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A Fox release. Written by Nicholas Shakespeare; directed by John Malkovich; starring Javier Bardem. Released to DVD on September 16, 2003. 
I have a fond place in my heart for any filmmaker who refuses to narrow the visual or philosophical scope of his/her story. As the poet Robert Browning said, "Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?" Browning’s sentiment is roundly ignored in today's film industry, however, as evidenced by the aversion that studios have toward any work that places even the barest of demands on an audience. In this context of modest goals and recycled feel-good themes, The Dancer Upstairs is almost a shock to one's system. Adapted by Nicholas Shakespeare from his novel, The Dancer Upstairs places a subtle love story in a South American environment rife with issues of domestic terrorism, legal corruption and poverty. First time director John Malkovich tackles all these concerns, firm in the belief that issues of power / knowledge, politics and identity are inextricably linked and cannot be understood in isolation. Malkovich's ambition ultimately proves to be a double-edged sword, allowing him to establish introductory causal connections between poverty and terrorism, but denying him the time to develop a coherent purpose for the terrorist's actions. The Dancer Upstairs is anchored by Javier Bardem's performance as Rejas, a disillusioned lawyer cum detective. Rejas heads a task force that is created to apprehend Ezequiel, the leader of a terrorist organization loosely resembling the Peruvian based Shining Path. Matters become complicated for the married Rejas when, during the course of his investigation, he falls in love with his daughter's ballet instructor, Yolanda (Laura Morante). Malkovich employs his settings beautifully, utilizing the countryside at night and the mirrored dance hall to create haunting visuals that complement Rejas' internal struggles. At other times, however, the film is immensely frustrating as one is left to interpret the muddled ideology (ranging from Kant to Goebbels) of a terrorist, whose only real purpose in the film is to serve as a souped-up MacGuffin for the romance between Rejas and Yolanda; as the film draws on, one longs for a motivational explanation that Malkovich simply does not have time to provide. Although this absence is disappointing, it does not erase the fact that The Dancer Upstairs possesses moments of great wisdom and beauty that could only be produced by a filmmaker whose reach far exceeds his grasp.
peter beck yes, it's true: Lead Javier Bardem played rugby for the Spanish national team. |
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