BALLET 422 – The Review

Last year proved to be an extraordinary one for feature-length documentaries about art and artists. 2014 saw the release of TIM’S VERMEER (a holdover from 2013), FOR NO GOOD REASON, JODOROWSKY’S DUNE, all dealing with masters of pen, ink, and brush while LIFE, ITSELF explored the writing of Roger Ebert and GLEN CAMPBELL: I’LL BE ME offered an intimate portrait of the acclaimed musician. Barely two months into 2015, we’re now treated to an exceptional film which immerses us into the world of classic dance. Now, the ballet has been the backdrop for many classic dramatic films, from the fantasy world of THE RED SHOES to the psychological terror of BLACK SWAN. But there’s little back stage melodrama here. Director Jody Lee Lipes let’s us peek behind the curtain, past the tights and tutus for the sweat, strain, and stress for BALLET 422.

So, what’s with the number? Is this part of a long, long-running film series? I’ll explain shortly. The film’s main focus is 25 year-old Justin Peck, part of Corp de Ballet of the New York City Ballet company. We first meet him working with his dance brothers in the last weeks of 2012. Then we’re informed that he’s been chosen to create and direct the choreography for the company’s 422nd original ballet (aha!), “Paz de La Jolla”, based on a music composition from 1935. Oh, and this will be presented as part of the January winter program, just two months away. The film makers follow Peck as he collaborates with the company’s musicians, costumers, lighting director, and dancers as they race against the clock to bring this new work to the critical NYC audiences.

Lipes directs in a style rarely seen in most popular doc features today. The film maker is almost…invisible. We don’t hear the director asking questions, we never hear a peep from anyone behind the camera. Unlike many prolific doc directors, we don’t have them or anybody (like Penn Jillette in VERMEER), narrating the action as in the cinema profile style of Errol Morris, Werner Herzog, or Michael Moore. There are only title cards (white letters on black) giving us the bare bones facts and time clock (one month, two weeks, five days, etc.). And the film’s subjects never acknowledge the camera, there’s no confessionals into the lens. Oh, plus there’s no history flashbacks, no period recreations, no faded photos or jittery home movie footage. We’re completely in the moment, experiencing this journey with members of the company. Peck is the main subject, but we see nothing of his personal life. There are two brief sequences set at his home (in one, he listens intently to the dance music, while quickly scribbling stick figures on paper to the tune’s tempo and rhythmic beats), but Peck seems to live at the theatre and rehearsal hall. We witness him conversing with Mark Stanley, the lighting designer, who later plots out the color changes. Then there’s collaborations with the costuming department, who bombard him with color swatches and clipped art and photos from vintage magazines. In one great sequence, we see the clothing getting a “dye job” in the washer with the precision of a lauded chef or a brilliant chemist. But before their task is complete, they must make sure the dancers can move in their creations. Ah, the dancers, the element requiring the bulk of Peck’s attentions. We see him, aided by ballet master Albert Evans, scrutinizing their every move, his eyes darting about in order to take in the entire effect. Fortunately his own superb movement skills can guide them through each complex step (and adds to the film’s very moving, melancholy finale). For those of us unfamiliar with this world, the film makes us appreciate the creativity and concentration of the artists backstage plus it reinforces the fact that those gifted performers at the footlights are extraordinary athletes. And for those who attend these spectacles, BALLET 422 will multiply their awe and fascination. Bravo to all involved, bravo!

4 Out of 5

BALLET 422 opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas