Mao's last dancer
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Mao's last dancer |
| Original title | Mao's Last Dancer |
| Country of production | Australia |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 2009 |
| length | 121 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 6 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Bruce Beresford |
| script | Jan Sardi |
| production | Jane Scott |
| music | Christopher Gordon |
| camera | Peter James |
| cut | Mark Warner |
| occupation | |
| |
Mao's last dancer is the film adaptation of the story of the outstanding ballet dancer Li Cunxin . This biography in moving pictures shows the path of an inconspicuous, unusually talented boy from the Chinese provinces to the stages of the high art of ballet .
action
In 1972, the then eleven year old Li Cunxin from the Chinese province was discovered by talent scouts and accepted at the Beijing Ballet Academy. During the seven years of his training in an unfamiliar environment and under the strictest training conditions, Li learned to translate his feelings into dance and developed a deep passion for ballet. Because of his outstanding talent, he was given the chance to be one of the first dancers from China to take part in a course at the Houston Ballet , one of the leading ballet companies in the United States, as part of a cultural exchange with the United States . Ben Stevenson , the head of the ballet, encourages him and lets him dance the lead role in Don Quixote for a short time when the main actor is out due to injury . He is known in one fell swoop.
During his stay in Houston, Li falls in love with the dancer Elizabeth. At the same time, his conflict between the longing for his homeland and the temptations in the land of unlimited possibilities grows. But because he has become more and more familiar with the American way of life and values the freedom that is offered to him here, he makes the difficult decision not to return to his homeland. With the help of a marriage to Elizabeth, he wants to become a US citizen. When he reported this to the Chinese ambassador, however, he was detained at the consulate against his will. Only after his lawyer mediates with Foster and takes further legal action is Li released the next day. From this point on, he is no longer allowed to return to China and all contact with his family in China is cut off.
Reviews
Oliver Heilwagen from Kultiversum.de says: The conventional biopic relies on beautifully staged dance scenes and great emotions, but refrains from maudlin kitsch. And any political propaganda. Instead of commie bashing, director Bruce Beresford paints a differentiated picture of everyday Chinese life in late Maoism and afterwards. Neither does the USA appear as a promised land: Li's culture shock upon arrival is presented in detail. In this way, his life story expands into a sensitive portrait of an entire generation that is shaken vigorously on China's roller coaster ride from the cultural revolution to Manchester capitalism.
background
In 2003, Li Cunxin published his memoirs under the title Mao's Last Dancer : a review of his life path that shows courage and determination and the will to follow his talent:
- Li Cunxin: Mao's Last Dancer, Penguin, 2006, ISBN 978-0141320861 .
Web links
- Official website
- Mao's Last Dancer in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- critic.de
- kultiversum.de
Individual evidence
- ^ Certificate of release for Mao's last dancer . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , September 2010 (PDF; test number: 124 597 K).
- ↑ Oliver Heilwagen, Kultiversum.de November 3, 2010