I'm getting really into these Saura dance movies. This one, however, I didn't much care for. It's pretty much just straight ballet, which as I've said before is a form that doesn't speak to me at all. I find it a very ineffective method of storytelling. I kind of get what people are doing and how they feel, but the "why" eludes me. I can't decode it, my brain just doesn't work that way. I need some narrative glue between the dances, or I need the dance to be more dynamic and exciting. However, I did enjoy the behind-the-scenes stuff in the first part, with dancers working out their moves, the "director" (actually an actor) giving guidance, the discussions of the music and staging. And the film is quite lovely, again utilizing a very spare soundstage and gorgeous lighting. It's just that ballet is so dull to me.
Review of Salomé
