Mao's Last Dancer

              Sometimes previews are my favorite part of a movie.  They make me aware of films I may otherwise never hear about.  Previews are how I discovered Mao’s Last Dancer.  I had never heard of it before, and I am happy I found it.      

                Li Cunxin is just a boy when he is moved from his family by the Chinese government.  They have him live at a school where he learns to become a ballet dancer.  For years Li struggles with the ballet technique and physical strength that is necessary for success.  He comes across a teacher who consistently insults him for his weaknesses, but finds support from another, more encouraging teacher.  While Li does try, it is not until his supportive teacher is dismissed that he becomes truly serious about building up his strength and being a more powerful dancer.  This work is what eventually earns him the privilege to dance in America.  The American stay is not meant to be long, but Li falls in love and does not want to return to China when the time comes.  Li learns from a lawyer that if he marries, he will be able to stay.  On the last night of his stay, Li announces he and his girlfriend have married.  The Chinese Consulate refuses to acknowledge this union and takes Li in a desperate act.  They keep him alone in a room and try to convince him the best choice is for Li to return to China.  Li will not be persuaded and eventually he is permitted to defect.  This means that while he can remain in America, he is not allowed to return to China, not even to visit his family.  While Li is happy to stay, the lack of contact with his family causes him great distress.  He begins to have nightmares about their fate.  All this turmoil causes great stress in his marriage.  But while Li struggles personally, his dancing continues to grow and his star keeps growing brighter. 

                As much as I like Li, my favorite part of the movie is a scene that does not even have Li in it.  Instead it has Li’s mother.  After Li defects, a group of men come to his childhood home and blames his mother for his defection.  They tell her if she had been a better mother this never would have happened.  Then comes what I love.  Li’s mother will not hear it at all.  She stands up for herself and in essence chases the men off with her strength and determination.  It is a great scene.  The others ones that are my favorite come at the end of the film.  I would write about them, but I do not want to ruin the story.

                This is a wonderful movie and the special features section only adds to it.  I do not remember how many features there were, there may have only been one, but in any case, it was really good.  The movie creators gave us an in-depth look into how the movie was made and what it took to assemble the cast.  While some may not find this particularly interesting, I found it quite fascinating.