Mao's Last Dancer (2009/Fox Blu-ray w/DVD)
Picture:
B+/B- Sound: B/B- Extras: C Film: A-
Li Cunxin,
a small town peasant boy, has a chance for greatness when he finds himself
selected to join the national ballet school, not only go to Beijing, but to dance and represent his
country! Through hard work and
determination he gets noticed on the international level and even has a chance
to go to America to continue to dance, it's like a fantasy dream come true, but
even with all the fame and glory, Li has to decide where his heart truly
lies... to enjoy dancing in America with all it's freedoms, or to return and
become a dancer for his home country China.
Bruce
Beresford’s Mao’s Last Dancer (2009)
is based on a true story, a young boy, a nobody, sudden finds himself in the
big city, to become a dancer to his country, China. Through the years he becomes the rising star
in his ballet school. He even becomes a
political tool to represent his county and travels to USA to not only
learn more about dancing, but a chance to get on the international stage. America
is unlike China
however as he finds a new freedom which was not allowed where he came from, the
freedom to be himself. There, he meets
an American girl and begins to wish to stay in the USA... but can he leave behind
everything that had brought him there, everything he had learned, to
even forsake his own country for love and the love of the dance?
This was
a very interesting film; the story of a dancer who learns the joy and love of
dancing, but unlike so many American dance movies this film had political and
social connotations as well. The main
character 'Li' was brought up and taught everything he did, do and would do is
for the benefit of his country, to find honor and glory, and to represent his
people. When coming to America he
finds the difference between Chinese and American culture is staggering, it's
wealth, people and even it's ideals, completely opposite of what he learned as
a boy, but when it comes time to return home, he must find some way to stay
without causing an international incident. The 1080p 1.85 X 1 frame looks fine and DTS-HD
MA (Master Audio) 5.1 mix performs well for a film that can have its quiet
moments. Extras include making of the
film and a DVD version that is not bad, but no match for the Blu-ray edition.
- Ricky Chiang
