Nijinsky [Blu-ray]

I saw this movie when it was released many years ago, own it on VHS, and bought the DVD. It is for great fans of dance who want as complete a collection of dance films as possible. To be very clear, the movie as a film is something of a clunker. Alan Bates is great as Diaghilev, but the rest of the acting leaves MUCH to be desired. The director, Herbert Ross, and his producer/wife Nora Kaye, were former dancers (she with NYCB and ABT, a muse for Antony Tudor) and they are true to their school, I guess, by casting ballet dancers in many roles, including non-dancing parts. Hence, some not-very-good acting.Ross, as a dancer, certainly understands how to direct dance for film.Ross had directed "Turning Point" and Leslie Browne, an unknown ballet dancer at the time, got an Oscar nomination for playing... an unknown ballet dancer. Here, in the crucial role of Nijinsky's opportunist wife, she is totally wooden, though well-intentioned. Having seen her onstage many times during her ballet career, I can say she was an amazing dancer, and the best ballet Juliet of her era, but just not much of a movie actress.The movie was originally conceived for Nureyev and then for Baryshnikov, but both dancers aged out of the part before the movie became a reality. Sadly, George de la Peña is neither a great dancer nor a great actor. He looks good, but there seem to be a lot of tricks and editing employed to try to make him into the most famous male dancer in history. Ironically, with Leslie Browne and Carla Fracci in the cast but relegated to roles where they are only briefly seen dancing, two great dancers are left to try acting, while a so-so dancer must try to convince us that he has such astonishing technique that he revolutionized ballet in the west.The villain of the piece, a baron who is also a flaming queen, is somewhat entertaining, but one-dimensional and stereotypical.So, one worthwhile performance and a lot of others on either end of the too-much or too-little spectrum (but watch for a brief appearance by Jeremy Irons as Fokine).Why, then, buy this DVD? For the visuals. First, the design of the non-theatrical scenes is beautiful (though when Leslie Browne/s dress is ripped off by de la Peña revealing that she is wearing no underwear in 1914, this is totally inaccurate).The ballet scenes and the record of the brilliant and historically-significant scenery and costume designs are the main reason I own this video and the main reason a dance or design afficianado should add it to a collection. The choreography is in many cases "recreated" by Kenneth MacMillan (a brilliant artist), so you don't get a historically accurate record of the ballets, but, rather, an impression of history created by a later artist. But the designs are reproductions of the originals by Bakst and Benois. These designs are considered to have jumpstarted to Art Deco movement, and are ravishing.They were apparently borrowed for the most part from ballet companies that began staging Ballets Russes pieces in the '70s (the good old days when there was money and interest in ballet, including past masterpieces). So they are researched and reproduced with care.So, in summary, a sort of historical soap opera, with a wide range of quality in the acting, good directing of the dancing, though with the weakest dancer in the largest dancing role, and a valuable film record of historical design.

An exceptionally thoughtful view into the life of Vaslav Nijinsky, premiere danser for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. The names are all here: Diaghilev, Fokine, Bakst, Stravinsky, Cecchetti, along with the future Mrs. Nijinsky, Romola, and ending in time with Diaghilev’s last boy-toy prodigy, Massine. How the characters interact with Nijinsky is well-done and we see the clash of the artists in action. We also see how Nijinsky’s descent into “madness” is consistent with pure creative genius developed without restraint. Such descent we see is, however, tempered with ascents of mania as witnessed by his impestuous love-affair-marriage to Romola.Overall, an excellent glimpse into pieces of Nijinsky’s choreography… Faun, Jeux, and Sacre du Printemps.It is a terrible loss not to have his work on film per Diaghilev’s paranoia that audiences would not come if the ballets were filmed. I suspect Nijinsky’s Sacre was more of a masterpiece than his Faun. Such ponderings aside, a terrible sadness one bears not knowing for sure.Le Sacre du Printemps is an obviously Russian pagan ritual wherein the tribe desires to effect a good hunt and harvest by destroying the Evil Spirit. A temptation is offered to the Evil Spirit in the form of a maid. Said maiden bears the Evil Spirit which contorts and thrashes and ultimately breaks her body resulting in not only the death of the Evil Spirit’s host but also the spirit itself… A common theme amongst many pagan tribes and interestingly, also heavy with the Catholic exorcist crowd.Premiered in Paris in 1913, it met with hissings and booings due to no other reason than that at that time the French were a bunch of ignorant boobs who had no culture of their own with which to identify themselves. i.e. The ballet was far beyond their basic comprehension.As Nijinsky is counting for the dancer from the wings, we see the Evil Spirit has taken hold of him as he shakes in emphathy with the virgin maid… i.e. the Genius of Nijinsky is controlled by the Evil Spirit… madness. Similarly, we note earlier Nijinsky’s confession regarding the concluding eroticism of his first choreographic masterpiece, Prélude à l’Après-Midi d’un Faune: “It wasn’t me… It was the faun.” And, even earlier, we note Diaghilev’s repeated instructions as master/father to his puppet Nijinsky, “You must become the faun”.Such is the breaking of the human body from the spirit that Nijinsky’s genius required of him. Such is the genius defined by mere mortals as madness.Further suggestion upon viewing this film, one may wish to view *The Diaries of Vaslav Nijinsky* (2002), an excellent reading by Derek Jacobi with corresponding eye-candy which brings us closer into the mind of man’s ultimate “Clown of God”. Disclosure: One particularly disturbing scene may not be suitable for all.

