Swan Lake  (U) |Close-Up Film Review

Swan Lake is arguably the most iconic of the classical ballets, a stage full of (seemingly) fragile, tutu and feather bedecked ballerinas twirling around to Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score.

The fact those same ballerinas have the stamina of an elite marathon runner and could probably bench-press more than the average gym bro is neither here nor there.  

And so Pathé Live has brought this most quintessential of ballets not only to the cinema, but to IMAX.  This is Rudolf Nureyev’s version, brought to life by the Paris Opera Ballet, and shot specifically for IMAX. As you would expect from such an esteemed ballet company, everything is, if you’ll forgive the pun, en pointe.  

I don’t think a corps de ballet is ever more scrutinised than when they’re swans.  And on an IMAX screen, every fractionally late rèlevé; or minutely misaligned hand will be amplified. Fortunately, that’s unlikely to be a problem in this version. They are superbly synchronised, and the Danse of the Cygnets which has absolutely nowhere to hide mistakes, is impeccable. 

As Odette, Sae Eun Park is as quiveringly nervous a swan as you could wish for, but she seems to truly come alive as the confident Odile, all sly smiles, and sidelong glances.  She looks like she’s having the time of her life dancing the that part of the role and it’s joyous to behold. Pablo Legasea’s Rothbart is delightfully sinister. For whatever reason, Paul Marque as Seigfried just doesn’t connect.  He’s a perfectly beautiful dancer, but somehow the emotion  just doesn’t quite make it beyond screen. 

And therein lies the problem.  The challenges of filming ballet are many.  It will always feel stagey, and whilst there are moments where the camera is in amongst the action, they feel few and far between.  It would have benefited from more of this in order to really bring the audience into the story, rather than keeping them at arm’s length. 

The score is packed full of bona fide ballet bangers, and with the sonic might of an IMAX theatre will sweep you up and carry you along, which is always half of the appeal in any of the Tchaikovsky scored ballets.   This is a classic and sumptuous version that will tick every ballet lover’s box, but probably won’t be particularly memorable. 

Swan Lake is currently on release in IMAX cinemas