1968 Vanessa Redgrave's Fine Performance Dancing
52 of 52 people found this review helpful.
The original release run time of this film is 168 minutes. It is best viewed without being cut down to 131 minutes. That said, to the biopic itself.
The film is a biopic of the 1920's 'modern interpretive' dancer, Isadora Duncan. Duncan's style of dance transformed conceptualizations of ballet. Although some of her dances were performed partly or completely naked, which seems free-spirited, her dance projects were pro-Soviet. This somehow comflicted with Duncan's care-free spiritedness when it came to matters of finances, romance, sex, clothing & many other aspects of her life. It's safe to say that her lifestyle during that era was shocking to the public.
When the film 1st came to the silver screen in 1968, it didn't have a resounding impact. Perhaps that's because the late 1960's had enough shock value in and of themselves! When "Isadora" was broadcast on cable decades later, Vanessa Redgrave's talent to deal with the politics of Duncan's lifestyle was definitely noticed.
Drected by Karel Reisz, Redgrave's performance makes it quite clear that Duncan was an innovative woman whose talent was way ahead of her era. Duncan took tremendous liberties with classical ballet. Redgrave's performance excells expressing this.
Vanessa Redgrave at around 30yo, when she personified Duncan, was statuesque as a long, lean dancer & quite lovely. Her performance of the darker aspects of Duncan's life, such as being unlucky in love & the drowning death of two of her children, is remarkably well done. Duncan's American lover, Paris Singer (Jason Robards), while wealthy enough for Duncan's rather extravagant tastes, didn't provide her with adequate companionship. Robards plays the role of Singer quite handsomely.
Historically, Isadora Duncan hails from San Francisco, CA, USA. By 1900 she and her family moved to Europe, where Isadora danced from Paris, to London, Moscow to Berlin. She was rightly appreciated during her life even though her life was a rather tragic one. Anyone who (wasn't or still) isn't ready to witness a free-spirited style of dance that is highly sexually suggestive can't appreciate the dance form Duncan innovated. Redgrave gives a bravura performance in every sense~
Review ID: 10000000011258640
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