Etoiles: Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet

Nils Tavernier's 1999-filmed documentary, which takes viewers behind the scenes of the venerable Paris Opera Ballet, and gets up close and personal with the dancers during a Japanese tour, is something of a misstep. While offering spectacular footage of some of the company's stars in rehearsal and performance, the heart of the film is comprised of interviews in which variations on "dance is my life" or "dance is like a drug" abound. More potent are reflections that speak to the school-of-hard-knock's life, the intense competition, and the eventual physical toll, as witnessed by one dancer's heartbreaking observation that just as he is better able to grasp the nuances of a character, his body is too old to fully realize the interpretation. Climaxing with the retirement of one of the principle dancers, Elisabeth Platel, this somewhat unfocused film will still appeal to dance fans, but general viewers will want to sit this one out. Aud: C, P. (K. Lee Benson)