Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Sometimes, first impressions are misleading. When I saw Fonteyn and Nureyev in Swan Lake, I was appalled by the weird ending, Nureyev's interjected solos, the reshuffling of Tchaikovsky's score, and the radical reworking of the Petipa/Ivanov choreography. I didn't see any of the famed Fonteyn/Nureyev chemistry.
But don't make the same mistake I did. Avoid the muddled Swan Lake, and order their Romeo and Juliet today! It's Kenneth MacMillan's production, and the romantic score by Prokofiev is of course beautiful. The corps, unlike the underreheased, cramped Swan Lake corps, have it together. The costumes are lovely.
Most of all, you finally see the Fonteyn/Nureyev magic. Fonteyn is much more suited to Juliet than Odette/Odile, which requires almost superhuman athleticism from the ballerina. As Juliet, Fonteyn's grace and charm more than make up for the fact that at age 46, her leaps aren't as high and her turns aren't the fastest. Except for a few unflattering closeups, she still exudes a remarkable girlishness and wide-eyed innocence. Nureyev is also excellent -- unlike Fonteyn, he was at his peak and his turns and leaps are a sight to behold. He got a late start in ballet (17!) and was often criticized for his "unfinished technique" and sometimes in the film you can see why. For one, he can't seem to control his pirouettes very well -- he can start them, spin, but can't neatly end them turned out in 4th position (a la Baryshnikov). Rudolf sometimes overrotates and "cheats" by quickly putting down his free leg. Nevertheless, the warmth and ardency he exudes more than compensate for technical defects.
But when Margot and Rudi dance together, they are greater than the sum of their parts. For those used to the idealized aloofness of classical ballet, you will be stunned by the intimacy and physicality of Fonteyn and Nureyev. When Nureyev recalled that the two danced with "one body, one soul" it wasnt an exaggeration. It seems like we're peeping in on a private relationship, not a performance. One particularly beautiful moment is when Fonteyn and Nureyev at the very beginning of the balcony scene run around onstage and bump into each other. Their hands touch, and both shake visibly, as if jolted by electricity. Later on, Nureyev lightly brushes his face in Fonteyn's nightgown. I dare say it's hotter than any porn film.
The *only* drawback is the visual quality of the film. There doesnt seem to have been any remastering, and a lot of the film has a grainy look.
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