NIJINSKY

UK, 1980, 121 minutes, Colour.
Alan Bates, George de la Pena, Leslie Browne, Carla Fracci, Colin Blakely, Ronald Pickup, Ronald Lacey.
Directed by Herbert Ross.

Nijinsky is a powerful portrait (Ken Russell's tragic genius material but presented directly and biographically rather than with flamboyant imagination). Yet Nijinsky was exotic, an intense dancer and controversial choreographer, dominated by impresario Diaghalev's Svengali-like control. Focusing on two years of his success, the film indicates his journey towards mental collapse.

Alan Bates gives an excellent, controlled performance as Diaghalev. Dancer George de la Pena looks boyish but conveys extraordinary intensity in his face and dancing. Leslie Browne is not so persuasive as Nijinsky's wife. Ballet selections from Diaghalev's programmes and Nijinsky's choreography (e.g.Debussy's 'Afternoon of a Faun' and Stravinsky's 'Sacre Du Printemps') are baroque; the enclosed and driven world of ballet and homosexuality is communicated strongly. Director Herbert Ross was a choreographer before becoming a director and his wife Nora Kaye was a ballet dancer. They were responsible for production and direction of The Turning Point with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Leslie Browne.

1. The overall impact of the film: entertainment, character study, history, ballet and art?

2. Herbert Ross and his choreography background? Nora Kaye and her ballet work? The selections of music and ballet to highlight Nijinsky's career, his genius as both choreographer and dancer? Diaghalev's programmes? Colour photography? Musical score? The editing of the film and the insertion of the ballet sequences into Nijinsky's character study? The strong British supporting cast?

3. Audience interest in Nijinsky and sympathy for him? The information that he was in the asylum for 33 years? His mental collapse at such a young age and after such a short meteoric career? The information that Romola looked after him all those years and wrote his biography?

4. The long tracking shots at beginning and end? The focus on the mad Nijinsky? A framework for the study of his career? The final quotations from his diaries: madness, intensity, art, religion and the sense of God? The impact of the coloured firebird glistening and moving throughout the final credits sequence? As an imaginative and satisfying symbol of Nijinsky?

5. The decision to focus on a short period in Nijinsky's career? The possibility of exploring his character in depth? The glitter of the surface? The puzzle of what kind of person was within? The screenplay and its focus on time, the variety of places? The indication of Nijinsky on the move? Continual motion and its unsettling effect on him?

6. The indications of Nijinsky as a person: George de la Pena's presentation of him as a man, dancer, genius, choreographer? The mystery of his personal identity and his not understanding himself? It was said that he was an ignorant young man and was used by Diaghalev? How was this illustrated by his sexuality? The homosexual expectations? The devotion to Diaghalev, the complications with Romola’s trying to marry him? The pressures of the homosexual subculture? His memories of his family, his brother going mad? The peasant origins and the genius emerging from the Polish countryside? His asking Diaghalev about himself and the impresario's remembering his choice of Nijinsky in 1909? His taking it for granted that he should obey Diaghalev? His own ambitions, the growing skills, the lack of discipline? His vulnerability?

7. What broke Nijinsky? How much was influenced by heredity and his fears, his own innate genius bursting to come out, his intensity of dancing and the imaginative choreography, the relationship with Diaghalev and the business and personal pressures, the influence of Romola turning him against Diaghalev? Who was good for him and who was not? Diaghalev seeming to promote him and then abandoning him? Romola seducing him and then devoting her life to him? Diaghalev's final comment? The proof of care in Romola's many decades of care for her husband?

8. Nijinsky's career, the opening sequence with his being sick and Diaghalev's present? The illustration of his dancing ability, his moving into the area of choreography, the jealousy, especially of F6kine and his place with the Russian Ballet? Nijinsky at work? The Baron and his patronage? The interview with Stravinsky and Stravinsky's demands? Nijinsky and his trying to choreograph Stravinsky's music, the difficult timing, his tantrum with the ballerina and Diaghalev's making him apologise? His hopes for further chorographical work but the failure of the Stravinsky work and the hostile public reaction? The prospect for Strauss' Josef? The holiday with Diaghalev and the discussion about friendships with boys, Nijinsky bringing the boy into his room and Diaghalev sending him away? The argument and Diaghalev not going on the ship ? why? (His superstition about his death?) The encounter with Romola, the friendship on board ship, her consoling him when Diaghalev seemed to have turned against him, her pressurising him, the sudden marriage, the quick rebound with the information brought by Tamara? Diaghalev cutting him off, his collapse, Romola's going to see Diaghalev and experiencing his rejection?

