By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Original language title: La Danse - Le Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris
Country: france, united_states
Year: 2009
Running time: 159
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1500496/
Beth Caldwell says: “LA DANSE is a beautiful, beautiful film. Frankly this is what the category ‘best cinematography’ was made to represent. I’m particularly impressed that the cinematography was so rich and diverse in a place where the camera needed to be unobtrusive, avoiding mirrors, and following an unpredictably moving target. Breathtakingly beautiful, creative, and compelling, this film is definitely NOT TOO LONG at 2.5 hours. If you love the art form of dance and you love the art form of film, this is the best marriage of the two. Wiseman is very indulgent, giving us lots and lots and lots of dance. I worried it would be mostly talking heads with a number of dance scenes scattered along the way, but no, it was mostly dance. I’m also impressed with the way Wiseman balanced quiet scenes with music, a technique which I believe kept viewers from getting fatigued with any particular sequence. Quiet and inquisitive, we get to watch dancers and choreographers interact, and we see costume and makeup designers, reminding us that many artists contribute to the final product. I was stunned by the beauty of this film. 5 cats”