Mao's Last Dancer (film)
Encyclopedia
Mao's Last Dancer is a 2009 Australian
Cinema of Australia
Cinema of Australia, more commonly referred to as the Australian film industry, refers to the system of production, distribution, and exhibition of films in Australia. Film production commenced in Australia in 1906 with the production of The Story of the Kelly Gang, the earliest feature film made...

 biographical film, directed by Bruce Beresford
Bruce Beresford
Bruce Beresford is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 40-year career.-Early life:...

, based on ballet dancer Li Cunxin
Li Cunxin
Li Cunxin is a Chinese-Australian former ballet dancer and current stockbroker.-Early life:Li was born into poverty in the Li Commune near the city of Qingdao in the Shandong province of People's Republic of China...

's autobiography Mao's Last Dancer. Li Cunxin is portrayed by Birmingham Royal Ballet
Birmingham Royal Ballet
Birmingham Royal Ballet is one of the three major ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside the Royal Ballet and the English National Ballet....

 Principal Dancer Chi Cao , Australian Ballet dancer Chengwu Guo and Huang Wen Bin. The film also stars Bruce Greenwood
Bruce Greenwood
Bruce Greenwood is a Canadian actor and musician. He is generally known for his roles as U.S. presidents in Thirteen Days and National Treasure: Book of Secrets and for his role as Captain Christopher Pike in the 2009 Star Trek film...

, Kyle MacLachlan
Kyle MacLachlan
Kyle Merritt MacLachlan is an American actor. MacLachlan is best known for his roles in cult films Blue Velvet as Jeffrey Beaumont, Showgirls as Zack Carey, as Paul Atreides in Dune, and Ray Manzarek in the Oliver Stone film The Doors...

, Joan Chen
Joan Chen
Joan Chong Chen is a Chinese American actress, film director, screenwriter and film producer. She became famous in China for her performance in the 1979 film Little Flower and came to international attention for her performance in the 1987 Academy Award-winning film The Last Emperor...

, Wang Shuangbao and Amanda Schull
Amanda Schull
Amanda Schull is an American professional ballet dancer and actress.-Life and career:Schull was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She attended Punahou School and trained at Hawaii State Ballet under the instruction of John Landovsky. As shown in her biographies, she attributes her training to Ballet...

.

The film premiered on 13 September 2009, at the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...

. General release in Australia and New Zealand began on 1 October 2009. It began screening in the United States on 33 screens in August 2010.

Plot

In the era of the Mao's Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...

, 11-year-old Chinese boy Li Cunxin resides in a rural village commune in Shandong Province, destined to labour in the fields. As often occurred in those times, government officials fanning out across the nation seeking young candidates for centralized training arrive at this school. At first bypassed but selected after a plea by his teacher during the school visit, Li seems bewildered although piqued by the gruff preliminary inspection screening at the provincial capital city of Qingdao. Forwarded to a Beijing audition for a place in Madame Mao's Dance Academy, he is admitted for ballet training based on a series of physique and flexibility examinations.

Years of arduous training follow, Li surpassing his initial lukewarm interest and mediocre performance after inspiration from senior teacher Chan (whose advocacy of classical Russian ballet as opposed to the politically aimed, physically strident form required by Madame Mao leads to the teacher's apparent banishment). Later during the course of a groundbreaking cultural visit to China, American ballet director Ben Stevenson
Ben Stevenson
Ben Stevenson, OBE , is a former ballet dancer with Britain's Royal Ballet and English National Ballet, co-director of National Ballet in Washington, D.C...

, impressed by Li's standout talent, seeks him as an exchange student at his the Houston Ballet
Houston Ballet
The Houston Ballet, operated by the Houston Ballet Foundation, is the fourth-largest professional ballet company in the United States, based in Houston, Texas. The foundation also maintains a ballet academy, the Ben Stevenson Academy, which trains more than half of the company's dancers...

. Li's determined courage garners a formerly disparaging teacher to influence the Academy allow him the opportunity for a three-month stay in the United States.

Li's encounters with US life cause questioning of the Chinese Communist Party dictates upon which he has been raised, and he begins a relationship with an aspiring American dancer, Elizabeth Mackey. Quickly attracting the attention of the local ballet scene, Li together with Stevenson requests an time extension in America however the Chinese government refuses. Overwhelmed by the opportunities offered in America and in love with Mackey, Li is determined to stay. With legal advice that the Chinese government would recognize certain residence rights arising from an international marriage, Li and Mackey rush into a marriage. To declare personal responsibility for his decision and hopefully avoid consequences for his family and Stevenson, Li visits the Chinese Consulate in Houston. The Chinese resident diplomat forcibly detains Li in attempt to coerce his return to China. Unknown to Li, the situation quickly devolves into a high profile incident and high-level negotiations. When Li perseveres in his refusal to repatriate, the Chinese Government condescends to release him but revokes his citizenship and declares he can never return to the land of his birth.

