Review: Rhythm Is It!
In 2002/03 the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra worked with a group of 250 dancers on a production featuring Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring as part of its educational program. Rhythm Is It! documents the ups & downs of the preparations for the performance.
(Continues...)
Putting the production together wasn't easy. The 250 dancers were from various schools across Berlin, all young (school-aged to twenties) and not all were really enthusiastic about the project. We watch as choreographer Royston Maldoom tries to get one particular group of the dancers to be serious about rehersals. After weeks of frustration, he finally gets a break when some of the more serious students visit another of the dance schools and find that their group is way behind and return to tell the others to get serious or leave. We watch as Sir Simon Rattle rehearses the orchestra but these scenes, while sounding nice, didn't really grab me; the BPO are professionals, it's not like they're going to stuff up or not play or anything.
Music doco fans - like me - have been really spoilt in the last couple of years. On the big screen just this year we had the awesome Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, the traveling Document Music Film Festival, there's been Standing in the Shadows of Motown and on the small screen we've had the Classic Albums, Dancing in the Streets and Ken Burns' Jazz series. Rhythm Is It! should definately go on your Must Watch list if you enjoyed any of those.
Rhythm Is It!
Language: English & German (with English subtitles)
Rated: Unrated (showing as part of the Canberra International Film Festival)
Running Time: 100 min
Seen: Electric Shadows, Civic, ACT, 03 Nov 04, 6.00pm session.
Official Site in German
(Continues...)
Putting the production together wasn't easy. The 250 dancers were from various schools across Berlin, all young (school-aged to twenties) and not all were really enthusiastic about the project. We watch as choreographer Royston Maldoom tries to get one particular group of the dancers to be serious about rehersals. After weeks of frustration, he finally gets a break when some of the more serious students visit another of the dance schools and find that their group is way behind and return to tell the others to get serious or leave. We watch as Sir Simon Rattle rehearses the orchestra but these scenes, while sounding nice, didn't really grab me; the BPO are professionals, it's not like they're going to stuff up or not play or anything.
Music doco fans - like me - have been really spoilt in the last couple of years. On the big screen just this year we had the awesome Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, the traveling Document Music Film Festival, there's been Standing in the Shadows of Motown and on the small screen we've had the Classic Albums, Dancing in the Streets and Ken Burns' Jazz series. Rhythm Is It! should definately go on your Must Watch list if you enjoyed any of those.
Rhythm Is It!
Language: English & German (with English subtitles)
Rated: Unrated (showing as part of the Canberra International Film Festival)
Running Time: 100 min
Seen: Electric Shadows, Civic, ACT, 03 Nov 04, 6.00pm session.
Official Site in German
posted by Dean at 2:38 PM
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