9. The film's presenting Diaghalev as dancer: the opening sequence from Invitation to the Dance, his intensity of dancing The Afternoon of the Faun with its sexual overtones and masturbation and the controversy (his not knowing what he did on the stage), the tennis choreography and his explanation of it? The Stravinsky sequences and the audience booing and hissing? The Prince Igor sequences? George de la Pena's use of his face, eyes, make-up? The baroque intensity of his dancing?

10. The skill of Alan Bates' portrait of Diaghalev: the complexity of the man, his fame as the impresario who brought Russian ballet outside Russia, his place in the history of ballet? His organising skills and the way these were presented? His domination of the company and his managing people, playing them off against one another, knowing their weaknesses and using them? An eccentric genius? His fussiness e.g. about germ? His devotion to Nijinsky over several years? His work with the choreographers and the clashes with Fokine and finally dismissing him? The lengths he went to for boookings? The irony of the superstition about his death? His homosexuality and acceptance of this? His relationship with Nijinsky and reliance on it? His affectation? How genuine a person - in himself, in relationships? His ability to use people? The fostering of Fokine's career? Friendship with Stravinsky and putting on his work? His reaction to the jeering at the Sacre Du Printemps? The holidays with Nijinsky e.g. in Greece, in Italy? The discussion about infatuations and his jealousy when Nijinsky brought the boy to the room? The visit to England and the performance for Lady Rippon? The news of the cancellation of the tour and the decision about Argentina? The fight with Nijinsky about the casting of Josef and the choreography? Did he not want to go on the sea? The jealousy of Nijinsky and his growing tired of him? His reaction to the wedding, the illness sequence and his telling Tamara of his severing the relationship with Nijinsky, the importance of Romola’s visit and his stating that he had finished with the dancer, his asking her whether he was a monster or not? The new dancer coming in? The audience's final judgment on Diaghalev from his treatment of Nijinsky?

11. The character of Romola - seeing her with her mother, her mother's comments on her varying ambitions, her wanting to be a ballet dancer? The infatuation with Nijinsky? Her friend in Monte Carlo and going to the concerts? The interviews with the Baron, with Diaghalev, with the ballet master? Her training herself and going back to the master? Her introducing herself to Nijinsky and his not noticing her? Her presence on the ship, her comforting Nijinsky, the seduction and the sexual relationship, the quick marriage? Her realising that it was a mistake? Her reaction to the telegram and Diaghalev's behaviour? Her anguish in trying to support Nijinsky? Her realisation of his eagerness to see Diaghalev? The importance of her visit and realisation of Diaghalev’s rejection? Her looking after her husband? An adventuress who had the chance to serve the husband she seduced?

12. The portrait of the Baron - a patron of the arts, the brittle dialogue in his self-depreciation, his support for Nijinsky, the dedication of the ballet to him, his faux pas with information to Nijinsky? A persuasive supporting character?

13. Tamara and her skill in dancing.. joy in working with Nijinsky, helping him, the late arrival in Argentina,, her pleading to Diaghalev?

14. Fokine and his skills as a choreographer, tantrums and jealousy? The portrait of Diaghalev’s entourage? The importance of Vassili and his ballet work,, his judgments on Diaghalev, his comments? The various members of the entourage? designers, lawyers, the Italian tutor?

15. The picture of the Russian ballet and its emergence on the European scene? Royalty, middle European countries, the English, the Argentinians?

16. How well did the film use the backgrounds and beauty of Hungary, Greece, Monte Carlo, Paris, Italy. England. Argentina?

17. The film as a ballet film - the selections, the skill and grace and strength of ballet and dance, ballet as art, the dedication of genius to ballet?

18. The particular selections used - the visual impact, dancing style, beauty, complexity?

19. The ultimate regrets of Nijinsky's genius and his collapse?