Product Details

• Actors: Antoinette Sibley, Anthony Dowell, Frederick Ashton, Robert Helpmann, Leslie Edwards
• Directors: John Vernon
• Writers: Charles Perrault
• Format: Classical, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Kultur Video
• VHS Release Date: September 16, 1997
• Run Time: 102 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1561270938
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #298,939 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Cinderella may be Sergei Prokofiev's most accessible ballet, both musically and visually, and in the hands of a master choreographer, it can be a thrilling experience. And so it is with this 1969 Royal Ballet performance, with then-resident genius Frederick Ashton pulling out all the stops in a staging guaranteed to please fans and win new converts. Ashton's particular ability to couch his innovative moves within a conventional framework is in evidence here.

The back cover calls this "an acclaimed historic performance," and historic it certainly is. Several Royal Ballet dancers are shown in top form, including Ashton (as one of our heroine's ugly stepsisters!), Anthony Dowell as the prince, and the wonderful Antoinette Sibley as Cinderella. The production itself is filled with colorful sets and vivid costumes, and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House plays Prokofiev's enchanting music under the steady baton of John Lanchberry. The video itself is simply rendered, and the unspectacular sound does the job. --Kevin Filipski

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful document rather poorly recorded, September 18, 2002

By 

Robert Levonian (Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prokofiev - Cinderella / Sibley, Dowell, Royal Ballet (DVD)

This is a typical product of the forties, conservative, elegant and with a reserved sense of humour. Ashton's choreography is very classical in the sense that it's more respectful to tradition than innovative. Antoinette Sibley is a gracious dancer with a limpid technique, but I found Anthony Dowell's dancing rather cold. Frederick Ashton and Robert Helpmann are absolutely hilarious as the jealous sisters. The second act ballroom scene - where Ashton dances with a rather diminutive partner - is a jewell of integrated dance and pantomime.

The recording seems to be dated, though. The colors look faded and the sound has been poorly recorded. Also, the story has been shortened. After the ballroom scene the prince - in the original third act - travels to foreign ountries (Arabia and Spain)to find Cinderella. This act has been ommited, which is a pity for it gives an excellent opportunity for character dances.

There are four other versions of the ballet. The one choreographed by Maguy marin for the Lyon Opera Ballet is a claustrophobic and anguished piece, recommended to those who are interested in psychoanalysis and the avant-garde. Nureyev's version for the Paris Opéra Ballet has Sylvie Guillem as its main point of interest. Her partner Charles Jude has few chances to dance and Mr. Nureyev doesn't even have a dancing part. The action has been brought to the Hollywood of the twenties.
The Bolshoi version is the closest to the original. Raissa Struchkova gives a rather naive interpretation but her dancing is vigorous yet refined. This version was filmed as a feature film, not in a theater. The sense of humour is rather heavy sometimes. Sound and color are passable. The last version on video I know is of the Sevchenko Ballet from the Ukraine. In my opinion it's the most interesting. Sound and image are finely recorded and the cast, although little known - whoever heard of Alexey Ratmansky? - dances beautifully. It's quite difficult to get, as it was recorded on laser disc.

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic. Also funny. The children will like it, too., May 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Prokofiev - Cinderella (The Royal Ballet Version) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The Royal Ballet version of `Cinderella' is delicious - and an excellent choice for people who are new to ballet. (More experienced viewers might prefer more taxing choreography.)

This particular tape, however, has a terrific cast. It stars Anthony Dowell and Antoinette Sibley as Cinderella and her Prince - while the ugly sisters are brilliantly played by Freddy Ashton (the choreographer) and Robert Helpman. Wayne Sleep is there, too. Oh, and the music is glorious.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Cameraman in the Balcony, June 8, 2004

By 

Energeticus (Wenatchee, WA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Prokofiev - Cinderella / Sibley, Dowell, Royal Ballet (DVD)

I would like to add to the negative reviews already posted the further comment that I have never yet seen a ballet so consistently photographed from a distance. Wide ensemble shots are often appropriate; but whatever acting and subtler gestural skills the dancers may have exhibited, not to mention costuming details, are almost entirely lost on the viewer. Closeups last for a few seconds at most, as if the filming director were afraid of letting makeup show. This was highly frustrating to me, as both Dowell and Sibley seemed to be in good form. Even in the solos and pas de deux segments the camera hangs awkwardly back as if the cameraman were unfamiliar with the piece and fearful of letting the principals unexpectedly dash off screen. Ballet is a pantomimic art, and a good visual recording should not relegate the viewer to the nosebleed seats.