Balanchine in the movies

[Anthony_NYC]

While rewatching the PBS documentary about Balanchine, it once again occurred to me that his life would make for a sensational biopic. I suppose it's doubtful that will ever happen. However, he was so central to the cultural life of his time, especially in America, and his life intersected with the lives of so many other important people, in ballet, in Hollywood, on Broadway, it would be strange if he didn't turn up at least as an incidental character in somebody else's biopic. Has he? If so, who played him? Who could play him today?

[drb]

Who could play him today?

An actor with a Russian accent who is also a dancer that worked with him. Baryshnikov.

[Farrell Fan]

drb. you're a genius! I'm ready to see the movie. Okay, who's Suzanne?

[canbelto]

Okay, who's Suzanne?

Suzanne needs to be an actress who is very young but projects a lot of maturity. I'd say Scarlett Johanssen, but Scarlett doesn't look like Suzanne at all -- way too, uh, bosomy. I could see her slimming down a lot though. I think SJ was terrific in "Lost in Translation" -- she made a relationship that could be been skeezy from the outside very understandable and touching.

My other thought is Claire Danes -- again, very young, but able to project maturity. She even has the heart-shaped face. She just needs to grow out her hair.

In her younger days, Gwyneth Paltrow would have been perfect: tall, blond, willowy, slightly aloof. But she's too old now to be believable as an 18-year old who's plucked from the SAB.

But actually I think a better storyline arc might be Balanchine as a student/dancer at the MT. His travails, and his joining the Ballet Russes. Anthony Hopkins could play Diaghilev. And the movie would end with Balanchine's triumph at the opening night of "Apollo."

[Helene]

I'd pick Juliette Binoche for Farrell.

[dirac]

You can't have non dancers playing dancers, unfortunately. You can get by with it if the dancing is incidental to the storyline, but it's not an accident that the most successful ballet pictures (The Red Shoes, The Turning Point) had mostly professional classical dancers in the leading roles. Anne Bancroft did play a prima in The Turning Point very well, but an actual middle aged ballerina in the role would have worked even better, IMO.

[Helene]

I don't think there could be any dancing in the bio-pic unless it was historical footage. It's one thing to play a fictional character, even if "based on" a real person, but who would volunteer to try to dance as Farrell or Tallchief or LeClerq or Adams or McBride, etc. in a Balanchine biopic? (Or Fonteyn, in a biopic of her life?) The only way I could see it work is if a real dancer playing the role were to mark dancing in rehearsal or that there were lots of poses and close-ups.

[carbro]

A bigger problem than Bancroft as the aging ballerina in The Turning Point was, IMO, Leslie Browne as the Great New Thing. Had Gelsey been able to play the role (as originally planned), her character's extrarodinary talent would have leapt out at everyone, even if the film were their first exposure to ballet.

Instead, ABT seemed to capitalize on Leslie's sudden high visibility and pushed her too far too soon -- something along the lines of life imitating art.

The problem is, you need a dancer to play a dancer, and you need a star to play a star.

[drb]

Noone could play young (or any other age) Suzanne, but I'd give Margaux Chatelier a try (if she could manage the English). The star of the recent french film Aurore, by Nils Tavernier, where she plays a young princess who is supposed to marry a Royal, but falls for Nicolas LaRiche, the artist who is painting her portrait. The film's website has some lengthy dance excerpts:

http://www.aurore-lefilm.com/

Click entrer, then videos. Then click the first and third extraits to see her dance. If Le Riche is of interest, extrait 4 is not to be missed.

You can read interviews of her and Le Riche at the same site by clicking comediens.

If you cannot receive Quick Time, a French film site will show you the extraits in the form of your choice:

http://www.commeaucinema.com/news.php3?nominfos=50883&Rub=BA

[drb]

Regarding the thought that Baryshnikov might play Balanchine, I came across a two-year old interview in The Telegraph, in which Baryshnikov speaks of the controversy when he went to NYCB to study with Balanchine.

