Search - Jewels [Blu-ray] on Blu-ray


Jewels [Blu-ray]
Jewels
Blu-ray
Actors: Kader Belarbi, Aurélie Dupont, Agnes Letestu, Mathieu Ganio, Laëtitia Pujol
Directors: Pierre Cavasillas, Gerard Mortier, George Balanchine
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Music Video & Concerts, Special Interests, Musicals & Performing Arts
NR     2008     2hr 32min

Balanchine's three-part, evening-long ballet, Jewels, is one of the jewels of his output. Created in 1967, Jewels revisits the central pillars of his glorious career. Thus, the first of the trio, Emeralds, to music by Faur...  more »

     
3

Larger Image

Movie Details

Actors: Kader Belarbi, Aurélie Dupont, Agnes Letestu, Mathieu Ganio, Laëtitia Pujol
Directors: Pierre Cavasillas, Gerard Mortier, George Balanchine
Creators: Gabriel Fauré, Igor Stravinsky
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Music Video & Concerts, Special Interests, Musicals & Performing Arts
Sub-Genres: Comedy, Drama, Music Video & Concerts, Dance, Musicals & Performing Arts
Studio: BBC / Opus Arte
Format: Blu-ray - Color,Widescreen - Subtitled
DVD Release Date: 10/28/2008
Original Release Date: 01/01/2008
Theatrical Release Date: 01/01/2008
Release Year: 2008
Run Time: 2hr 32min
Screens: Color,Widescreen
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 2
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 1
Edition: Classical
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Subtitles: Dutch, English, French, Italian, Spanish

Similar Movies

Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night's Dream
Blu-ray
Director: George Balanchine
2
   NR   2008   1hr 34min
Chopin La Dame aux Camelias
Blu-ray
Director: Thomas Grimm
1
   NR   2009   3hr 11min
Tchaikovsky Swan Lake
Blu-ray
Director: Franois Roussillon
2
   NR   2008   2hr 25min
Giselle
Blu-ray
Director: Ross MacGibbon
1
   NR   2009   1hr 53min
 

Movie Reviews

Beware of fuzzy dancers!
Lars Sandell | Sweden | 04/22/2010
(1 out of 5 stars)

"Great ballet performances on Blu-ray are a joy to behold, not least because of the stunning HD image, but this one must have been incorrectly mastered as it goes horribly fuzzy as soon as the dancers move. Standing still, they are crystal clear. I own a dozen Blu-rays of ballets, including several produced by Opus Arte, and they all look magnificent and sharp - even in extremely fast movement. I previously bought the DVD of this title, but returned it to the shop as defective. So imagine my disappointment when I saw that the Blu-ray was just as blurry. Hopefully, Opus Arte will correct this when a new pressing is due, but that might take years, I'm afraid. I advise potential customers to stay away from "Jewels". Watching this "smear" gave me a headache and was painful to the eyes. What a pity, as this a a gorgeous balett."
Great Performance and Production. These are the best in bal
tillio | Florida | 03/12/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's a joyous occasion anytime you can see a few hours of Balanchine's work. Jewels is no exception. Beautifully filmed, with strict control of the camera well tended. There is nothing more infuriating than a busy camera filming a ballet. Ballet is theater, not film. The camera work here was well done, with a few minor exceptions when I felt it should have pulled back. Still, you will enjoy this beautiful production, costumes and scenery, elegantly minimal, as Ballanchine was wont to do in his plot-less ballets. These dancers, from the Paris Opera, are so phenomenal and ethereal in their jumping, skipping, and leaping - yes, they do all of that, and, in Rubies, even some humorous quirky steps I've never seen before. A shot of the audience applauding at the end of Rubies clearly shows their enjoyment and that they got the Balanchine jokes. This DVD by far, has the largest and best collection of dancers I've seen...and how beautiful this Paris Opera Ballet house is! Highly recommended."
Nice ballet + interesting documentary
Mr. John A. Coulson | Australia | 08/11/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a modern ballet of 3 pieces performed in classical style - 1. Emeralds, danced in green to music by Faure; 2. Ruby, danced in red to music by Stravinsky; 3. Diamonds, danced in white to music by Tchaikovsky.
It is abstract ballet with no particular story although, as the accompanying documentary relates, that does not mean the dancing lacks emotion. The staging is deliberately free of distractions so one concentrates on the exceptional dancing. The piece was inspired by jewels Balanchine noticed in the window and this is the first time it has been proudly presented by the Ballet of the Opera national de Paris which claims credit as being one of the founding ballet companies in the world. I feel this is a disc one will appreciate more and more on repeated viewing. The Faure music is instantly appealing although the Stravinsky requires more familiarisation and the Tchaikovsky is a selection from the lesser known 3rd Symphony. The video is up to the usual BD standards but I was less impressed with the audio and did not find it up to the latest BD standards. It lacked the depth possible with the latest format.
So, bottom line of how this disc will appeal to you is how much you like ballet. The dancing is first class and that is the big plus for "Jewels". But if you are looking for spectacular staging with dramatic music and story then this might not appeal. That said it has a lot to offer and I suggest it is very helpful to look at the very good 1 hour documentary before viewing the work. So strongly recommended, but with a few cautions."