Martha Graham: Dance on Film

The importance of Martha Graham (1894-1991) to American dance can hardly be overestimated, and this typically sumptuous Criterion Collection double-disc release does both her life and artistry justice. The biographical material is provided on the second disc, highlighted by the hour-long 1994 PBS American Masters documentary Martha Graham: A Dancer Revealed, a warts-and-all piece that combines archival footage and interviews with former collaborators to convey Graham's drive and genius, but doesn't neglect her difficult relationships with men or the alcoholism that marked the period between her retirement from the stage and her reemergence as a teacher. The first disc compiles three half-hour telefilms featuring Graham, made between 1957-1961: the 1958 recreation of her classic staging of Copland's Appalachian Spring (accompanied by excerpts from an interview with the composer and a comparison between this version and silent film of a performance from the 1940s); a 1961 performance of Night Journey, Graham's stylized ballet take on the Oedipus story, set to a score by William Schuman, and 1957's A Dancer's World, offering an introduction to her dance troupe, narrated by Graham herself. DVD extras include archival footage from a 1954 European tour, newly-filmed interviews with dancers from the Graham company, excerpts from a filmed technique demonstration (narrated by Graham), and several pieces on the career of Nathan Kroll, producer of the Graham films and one of the pioneers of television arts documentaries. A fine introduction to a legendary dancer and her legacy, Martha Graham: Dance on Film will also be of interest to students of early TV history. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)