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The Car Man (Matthew Bourne)Rating:
Release Date: 13 May, 2003 Retail Price: $24.99 OUR Price: $22.99 You SAVE: $2.00! Cast: Complete Cast (7 total) |
The Car Man (Matthew Bourne) Reviews
Bourne at his best marred by distracting camera movement.
I agree with some of the previous reviewers: this is Matthew Bourne at his best: he's a genius of a story-teller and choreographer. His Swan Lake has become a top notch variation on a classic ballet and his recent Nutcracker is bound to become the same. For those of us who have no chance of ever seeing this production staged in a theater, this DVD is not to be missed. I find watching it arousing (in the full meaning of the word), emotionally shattering, and ultimately cleansing in the manner of a classic tragedy.
I agree with others of the previous reviewers: the nervous, MTV style camera work distracts from the dancing and the overall composition of this brilliant theater piece. In his commentary Bourne offers a sort of reasoning for the hyperactive cutting back and forth but it comes across as an after-the-fact attempt to save the integrity of his own work. There are indeed too many close-ups that prevent the viewer from seeing the dancers dance, and just as the eye settles on a movement the camera shifts. BUT I found that on second viewing I could watch sections of the DVD in slow motion without the sound track and could see and appreciate a lot more of Bourne's remarkable sense of pattern and movement and the terrific discipline and energy of the dancers.
I give this DVD five stars because this is the only version I am ever likely to see and even with its directorial flaws it conveys the high artistry and erotic energy of not only Bourne's reworking of Bizet's Carmen but also the essence of the original opera.
I think Bourne's work has staying power and that we will treasure his productions over the years, above all perhaps the magnificent Swan Lake. But where is the DVD of his Cinderella set in WWII London?
Most interesting and engaging!
This is NOT your traditional ballet. It is, however, gripping and entrancing. The dancers are good, and the choreography imaginative. Our attention never wandered.
The plot of this "auto-erotic" dance thriller is not totally linear, but it is clearly drawn. We are interested in the characters and their interactions. We find considerable beauty as well.
My only quarrel with this presentation is the rapid cutting. I wish the camera had been able to linger longer without all the constant motion.
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