A Nutcracker: Compagnie Malka Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

A Nutcracker: Compagnie Malka Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 28, 2014

One of my earliest memories was being dragged (literally—I was not a happy camper) to see a live performance of The Nutcracker when I was probably four or five. It was bad enough that my Mom was making me accept an invitation from a girl and her mother, but to think of the indignity of sitting and watching a ballet was just a bit too much for my young mind to fathom. I remember to this day sitting with my face pressed into the crushed velvet back of the theater seat, refusing to even watch the spectacle. And that is how I was introduced, unwillingly though it may have been, to Tchaikovsky’s immortal score for the ballet, since I evidently wasn’t quite headstrong enough to also cover up my ears. I’m not sure how kids or adults will react to this kind of odd reimagining of the venerable property, one which blends a minimalist production aesthetic with hip hop dance moves and a somewhat insouciant approach to the music itself, which along with Pyotr Ilyich also includes a more modern score by Yvan Talbot.

Campagnie Malka is a French troupe based out of Château Rouge - Annemasse, and they bring a youthful flair to this somewhat acrobatic interpretation of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s timeless tale, one that may remind some of La Fura del Baus’ version of Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen. Things are considerably more grounded here, without any high wire work or other breathtaking ingenuity, but there’s still a somewhat more athletic feeling to this piece than a traditional Nutcracker. Those wanting to experience something distinctly different from the traditional mounting of Tchaikovsky may well want to check this out, though my hunch is purists will probably feel like they’ve gotten a lump of coal in their ballet stocking.

A Nutcracker: Compagnie Malka Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

A Nutcracker is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of ArtHaus Musik with an AVC encoded 1080i transfer in 1.78:1. While this is quite a colorful presentation, one filled with pinks, purples, oranges and chartreuses, the overall look here is a bit on the soft side. That tendency is not helped by the fact that virtually the entire piece is played against a jet black background and in limited lighting conditions. Close-ups can still reveal decent detail (see screenshot 1), and black levels are deep and inky. Contrast is a bit anemic, adding to the murky look of some midrange and wide shots.

A Nutcracker: Compagnie Malka Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Despite not offering a surround mix, A Nutcracker's LPCM 2.0 track delivers both the scintillating flavors of Tchaikovsky's score (evidently pre-recorded, there doesn't appear to be a live orchestra) and Yvan Talbot's more modern work with clarity and precision. Talbot traffics in things like low register synth washes that at times are a rather odd mix with Tchaikovsky's score. Fidelity is excellent and there are no problems to report.

A Nutcracker: Compagnie Malka Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There are no supplements on the Blu-ray disc other than trailers for other ArtHaus Musik releases (which I never include as part of an "official" supplement score).

A Nutcracker: Compagnie Malka Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Adventurous types who want something different for Christmas will probably get a kick (so to speak) out of A Nutcracker. That change from a definite to an indefinite article should be fair warning though: this is not your father's (or your grandfather's) Tchaikovsky. Technical merits here are good to excellent, and for the enterprising dance aficionado, A Nutcracker comes Recommended.