Nureyev

A documentary on the life of Rudi is quite an undertaking. Unfortunately this effort should be called an homage because it leaves out glaring omissions on the life of the most charismatic ballet dancer of the 20th century. If you ever had a chance to see Nureyev dance in his prime, it was an unforgettable experience. His unique ability to actually change the speed of his rotations in mid air were legendary. it gave his performances a unique oomph. The discipline, the injuries, the travels and the business side were not properly explored if explained to a public who may not understand the rigors of the art form. The producers were more interested in relating to events outside of the dance world with a heavy bent on politics. That would not have been my choice. Rudi could be a cad in public, charming when needed but also a very good business negotiator. Also MIA were interviews with company/artistic directors to give color to his influence on many companies is lacking. Was he punctual? How many hours would he practice? How generous was he with his time? Did he have any quirky riders on his contracts? Finally the credits ran way too long and should have some scenes incorporated in the actual documentary/

Sad to say, but this doc was a bit of disappointment. For someone as flamboyant and fascinating as Nureyev, and who was such a larger than life character with so many potential stories to be told, I would have expected more than this confused muddle of a film. It had no cohesive message, was stylistically all over the place and then ended with a clarion call to action about fighting AIDS, which, while admirable, was only a cursory element of the story that unfolded. I emerged from the film not knowing a hell of a lot more about Nureyev than I did going in, only having my interest piqued and then cruelly unsated. As is all too often the case, the more interesting the topic, the less compelling the documentary.

As for non-ballet watchers, this may be a bit long. If you have any interest in ballet or GLBTQ this will engage you.

The assembly of this documentary is one of the most artistic ever produced. Where no film footage exists of all actual life events, the producers employed an interesting ballet featured interpretation of the events to keep the focus on ballet in the world of its subject matter.

It allowed a positive overview of what was probably an oppressed existence to come alive through the art form of which Nureyev lived. In some ways it might be overly positive but the essence is still maintained throughout.

While we may like geniuses, in real life, they can be difficult to know personally. This movie does convey that very well. Friendship with Nureyev had its costs.

This is one of those moments where one needs to look beyond the artist to appreciate the work. While this movie shows the cracks behind the facade of an artist,, like many other artists, the work transcends the artist who may have been a good or bad person. One must learn to separate the art from the artist if one finds the artist to be unpalatable. This is true not just in the ballet world but many other aspects of life.

Therefore, I rate this highly. Having remembered his death splashed across the newspapers, the intrigue of this artist, who had no political interest, seeking to further his art without oppression is an honest portrayal of someone being true to himself.

If you aren't into ballet this is a big bore.

Very difficult to sit through and way too long for me.

Nureyev was crashing bore.

This documentary brings much information mainly about the poor origin of the one who would be the greatest dancer of his time. Brave as the documentary explains the sad consequences of his flight to the West to his friends and relatives. Also excellent for narrating carefully the affective relations with other men, something that is generally ignored (that he was gay), being that many think that Nureyev was the husband of Margot Fonteyn. The only big mistake of the documentary is to make Nureyev an artist more connected to Rock (Beatles) than to classical composers. In most of the film the music you hear has nothing to do with the music that the dancer danced. Nureyev will always be associated with the music of Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Minkus and Adam, among others classical composers. To complete: Very moving Nureyev's reunion with his first teacher of Ballet,over one hundred years old, when Perestroika allowed his return to Russia. A pity that in Nureyev's time there was no treatment for AIDS. Very sad to see the images of him destroyed by illness. In summary: With lots of information and bad soundtrack