dish of your choice.
