Pina
One of the problems I've had with going to a modern dance performance has been that I'm afraid I won't understand it. This is mostly because I haven't been exposed to it much. Yet, there was something entrancing about the trailer to Wim Wenders Pina, a documentary about the work of German choreographer Pina Bausch, that I couldn't resist saying no when I was invited out to see it last Thursday by a longtime friend.
An article about the film last month in the LA Times piqued my curiosity about the film. I had been reading about this latest wave of upcoming films shot in 3D by directors with a more artistic sensibility — something beyond mere action or horror film gimmicks —and this idea of modern dance being shot in 3D sounded fascinating.
And the movie didn't disappoint. Though I couldn't follow all the visual metaphors being thrown about, I sat there entranced through the entire 1 hour and 40-minute running time. It helped there were interviews with the dancers interspersed with footage of the legendary choreographer herself as it helps ground the film somewhat, though dancers can be an elusive bunch to talk to because they are so much about expressing their emotions through their physicality.
The amount of body control displayed by the dancers made their work look deceptively easy and spontaneous while at the same time passionate and moving. While watching, I realized I had been exposed to some of the concepts while in an acting for animation class back in school so it made it easier to digest some of what was going on. This is definitely not a film for the average joe.
What captivated me the most was the use of 3D to capture the dancers moving through space. No wonder Wenders was so excited about reviving this long-dormant pet project with choreographer Pina Bausch when the technology became available. It's a shame she died of cancer before they started shooting, but I believe she would have been proud of the final result. It's simply stunning.
An article about the film last month in the LA Times piqued my curiosity about the film. I had been reading about this latest wave of upcoming films shot in 3D by directors with a more artistic sensibility — something beyond mere action or horror film gimmicks —and this idea of modern dance being shot in 3D sounded fascinating.
And the movie didn't disappoint. Though I couldn't follow all the visual metaphors being thrown about, I sat there entranced through the entire 1 hour and 40-minute running time. It helped there were interviews with the dancers interspersed with footage of the legendary choreographer herself as it helps ground the film somewhat, though dancers can be an elusive bunch to talk to because they are so much about expressing their emotions through their physicality.
The amount of body control displayed by the dancers made their work look deceptively easy and spontaneous while at the same time passionate and moving. While watching, I realized I had been exposed to some of the concepts while in an acting for animation class back in school so it made it easier to digest some of what was going on. This is definitely not a film for the average joe.
What captivated me the most was the use of 3D to capture the dancers moving through space. No wonder Wenders was so excited about reviving this long-dormant pet project with choreographer Pina Bausch when the technology became available. It's a shame she died of cancer before they started shooting, but I believe she would have been proud of the final result. It's simply stunning.
Labels: movies
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home