Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Mao's Last Dancer Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 20, 2011

Winner of two Australian Film Institute Awards, Bruce Beresford's "Mao's Last Dancer" (2009) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Canadian distributors Mongrel Media. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer; behind the scenes featurette; deleted and extended scenes; and photo gallery. In Mandarin and English, with imposed English subtitles. Region-A "locked".

Somewhere in China

Li Cunxin was born in a small village in China in 1961. His family was so poor that many times there was not enough food on their table. Life was difficult but no one complained. Like everyone else in China, Li and his family believed that good times will eventually come. They also unreservedly believed Chairman Mao.

When Li turned 11 a group of communist officials arrived in the village and selected him to attend the Beijing Dance Academy. Li’s parents could not believe their luck. They gave him a pen and a small quilt and sent him away. It was a special day for everyone in the village.

In Beijing, Li had an incredibly difficult time. One of his teachers was so disappointed by him that he frequently called him names. Li cried a lot because he missed his parents, his brothers, the village. One of the oldest teachers in the Academy, however, encouraged him to keep practicing. Before he was demoted and sent to the countryside for questioning a high-ranking communist official, the teacher gave Li a videotape. Soon after, Li and a few of his friends managed to secretly play it on the only VCR machine in the entire Academy - it was the first time he saw Mikhail Baryshnikov dance.

Li began practicing harder than ever before. He finally had an idol, someone to admire he could always look up to when in doubt, and he was not Chairman Mao. Li listened to his teachers and tried to please them as best as he could, but his mind was elsewhere.

At 18, Li earned a scholarship that allowed him to go to America, where Ben Stevenson, artistic director of Houston Ballet, became his mentor. In a matter of weeks, Li became a star. He also met and fell in love with Elizabeth Mackey. The two quickly married so that Li can stay in America.

Li visited the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Houston and announced his decision to defect. He was immediately detained and locked in one of its rooms, which prompted the FBI to surround the building. After a series of intense discussions involving Chinese and U.S. diplomats, Li was eventually freed. His Chinese citizenship, however, was revoked and he was banned from visiting China and seeing his family again.

Eventually, Li and Elizabeth Mackey divorced. Li stayed in Houston where he was offered a contract, while Elizabeth went back home to Florida. A few years later, Li married Mary McKendry, his stage partner and Huston Ballet principal dancer.

Some years later, Li’s parents were allowed to visit their son in Texas. Eventually, Li was also issued a visa to enter China. Mary accompanied him in what was an incredibly emotional journey back to his home village. In 1995, Li joined the Australian Ballet and the couple relocated to Melbourne.

Mao’s Last Dancer is a powerful, rousing, incredibly beautiful film. It is directed by Australian helmer Bruce Beresford, whose Driving Miss Daisy won an Academy Award for Best picture in 1990.

The story of Mao's Last Dancer mirrors the events described in Li Cunxin’s autobiographical novel of the same name, which became a bestseller in 2003. Despite its dramatic character, however, the melodrama is kept mostly in check.

Chi Cao is fantastic as the grown-up Li. His dancing is assured and acting impeccable. Somewhat surprisingly, most of the time Bruce Greenwood looks a bit too reserved even though his character apparently wasn’t. Amanda Schull and Camilla Vergotis do not disappoint as the two women Li fell in love with. Veterans Joan Chen and Kyle MacLachlan have small but important roles.

Cinematographer Peter James' (Alive) decision to use only half of the negative and blow it up to give the film a dated, notably grainy look is indeed very effective. Christopher Gordon’s (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World) music score is fantastic as well.

Note: In 2009, Mao’s Last Dancer won two Australian Film Institute Awards (AFI) - News Limited Readers' Choice Award (Jane Scott) and Best Music Score (Christopher Gordon).

Mao's Last Dancer Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bruce Beresford's Mao's Last Dancer arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Canadian distributors Mongrel Media.

This is an excellent high-definition transfer. As intended by cinematographer Peter James, the bigger part of the film looks dated - the image is grainy, and contrast and colors manipulated. Detail, however, is good, and as we follow Li's journey it gradually improves. The footage from Huston, for instance, looks outstanding. Edge-enhancement is not a serious issue of concern; neither is macroblocking. I also did no see any traces of heavy noise reduction. Background flicker or heavy artifacting do not plague the high-definition transfer either. Lastly, there are no serious stability issues to report in this review. All in all, I am very pleased with Mongrel Media's Blu-ray release of Mao's Last Dancer. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Mao's Last Dancer Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English Dolby Digital 5.1 (with portions of Mandarin). For the record, Mongrel Media have also provided a Descriptive Audio track for the visually impaired, as well as English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature (both are "imposed" - options). When selected, they appear inside the image frame.

The audio treatments is as impressive as the video treatment. The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track has a wide range of dynamics that enhance Christopher Gordon's wonderful music score exceptionally well (the footage with Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, for instance, sounds fantastic). The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and exceptionally easy to follow. I also did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, hissings, or dropouts to report in this review.

Mao's Last Dancer Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind the Scenes - a standard featurette with footage from the shooting of the film in China and comments from various cast and crew members. In English, not subtitled. (20 min, 480/60i).

• Photo Gallery - a collection of stills from the film and the shooting of the film in China. (1080p).

• Deleted and Extended Scenes - in English and Mandarin, with imposed English subtitles where necessary. (13 min, 480/60i).
  
  -- Ben shows Li how the shower works
  -- Li practices English
  -- Li's brothers talk about the test
  -- Extended version of Giselle
  -- Revolutionary Ballet rehearsal
  -- Ben shows students how to 'loosen up'
  -- Ben shows students the 'Big Pin'
  -- Li prepares to go to America
  -- Consul Zhang talks to Li about extending his stay
  -- Dilworth and Lori's BBQ
  -- Li remembering his family
  -- Charles Foster says he is leaving the Consulate
  -- Liz tells Li she is going home
  -- Li and Mary rehearse

• Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Mao's Last Dancer. (3 min, 1080p).

Mao's Last Dancer Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Many years ago, I met a cellist from East Germany who defected to West Germany, and the story he shared with me was remarkable. Li Cunxin's story, however, is simply unbelievable. You have to see Mao's Last Dancer. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Canadian distributors Mongrel Media, looks and sounds fantastic. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.