Nijinsky

Nijinsky (1980) -

I couldn't actually remember whether I had checked the synopsis for this film beforehand and whether it might have been about a horse instead. My Mother certainly insisted on telling me that there was also a horse called Nijinsky all the way through it, despite it obviously being about the ballet dancer.

Either way, I knew nothing about the man, well played by George De La Pena and now I know something. He seemed like a bit of a diva actually and although it was clear that Sergei was using him for his talents, at least to some degree and that their love might not have been true, I felt that the dancer was probably doomed to come to the end that he did due to his passion and determination that would only ever be disappointed.

The character of Sergei, who was the lover and benefactor, didn't look like the Alan Bates I knew. I would still have kissed him though, without the use of a handkerchief between our lips, as was the oddity of their first meeting on screen.

There had always been something roguishly charming about Mr. Bates, especially when he had his beard and that came across in this great and interesting character, which was well delivered.

I would have liked to have seen more of Nijinsky actually dancing, although the Faun performance was a bit odd and lacklustre. More a sort of strange rolling around than the traditional beauty of a ballet that I'm used to. Actually, most of the dances were too strange for me and I was disappointed, having only recently started to get in to the art form via the likes of 'Swan Lake' and 'The Nutcracker', but also 'Car Men' and an old BBC2 performance I saw entitled 'Enter Achilles' from a season they did named '2 Dance'. Perhaps what was shown in this film would be received positively by those that knew more, but for myself as a layman it just came across as a bit forced and daft.

However I would have been very surprised if anyone could choreograph any kind of dance to Igor Stravinsky's (Ronald Pickup) God awful music, as it was performed in this film. It was painful to listen to.

Other than that, I thought that this story of Vaslav Nijinsky's life was produced fairly well. I would definitely have liked more sex and nudity, but I understood the restrictions that the studio would have been under at the time.

However I did also think that it was very poorly lit, making it very dark throughout and therefore lacking in definition at times, or perhaps it may have been the quality of the film used, but it definitely needed something.

In general it was interesting and it kept my attention, which many other films have failed to do. The final moments appeared a bit rushed as if they had sacrificed filming that segment of his life due to time constraints, because it was sad and that did lead me to thinking that it was a poor end for both Nijinsky and the film.

640.89/1000.

Purportedly factual biography of head strong and gay ballet dancer Nijinsky (George De La Pena). It deals with his slow descent into madness and his love for his manager (Alan Bates).

Lavish, well-done movie. I saw it way back in 1980 on opening night in a huge theatre in Boston. It was virtually empty. It was publicized to the hilt but it seems nobody had an interest in a ballet movie. Too bad. It was well-acted and the dancing by Pena was just superb.

My only complaint is the ridiculous R rating. It was given that because of a few (mild) kisses between Pena and Bates. Back in 1980 male on male kisses was enough to give a film an R rating and Hollywood wouldn't go any farther in portraying a gay relationship (purportedly Pena, who is straight, was petrified of doing these scenes). Everything else is PG material here. The rating really should be lowered for wider acceptance.

Worth catching.

This little-seen film by Herbert Ross chooses to focus on the rise and fall of Vaslav Nijinsky, petulant and superb dancer, and his stormy relationship with his producer-lover, Sergei Diaghilev. This story from with the heart of Ballet Russes has been well-documented before and here we see the descent into madness of a great, if unhinged artist.

George De La Pena plays the title role, and his dancing is a dream. Alan Bates is excellent as Diaghilev, all repressed passion and deep thoughts. The film tries its best to portray this unorthodox relationship with the ballet at its core, but doesn't quite get there - a sign of the times, perhaps? A strength of 'Nijinsky' is the dance sequences which are replicated as they would have originally been performed, right up to the scandalous performance of the Fawn piece. The scenes where the unhappy dancer is confined to an asylum have less power but are as valid as any other sequence in the film.

Acclaimed ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, the "Polish peasant" who became the toast of Europe in the early 1900s, isn't very well served by this meandering biography which looks and sounds good but seems internally stultified. Nijinsky (played as a spoiled child by newcomer George De La Pena) attempts to extend his talents to the choreography of his latest showcase, under the tutelage of his lover and partner Sergei Diaghilev (Alan Bates), but cracks under the enormous pressure to be brilliant; meanwhile, a budding ballerina schemes her way into Nijinsky's arms after the star and his impresario have a romantic falling-out. Director Herbert Ross, apparently still riding the high from his 1977 ballet-themed drama "The Turning Point", has no new ideas on how to stage an electrifying or kinetic dance performance; the music direction is strong, however the magic of a timeless presentation is missing (what should have been the movie's strongest asset is in fact its weakest link). The temperament of artists in general is well-observed (if a bit over-the-top), however the love story between dancer and producer fails to come off. 1980 may still have been too early in the game to show passion between two men; Ross gives us a chaste rendering of it, followed by what seems like years of sniping and jealousy between the couple. Leslie Browne (a hold-over from "The Turning Point") never begins to suggest the cunning ambitions of a woman who hoped to 'change' Nijinsky', while the passion in that heterosexual union is confined to a single scene. What was everyone so bashful about? A brilliant little light show during the end credits is far more sparkling than anything in the rest of the film! *1/2 from ****

I consider this film a failure. It fails at being a good biopic about Nijinsky, as the facts are far too skewed in this telling. Part of this is because source material was sorely limited at the time, but it doesn't even match up with what was available. It fails at being a dance movie, as what little ballet is shown is unfortunately not filmed very well, with the worst offense being a choppy slow motion effect that ruins the climactic leap at the end of Spectre of the Rose. I can't fathom why the director, a former choreographer, would make such a stupid choice.

Those of you saying this film was "brave" for attempting to portray a gay romance on screen in 1980 - did we watch the same movie? The only kiss between two men in this involves a goofy and obvious gimmick with a tissue to avoid censorship, and besides that the relationship between the real Diaghilev and Nijinsky was far from romantic. It was an exploitative business transaction that quickly soured when Nijinsky decided to marry.

The film tries to cover a period of ten years in just two hours, which leads to idiotic insinuations, such as Nijinsky going mad because he sexually repressed himself, or because his brother was "insane" . The man was a schizophrenic; nothing specific actually caused his illness. The stress of not being able to find work after Diaghilev fired him for marrying Romola likely did exacerbate it along with other factors. But the fact remains that he was married to her for five years and had a child by her before he was institutionalized; saying he went crazy because of their marriage is ridiculous.

Okay, I'll throw the non-history buffs a bone. I know that most biopics play fast and loose with the truth, but this movie is just not good or enjoyable to watch even as a piece of entertainment. The acting is often melodramatic to the point of being cringe-worthy. Alan Bates as Diaghilev is good, but George de la Pena and Leslie Browne are very poorly cast as an overwrought Nijinsky and simpering Romola. The script contains a lot of really dumb moments (I laughed hysterically during the film's only "sex scene" which is soundtracked with Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, as well as the cabin-trashing scene that is reminiscent of Tommy Wiseau's The Room), scenes which don't make a whole lot of sense, and throwaway lines which don't factor into the plot or mean anything later. Nijinsky kisses his female ballet partner (who is presented as an amalgam fulfilling the roles his partner Tamara Karsavina and his sister Bronia filled in real life) on the lips, and I guess it's supposed to be our first sign that he is trying to rebel against his nature and Diaghilev, but the scene ends awkwardly and nothing actually comes of it. So what was the point of the scene?

If you are curious about Nijinsky and the Ballet Russes and really want to see a movie version, go watch the BBC production Riot at the Rite - it's free on YouTube. Otherwise, this movie is pretty much irrelevant and I can't recommend it.