"I knew people would pick on me that I was not the right person or the right dancer, but I just went to be with this man – I didn't care where it took me as a dancer," says Baryshnikov.

"This frenzy, people were so possessive about everything. He'd say, 'Relax, everybody! It's just dance, come on!' It's what I really like, that he reminded us that art is an illusion, a pleasurable luxury… let's not make dogmas out of it, let's not point fingers and try to decode the formulas."

The interview is quite long and illuminating:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml...2/09/ixtop.html

[dirac]

A bigger problem than Bancroft as the aging ballerina in The Turning Point was, IMO, Leslie Browne as the Great New Thing. Had Gelsey been able to play the role (as originally planned), her character's extrarodinary talent would have leapt out at everyone, even if the film were their first exposure to ballet.

Instead, ABT seemed to capitalize on Leslie's sudden high visibility and pushed her too far too soon -- something along the lines of life imitating art.

The problem is, you need a dancer to play a dancer, and you need a star to play a star.

I thought that Browne did fine for the purposes of the picture (with the assistance of tactful editing and camera angles) for the benefit of a general audience, although it was a huge loss that Kirkland wasn’t able to play it.

I think that contemporary stars could be recruited to play former stars. Difficult but not impossible. Obviously they would not be able to reproduce the older performer's unique style, but under the right circumstances you could cast for looks, body type, stylistic resemblances, and acting ability and get a reasonable approximation -- that is, sufficent plausibility for the needs of willing suspension of disbelief. But for a Balanchine biopic it would be very hard, because you'd need at least half a dozen such performers, not just a few.

[bart]

Thakns, drb, for that link to Tavernier's film, Aurore. With the exception of the soupy music (Carolin Petit) and fuzzy lighting, it's quite lovely.

And you're 100% right about Margaux Chatelier though she's presented as soft and immature in a way I can't imagine Farrell ever was. Not after her first week at SAB, anyway.

I especially liked the third extract, in which Chatelier dances classically and equisitely in front of the painter and her young brother. The choreography in Extract One -- the Princess dancing in soft slippers in a meadow --is a bit too much like a low-key version of one of those Jules Pfeifer "odes to something or other" in the classic Village Voice cartoons. There's a great chateau and lush green vegetation, however.

The brief extract from LeRiche's dance, performed in the clouds, struck me as being vaguely balletic, a bit earth-bound considering the setting, and not very interesting.

The choreographer for Aurora's dances and the Cloud scene is Carolyn Carlson, who is credited as having her own company. The choreography for the balls is by Kader Belarbi, formerly of POB (1st ball); Yutaka Takei, Compagnie Forest Beasts (2nd ball); and Yann Bridard of POB (3rd ball). There's a still from one of the balls showing something awfully like Scherezade, bare chests, brassieres, and harem pants included.

[Helene]

Carolyn Carlson is a ballet-trained modern dancer, although she was AD of the Cullberg Ballet and has been affiliated with several other companies. She was in Alwin Nikolais' company, and I saw her do an extraordinary long solo called "Blue Lady" at BAM either in the 80's or early 90's. Her ballet technique came through very strongly in this solo.

[Estelle]

I had planned to post some links to French reviews of "Aurore", but forgot... Well, I can't say it was well received by the French press- all the reviews that I've read so far were negative (most of them criticizing the scenario). It's a pity, as there are so few dance-related films (and Tavernier's documentary about the POB was quite good).

Carolyn Carlson, now in her 60s, leads the Ballet du Nord, which is yet another ballet company turned modern, after several difficult moments (Alfonso Cata's death, Jean-Paul Comelin's early departure in a period of financial problems, Maryse Delente fired for moral harrassment, José Montalvo refusing the offer to lead the company because he was too worried about its financial state...) Carlson had a special status of "étoile chorégraphe" at the Paris Opera in the 1970s and did a few works for a special group of POB dancers called GRTOP (it lated became GRCOP under Jacques Garnier's direction, but didn't survive Garnier's death in the late 1980s) and more recently created "Signes" a few years ago for the POB. I've only seen some of her works on video, and while she looked quite fascinating as a dancer, I wasn't impressed by her choreographies, which I often found a bit empty...

