First Hit: Wonderful film with great dancing while providing some flavor of Chinese politics during the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.
Every time I see anything about Chairman Mao, I think of the little Red Book I bought in Hong Kong in 1970. I was fascinated by how so many people could be so enamored by one man who was promising a better life for all while attempting to achieve this goal through suppression of the human spirit.
This film is about a young dancer learning that hard work and practice could free his body through the dance form of ballet while gaining a personal physical freedom of spirit by coming to, dancing and staying in the United States.
This is film is based on the autobiography by Cunxin Li who was handpicked by the Red Guard to go to Beijing and attend a government run dance school academy. A US choreographer from the Houston Ballet Company visited China and saw Li Cunxin dance. He invited him to visit and the Red Guard gave him a visa to visit the US for 3 months.
For the first time in his life, while he practiced his craft and fell in love, he felt the freedom of his spirit. He followed this path which led to him obtaining asylum in the US and after a public outcry he was able to stay in the US but had to give up any rights of going back home and seeing his family again.
Chi Cao as the adult Li Cunxin was incredible. The dancing, learning to live in the US, and his falling in love was beautifully performed. Bruce Greenwood as Ben Stevenson the man who brought Li to the US was perfect. Bruce Beresford directed this with a beautifully sensitive hand.
Overall: Simply a beautiful film about a man discovering himself through dance.