DANCERS
A film review by Ritalynne Brechner
Copyright 1987 Ritalynne Brechner
Let me start my saying that I love ballet, adore the ABT company and like GISELLE enough that I was a Super in the ABT's Met performance of it last spring. But I have never been enchanted by ballet on the screen, either movies or TV. I was, however, impressed by TURNING POINT, Baryshnikov's debut film, as it used the ballet to illustrate the lives of the Dancers. Even WHITE NIGHTS used ballet well, employing a very cinematic piece by Twyla Tharp to set the mood for the movie. DANCERS uses the actors to illustrate GISELLE. It doesn't work.
The point of the film seems to be to bring the story of Giselle's seduction and death up-to-date by showing a modern seduction by Baryshnikov's character, who dances Albrecht in the ballet, of a member of the chorus (village) in juxtaposition to her "correct" romance with a member of her own class (a stagehand). There is even an insane scene of both the Giselle-like chorus member and Alessandrs Ferri dancing GISELLE on the stage, very amateurly cut together.
There is a lot of GISELLE in the film. Most of the better parts of the first act, because it is meant to correspond to the "current" situation, and much of Act II (the Willis in the forest trying to dance the men to death) because that's where the viruoso dancing is.
If you enjoy ballet on film, like GISELLE, worship Baryshnikov, and don't mind the dance interrupted for close-ups of his face, then you will probably not resent paying $6 for this film.
One thing is absolutely certain. Even the most die-hard fan will hate this film when it hits the small screen. Only its size saves it now.
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