One of my favorite movies of recent years is Tout près des étoiles: Les danseurs de l'Opéra de Paris, a wonderful 2001 documentary about the Paris Opera Ballet. I love it. I saw it twice in the theatre (the dinky Cinema Village in NY), and have seen it on DVD several times. I have a wierd obsession with dance movies, most specifically ballet. I don't know why, and really, why analyze it? The movement is spectacular, and I probably like the military regimen in the service of art. And, frankly, it's astounding what these people can do. And, I do love the Red Shoes - here you can read my hero-worship.
So, I'm basically completely stoked about the new three hour documentary on the Opera Ballet, Frederick Wiseman'sLa Danse, The Paris Opera Ballet. 3 solid hours of watching technically accomplished performers do what they love and talk about it. Heaven.
Here's the trailer
2 comments:
Oh, my God. We are soul-mates. I've always loved a classical dance movie, and I don't know why. When I was younger I used to think that perhaps in my next life I would be one. And I think you're right about the militaristic perfection -- I generally hate all ideas of authority, but there's something about dance discipline that I'm terribly attracted to. Thanks for the heads up on the new Wiseman flick.
For sure. I'm trying to figure out about getting a group together when it opens. I'm thinking either Friday night, the 20th, so Sunday afternoon, the 22nd.
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