a fantastic sight to see and hear. wonderful almost everything. the written story was as dull as the direction. the acting was superb because of the actors. the script was poor for such a life as Nijinsky, but the pomp and coloring of the film and the glorious camera made this watchable.

I saw this film on its first release and remembered being disappointed by it. It is, in fact, the only major movie ever made about the life of Nijinsky and, whilst there are sections of the film that are slow, it is overall a beautifully filmed biopic about Nijinsky's life with the Ballets Russes and it evokes, with sensitivity and humour, the atmosphere and environment of company life. The impact of Nijinsky's original performances is cleverly captured - the filming of Spectre of the Rose is wonderfully romantic and impressionsitic and manages to capture the sense of Nijinsky's prodigious leaps, and the rehearsals for and opening performance of The Rite of Spring brilliantly suggest the beginning of the breakdown of Nijinsky's tenuous grasp on reality as well as the creative trauma that sometimes goes hand in hand with genius.The film is beautifully shot, perhaps in a slightly self-conscious way - scenes are 'composed' in a way that some may find old fashioned - but this element of composition cleverly reinforces the theatricality of the world Nijinsky is forced to inhabit. In this high definitition bly-ray the film is visually stunning.It is also significant for a number of other reasons as it showcases an array of consummnate performances from its actors. This is Jeremy Irons first film and he gives a perfectly judged performance as the principal choreographer of the Ballets Russes whose ego is fragile and whose nose is put out of joint by Daighilev's favourite. There's an excellent central performance from Alan Bates as Diaghilev. He's perfectly cast and absolutely the right age for the role. Sadly, not so many of his performances are availbale on DVD or Blu Ray, so if you are a fan, his performance in Nijinsky is quite wonderful. George de la Pena does not really look like Nijinsky and it is, perhaps, surprising that more of an effort was not made to get closer to a physical resemblance - for instance, the hair could have been styled to capture the short, stark look in many of the photographs of Nijinsky dancing that have been archived - however, he does capture the spirit of Nijinsky both in his acting and in his dancing, and the relationships with both Diaghilev and Romola are explored with sensitivity and depth. Lesley Browne, who plays Romola, conveys her journey from the star struck, naive fan to the hardened and practical wife well and, of the three central roles, Romola is, perhaps, the least developed on the page. However, she conveys the early idealism and the later pain and anguish of the character convincingly.The subject of Nijinsky's sexuality and of his relationships with Diaghilev and Romola is explored. The film is careful not to lay the blame for Nijinsky's breakdown and dissent into madness with either of his partners - it is rather the result of each person having to make the choices they make, and of circumstance. At the time of its first release, I wanted these relationships to be explored more explicitly and with greater passion, but seeing the film now more than thirty years down the line, the passion is there and the exploration of the emotional and physical asepcts of the relationships is explored with subtlety and taste. As a major Hollywood movie of its time, it probably goes further than most in exploring the themes of gender and sexual mores.Overall, this is a tasteful and ambitious film that is well worth adding to your collection if you are a fan of Nijinsky and the Ballets Russes, or if you are an Alan Bates fan.

Have waited years to get this dvd. But couldn't get one that was compatible with my player. Now got a new player that works for any region. It's an old film so not the same quality of picture we are now used to, but if you like ballet and a well acted drama can recommend.

Biopic of ballet dancer Nijinsky.Made in 1980,this is a lavish beautifully made movie,depicting his dazzling career & ultimately his decent into madness.George De La pena plays Nijinsky perfectly,he is so passionate & convincing,I cant believe it was his first & only starring role! Alan bates is excellent as as always,he splays Nijinskys domineering mentor & Jeremy irons,in his movie debut,has a minor role as a cheographer.An underrated classic,to be appreciated at last!

A very atmospheric film and story which sets the scene well, although slightly giving a biased impression at the end of Diagalev's attitude to Nijinsky. Splendid recreations of some of the ballets - would like to have seen more of these.

Doesn't work on Uk DVD players.