Li and Mackey are set to depart for Florida but Li is persuaded to stay by Stevenson for his ballet company, dooming Mackey's prospects of dancing success. Burdened by this, plus concerned for and unable to communicate with his family, Cunxin continues to excel at dance, but his relationship with Elizabeth disintegrates and their marriage fails. Five years hence, as a show of goodwill the Chinese government allows Li's parents to visit him in the US where they finally witness his performance of the The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring, original French title Le sacre du printemps , is a ballet with music by Igor Stravinsky; choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky; and concept, set design and costumes by Nicholas Roerich...

and even reunite with him on stage. Li is eventually granted permission to visit China. Together with his new wife Mary McKendry (Camilla Vergotis), an Australian ballerina, and coming back to the village of his youth, he rejoins family and the former teacher Chan, Li and McKendry give an impromptu outdoor ballet performance with his wife to the village's uproarious cheer.

Closing credits announce that:
Li Cunxin danced in China with the Houston Ballet in 1995, a performance broadcast to an audience of over 500 million people. He and Mary McKendry now live in Australia with their three children.
Ben Stevenson left the Houston Ballet after 27 years as Artistic Director. Acclaimed as one of the world’s leading choreographers, he is now Artistic Director of the Texas Ballet Theater.
Charles C. Foster still practices law in Houston. He is recognized internationally as an authority on Immigration Law.
Elizabeth Mackey (Liz) danced with the Oklahoma Ballet for some years. She is now a speech therapist, working mainly with children.

Cast

  • Chi Cao – the adult Li Cunxin
  • Chengwu Guo – the teenage Li Cunxin
  • Huang Wen Bin – Li Cunxin as a boy
  • Joan Chen
    Joan Chen
    Joan Chong Chen is a Chinese American actress, film director, screenwriter and film producer. She became famous in China for her performance in the 1979 film Little Flower and came to international attention for her performance in the 1987 Academy Award-winning film The Last Emperor...

     – Niang, his mother
  • Wang Shuang Bao – Dia, his father
  • Bruce Greenwood
    Bruce Greenwood
    Bruce Greenwood is a Canadian actor and musician. He is generally known for his roles as U.S. presidents in Thirteen Days and National Treasure: Book of Secrets and for his role as Captain Christopher Pike in the 2009 Star Trek film...

     – Ben Stevenson
    Ben Stevenson
    Ben Stevenson, OBE , is a former ballet dancer with Britain's Royal Ballet and English National Ballet, co-director of National Ballet in Washington, D.C...

  • Amanda Schull
    Amanda Schull
    Amanda Schull is an American professional ballet dancer and actress.-Life and career:Schull was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She attended Punahou School and trained at Hawaii State Ballet under the instruction of John Landovsky. As shown in her biographies, she attributes her training to Ballet...

     - Elizabeth
  • Kyle Maclachlan
    Kyle MacLachlan
    Kyle Merritt MacLachlan is an American actor. MacLachlan is best known for his roles in cult films Blue Velvet as Jeffrey Beaumont, Showgirls as Zack Carey, as Paul Atreides in Dune, and Ray Manzarek in the Oliver Stone film The Doors...

     – Charles Foster
  • Jack Thompson
    Jack Thompson
    Jack Thompson may refer to:*Jack Thompson , American boxer*Jack Thompson , Australian film and television star*Jack Thompson , disbarred Florida attorney...

     – Judge Woodrow Seals
  • Camilla Vergotis – Mary McKendry
  • Aden Young
    Aden Young
    Aden Young is an Australian actor. In recent years he has also turned his hand to filmmaking, directing and writing short films The Rose of Ba Ziz and The Order .- Life and career :Young was born in Toronto, Canada...

     – Dilworth

Music

The soundtrack score was composed by Australian composer Christopher Gordon. The score utilises a standard Western orchestra, with the addition of a number of Chinese instruments. The score won Best Feature Score and Best Soundtrack Album at the Screen Music Awards Australia, Federation Square
Federation Square
Federation Square is a civic centre and cultural precinct in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....

 in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

. An ensemble led by composer and pianist Paul Grabowsky performed excepts from the nominated scores including Pas de Deux and Madame’s Model Ballet from Mao’s Last Dancer. The night closed with a performance of Out of the Well and Free Dance conducted by the composer.

Reception

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...

gives Mao's Last Dancer a rating of 6.1/10 based on 72 reviews. The film was the highest grossing Australian film in 2009
and is the twelfth highest grossing Australian film of all time.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK