Nureyev: Lifting the Curtain

As for non-ballet watchers, this may be a bit long. If you have any interest in ballet or GLBTQ this will engage you.

The assembly of this documentary is one of the most artistic ever produced. Where no film footage exists of all actual life events, the producers employed an interesting ballet featured interpretation of the events to keep the focus on ballet in the world of its subject matter.

It allowed a positive overview of what was probably an oppressed existence to come alive through the art form of which Nureyev lived. In some ways it might be overly positive but the essence is still maintained throughout.

While we may like geniuses, in real life, they can be difficult to know personally. This movie does convey that very well. Friendship with Nureyev had its costs.

This is one of those moments where one needs to look beyond the artist to appreciate the work. While this movie shows the cracks behind the facade of an artist,, like many other artists, the work transcends the artist who may have been a good or bad person. One must learn to separate the art from the artist if one finds the artist to be unpalatable. This is true not just in the ballet world but many other aspects of life.

Therefore, I rate this highly. Having remembered his death splashed across the newspapers, the intrigue of this artist, who had no political interest, seeking to further his art without oppression is an honest portrayal of someone being true to himself.