LA DANSEUSE/ THE DANCER
France, 2016, 108 minutes, Colour.
Soko (Stephanie Sokoilinski), Gaspard Ulliel, Melanie Thierry, Lily- Rose Depp, François Damiens, Louis- Do de Lenquesaing, Amanda Plummer, Dennis Menochet.
Directed by Stephanie Di Giusto.
The Danseuse/ Dancer of the title is Mary Louise Fuller who came from the American West, out there with her French prospector father, roping the cattle at a rodeo yet with an interest in dance. When her father is killed by men who think he has found gold, as he has boasted, there is nothing left for her to do but return to mother (Amanda Plummer), a staunch member now of the Temperance League, in Brooklyn. It is 1892.
However, this is really a Parisien story. The young Mary Louise does do auditions for dance in New York – although at first she finishes up at a photo studio of suggestive pictures – but has a talent for sketching and designing elaborate dance movements. She auditions, dances. A rather decadent French count befriends her – but she takes his money, leaving a note, and sailing to Paris.
Soko (stage name for dancer, Stephanie Sokolinski) is a very good choice for Mary Louise who changes her name to Loie. She is physically strong, continually exercising, enabling her to perform dance movements which take a toll on her body. Undeterred, she makes an impression at the Folies Bergere and is hired for performance.
Part of the attractiveness of the film is seeing her perform, metres and metres of diaphanous material, her ability to swirl them, athletically moving but aesthetically beautiful, audiences and reviewers likening her performance to flowers.
There are complications in her personal life. She collapses at the Folies Bergere but recovers. Gabrielle (Melanie Thierry) becomes her assistant, friend and confidante, supportive in management. And the count, Gaspard Ulliard, divorces his American wife and returns to Paris, devoted to Loie and she, in complicated ways, devoted to and dependent on him.
But her ambition is to do her dancing at the Paris Opera and, despite the initially snobbish reactions of the director, she is given permission to perform. More and more material, more and more mirrors, more and more lighting, more and more costs.
A further complication in the plot arrives in the form of the young Lily- Rose Depp as Isadora Duncan (whom many audiences may remember far more than Loie especially through documentaries and the feature film which starred Vanessa Redgrave in 1968). Instead of seeing Isadora as a rival, which in her scheming way and ingratiating manner, she is, Loie allows herself to be seduced by Isadora.
There is a physical and emotional toll on Loie , her having to wear dark glasses to protect her eyes, a brace to protect her shoulders, a collapse of. Nerves.
Will Loie triumph at the Paris Opera?
2016 saw another very interesting film about theatre in Paris at this time, Monsieur Chocolat, the comedy in mime of a black comedian with a white comedian and the surfacing of racial issues of time.
1. The film based on a true story? 19th and 20th century? The United States background? Success in France? Theatre and dance?
2. The title, with reference to Loie? Her origins, in the West of the United States? Interest in dance, the opportunities, her creativity? Development, design, performance? The cost to her?
3. The American West, rugged, the town, the rodeo, the farms, the snow and the seasons? The contrast with Brooklyn, the tenements, the streets? Temperance League and meeting places? Theatre? Photo studios? Dance and performance?
4. The contract with Paris, the Folies Bergere, the Paris Opera? Apartments, Paris and the early 20th century?
5. The musical score, as background to the narrative, the music supporting the dancing?
6. Loie and her initial collapse, people’s reactions? The flashbacks, the explanation of her origins, development, resuming the narrative and its continuing?
7. Loie, her age, from the West, with the calf and the rope, her being dragged, the men laughing at her? Yet a strong young woman? The father, the French background, French and English? The celebration, his being attacked, his rash comment that he had found gold, the violence towards him? His death? Loie getting her possessions and returning to Brooklyn? The impact of her father on her?
8. Brooklyn, 1892, the tenements, the harshness, the Temperance League, the influence of her mother, the other women? The moral tone? The hall, the meetings, singing? The accommodation and strictness?
9. Loie, the desire to dance, in herself, her ambitions, a strong woman, going to the acting audition, finding it a photo session, her posing, the Temperance league and the reaction to the photo, permissiveness? Her capacity for drawing, the creating the designs for the dances and performance?
10. The encounter with the Count, his marriage, decadent, living in America? Loie and her reaction? The visits? His interest, the effect on Loie? The money, her taking the money and leaving the note?
11. Sailing to Paris, her hopes, opportunities? Going to the Follies, the director, the audition, her plans? Lights, mirrors, cloth and design? The characteristics, the flowing materials, the lights, her gymnastic performances? Rehearsals, performance, the response, the favourable reviews, likening her to flowers? Her collapse?
12. Gabrielle, their meeting, her role at the Follies, the boss, the attraction between the two, working as an assistant, her efficiency, support? Success? Her personal life, devotion to Loie? Moving with Loie to the Opera?
13. Dancing in Paris at the time, the support of the Lumiere Brothers, Toulouse- Lautrec? Present society?
14. Loie and her troupe dancers, in the country, the rehearsals, racing through the countryside? The performances?
15. Loie and her desire to work at the Opera? The risk, the plans, the discussions with the director, the pressure on him, his acceptance, his concern about costs? Increasing costs? The rehearsals? The effect on Loie’s health, the interview with the doctors, the lights and the effect on her eyes, wearing the glasses, the pressure on her shoulder, needing to wear the brace? Her continually exercising? The dresses, action?
16. The arrival of Isadora, young, in herself, from America, admiring Loie? The contrast in style with Loie? Loie attracted to her, giving her opportunities, advancing her career? The rivalry and jealousy of Isadora? The pressure on the deal is, Isadora and her playing people? The count and his warning to Loie? Isadora, seductive, Loie’s response? The blackmail for the expensive contract? Her departure, audience knowledge of her future?
17. The count, returning to Paris, his divorce, in the headlines, his decadent life, Loie relying on him, wanting to repay the money, their interactions, the personal nature, sexual, Loie going to him, lying together with him? Her performance, his getting in the car, the crash?
18. The risk, Isadora’s disappearance, Loie and her health, building up to the performance, nerves? On stage, performance, her fall, coming to the front of the curtain, the applause, the audience welcoming her, her walking amongst them?
19. Portrait of her career, achievement, of someone being herself – but at what cost?