As a side note: bart, as far as I know Belarbi still is a POB principal, even though he'll probably retire soon and tends to perform not very often.

[drb]

Yes Estelle, some pretty negative reviews as a film, I especially enjoyed one reviewer who complained that Margaux Chatelier was dancing for 1/3 of the movie. That may force me to buy the dvd! What struck me was a certain allure she had, not completely unlike that of Farrell. I think she'd play well against the Balanchine of Baryshnikov. As Bart pointed out, the choreography was not all that impressive, but in a Balanchine film she'll be dancing the best there is. And she certainly could project appeal toward the painter, M. Le Riche!

[dirac]

canbelto writes:

But actually I think a better storyline arc might be Balanchine as a student/dancer at the MT. His travails, and his joining the Ballet Russes. Anthony Hopkins could play Diaghilev. And the movie would end with Balanchine's triumph at the opening night of "Apollo."

I think that's a promising idea, and the picture could be made on a small scale, too.

Thanks to Anthony_NYC for starting the topic, and to everyone who's commented so far!

[bart]

I hope they don't use Herbert Ross's Nijinsky as their model. However, Hopkins as Diaghelev seems a good choice. Remember Alan Bates in the same role? I'd actually like to see this idea -- Balanchine I ?? -- done by someone French. Then Balanchine II by a New Yorker.

[drb]

...Balanchine I ?? -- done by someone French. Then Balanchine II by a New Yorker.

Balanchine the mini-series? No! Balanchine the maxi-series! After all, there's enough material for at least half a dozen love stories. Would that PBS had a dance budget bigger than the fee for playing a dvd...

But if there's just one film to be made, I suppose the one most people would want is the one with the last and biggest love story.

[dirac]

Hmmm....not everyone may regard the spectacle of a sexagenarian boss in aggressive pursuit of a vulnerable teenaged employee as the stuff of Great Romance.

[bart]

I tend to agree. But if they DO Balanchine II (or III or whatever), how about Jeremy Irons as Mr. B? Age would be ok, based this on the publicity photo I've seen of the now gray-haired and bearded Irons looking quite intense in a new play on the West End.

Irons' romantic quotient would be higher than the original. But, don't forget, he loses the girl to a younger man (who marries her), so Virtue triumphs.

And then, with her return, Art triumphs. So it all works out on several fronts. :cool2:

[canbelto]

I think the focus of Balanchine's early years would solve several problems:

1. More "real dancers" could be used, as scenes would inevitably focus on dancers dancing onstage (and Balanchine admiring them), as well as Balanchine rehearsing Apollo. Maybe Ethan Stiefel could be Serge Lifar.

2. Tones down the romance aspects. That's always a problem, because it would call for a ballerina would could also act extensively. The Red Shoes lucked out when they got Moira Shearer, but that's the exception rather than the rule. Remember Neve Campbell? If you focus on Balanchine's early years, maybe Alexandra Danilova would be in the film, but she could be a very supporting role. It'd be easy to get a ballerina to play her. Maybe Irina Dvorovenko?

3. Lots of colorful characters. As I said, Anthony Hopkins could be Diaghilev. Can't decide who would play Stravinsky.

Balanchine and Farrell is certainly a story filled with more drama, but I think it'd be much harder to cast.

[chrisk217]

As much as we would enjoy (picking apart) a Balanchine movie it might be better if it were never made.

Misrepresentation in the name of commercial viability is what movie people do for a living. Whatever nuance there is to the Farrell story will be lost. Artistic and spiritual passion may come off as lechery. Chiches and stereotypes will abound... Every ignorant person's worst suspisions about the world of ballet will be confirmed... And ten years from now people who have never seen one of his ballets will say: "Balanchine? wasn't he that guy that sexually harassed his dancers?"

