Film Roar

Le Roi danse (2000)

I had a chance to see Gérard Corbiau's Le Roi danse (2000) at a small art cinema in Bogotá Colombia. I was surprised that I had not heard before about this new movie by the director of the beautiful Farinelli (1994) and The Music Teacher(1988). I was immediately impacted by how very similar this movie is to its predecessors. The tale of King Louis XIV's narcissistic fascination with ballet is beautifully shot in rich settings and with lavish costumes. At times the tale seems a bit dull and repetitive, though that may have also been caused by the familiar feeling of Corbiau's filmmaking. The plot of the movie is rather beside the point though as it serves as an excuse for the beautiful dancing, costumes and music.