Product Details

• Actors: Mikhail Baryshnikov, Zizi Jeanmaire
• Directors: Dirk Sanders
• Writers: Roland Petit
• Format: Classical, NTSC, HiFi Sound
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Kultur Video
• VHS Release Date: October 22, 1991
• Run Time: 44 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301816064
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #310,057 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars too young and too old..., March 10, 2000

By 

danny loya - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roland Petit's Ballet of Carmen [VHS] (VHS Tape)

First of all - it's a good ballet. Very nice music, some examples of virtuosity Baryshnikov style, nice corps, and some very nice pieces of choreography . However, there are some flows: The choreography - Petit does it sometimes. you see great variations , original movements, and suddenly, out of nowhere , something weird and off-putting , that leaves you wondering what t'hell happened just now... . There are several examples of this phenomenon in this ballet. Baryshnikov - is young , arrow sharp (check out the first act solo ) , and if it was another dancer I would write he was very good. However, he is not your ordinary dancer , and should answer to a higher (probably the highest) standard of criticism. The main problem is that he is just too boyish, and a certain lack of authority is evident . when he grew older Baryshnikov has improved considerably in this respect . So it's a shame we ca'nt see him about 6-7 years older. carmen herself - is just too old. she ca'nt keep up with the others. besides that - I do'nt like her (somtimes cabaret like) style of dancing.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Sadly, I hardly ever watch it., September 3, 2000

By 

Michele (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roland Petit's Ballet of Carmen [VHS] (VHS Tape)

For Baryshnikov fans, this particular ballet does not showcase Misha's virtuostic gifts. Roland Petit's choreography is over-the-top throughout the ballet. In some of the dance sequences, the corps de ballet speaks (in French, of course). This makes a serious story come off silly which was probably not Petit's intent. For such a natural dancer as Baryshnikov, he looks somewhat uncomfortable in the choreography although the role of Don Jose fits him quite well. Zizi Jeanmarie does not make a convincing Carmen at her age and the chemistry between Baryshnikov and Jeanmarie is lacking. For Baryshnikov fans, "Don Quixote" or "Baryshnikov Dances Sinatra" will more likely please you.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Poor Teaming Because of Age Disparity, February 25, 2003

By 

Avid Reader "dswhung" (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roland Petit's Ballet of Carmen [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Carmen is a great ballet with the talented Roland Petite as choreographer. I first watched ZiZi dance it in The Black Tights when I was a teenager. I thought she was fabulous then -- sexy, sultry and seductive.Her technique was flawless. Now decades later, when I watched her again dancing with Baryshnikov, I couldn't help sighing sentimentally,' Ah, the cruelty of passing time!' Faded is her beauty,gone is her vibrancy and allure, missing is some of the difficult and fancy footwork which makes the ballet so pleasing and exciting. Why did they put her opposite the golden Adonis? The age disparity is made more obvious. There is a lack of spark or passion between them. It is unconvincing that he is madly in love with her.It makes sense that The Paris Opera Ballet makes 40 the mandatory retirement age for their ballerinas since more or less they will lose their stamina. If you had watched the video 'Ballerina: Karen Kain 'in which are excepts from Carmen, you would understand what I mean and would not think of me as being harsh and unfair. There are so many productions of Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote ...etc in Video and DVD. Why is there only one Carmen? I really look forward to seeing more.