I can also imagine the cringe inducing trailer:

Booming male voice: "In a world of beauty and passion.... there was a man... obsessed with women.... and one woman... who dared follow her heart" Cut to Balanchine whispering: "Dance for me, Suzanne" ... dancing ensues, audience applauds wildly... Cut to Suzanne saying: "I want to be free...." Booming male voice: "Fate has brought them together... now love will tear them apart..." Frantic montage ensues... Balanchine: "Stay with me... I will make you a star..." Cut to Suzanne shouting "Let me go, let me go!!!!" Thunderous music.... then (booming male voice again): "Balanchine... the ballet master... coming soon to a theater near you" Yuck! Yuck! Yuck!

But if we must cast "Balanchine: the movie" I vote with bart for Jeremy Irons. He has the aristocratic bearing, the old world manner and the self-contained remoteness to play Balanchine. He can do a decent accent and can act sublimated passion convincingly. He appears perhaps more melancholic than Mr B was. But give him a year of daily ballet class and he'll cheer up, I'm sure

[dirac]

chrisk217 writes:

He can do a decent accent and can act sublimated passion convincingly.

All too convincingly. I think Irons is great, but never again do I want to see a picture that requires him to send hangdog looks of desire in the direction of some inappropriate love object. He’s done way too much of that. It's those big spaniel eyes of his, I imagine.

[Helene]

chrisk217,

Now I'm frightened!

(But if I did have to cast someone as Balanchine, I would pick Oleg Menshikov, from East/West and Barber of Siberia. He won an Olivier Award for playing Sergey Esenin opposite Vanessa Redgrave's Isadora Duncan, and he was a good enough pianist to have entered the conservatory if he hadn't chosen acting.)

[canbelto]

I can also imagine the cringe inducing trailer:

Booming male voice: "In a world of beauty and passion.... there was a man... obsessed with women.... and one woman... who dared follow her heart" Cut to Balanchine whispering: "Dance for me, Suzanne" ... dancing ensues, audience applauds wildly... Cut to Suzanne saying: "I want to be free...." Booming male voice: "Fate has brought them together... now love will tear them apart..." Frantic montage ensues... Balanchine: "Stay with me... I will make you a star..." Cut to Suzanne shouting "Let me go, let me go!!!!" Thunderous music.... then (booming male voice again): "Balanchine... the ballet master... coming soon to a theater near you"

Chris, just wanted to say I found that so funny I practically spit out the coke I was drinking. To elongate the trailer a bit:

Booming male voice: "In a world of beauty and passion.... there was a man... obsessed with women.... and one woman... who dared follow her heart" Snippet of young Suzanne trying on her ballet shoes, cut to Suzanne running into her house saying, "Mother! I've been accepted!!!" Scene of Suzanne walking into class, meeting Mr. B for the first time. "Hello, dear." Voiceover: "With those two words, her life had changed forever." Cut to Balanchine whispering: "Dance for me, Suzanne" ... dancing ensues, audience applauds wildly... Voiceover: "But with any great love comes great heartbreak." Cut to Suzanne saying: "I want to be free...." Booming male voice: "Fate has brought them together... now love will tear them apart..." Frantic montage ensues, with shots of Suzanne looking wildly in each direction as Balanchine says: "Stay with me... I will make you a star..." Cut to Paul saying, "Marry me, Suzanne." Cut to Suzanne shouting "Let me go, let me go!!!!" Cut to Mr. B saying, "You are my Dulcinea. I cannot let you go." Booming voice: "What will she choose?" Tutu skirt twirls wildly and pointe shoe hits the stage floor with a hard thud. Thunderous music.... then (booming male voice again): "Balanchine... the ballet master... coming soon to a theater near you"