Salomé

A possibly intriguing idea, but ultimately not one of Saura's better efforts. The preliminary creative discussions and talks with the performers which had been used so effectively by Saura before here feel more like speeches, and the rehearsal scenes could have been almost any tap dance class. And the performance itself seemed a combination of modern dance and tap dancing, which I think may be inevitable when flamenco tries to represent things too far removed from its folkloric roots.

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It's pretty much straight ballet, which is a form that doesn't speak to me at all. I find it a very ineffective method of storytelling. I need some narrative glue between the dances, or I need the dance to be more exciting. However, I did enjoy the behind-the-scenes stuff in the first part, with dancers working out their moves, the "director" giving guidance, etc. And the film is quite lovely, again utilizing a very spare soundstage and gorgeous lighting. It's just that ballet is so dull to me.