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| The
Dancer Upstairs
Directed By: John
Malkovich Plot
Summary - Review 1 - Review
2 - CURRENT REVIEWS
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| A police detective in a South American country is dedicated to hunting down a revolutionary guerilla leader. [TRAILER] “The Dancer Upstairs” has very little to do with a dancer. True, in the film’s most shocking and memorable moments, all eyes will be fixated on a dance instructor. But, overall, a more appropriate title for this film might have been “A Delicate Balance.” “Dancer” is about a country on the verge of collapse, and those in charge of keeping it together. The specific country is not known for certain; all the audience is told is that it takes place in “Latin America” and occurs in “the recent past.” As the movie unfolds, we watch Rejas (Javier Bardem), and Sucre (Juan Diego Botto), two policeman, discover a series of dead dogs hung from street poles. Along with each dog is a sign, advocating someone named Presidente Ezequiel – a name that means nothing to either these men or those higher up in the government. But as the movie progresses, these passive signs and threats turn into active terrorist altercations. A car is crashed into a restaurant and explodes. A dog and a chicken is wired with explosives and sent into the market. Audience members at a dance recital are led on-stage and summarily executed. And after each event, to hallmark the occasion, fireworks are set off that evening – an ominous celebration of a completed act of tyranny. Rejas is the focus of this film, and he becomes increasingly obsessed with these acts of violence and who Ezequiel truly is. However, just as his investigation gets going, the government begins to panic. Members of the administration have been assassinated, and the detectives are given a deadline to quell the violence and bring Ezequiel to justice, or martial law will be declared. While tensions rise in his professional life, Rejas’ personal life takes unexpected twists as well. While he is married, with a child enrolled in dancing classes, he begins to fall in love with his daughter’s dancing teacher. More than once, he finds himself with her, late at night, finding solace from the chaos that surrounds them. If ‘Dancer” achieves one thing, it is capturing the rapid decline of this country into anarchy, the passionate fanaticism of the country’s terrorists and the relative ease with which lives are uprooted and destroyed. While the film’s killing and violence is shocking at first, we quickly realize the simple truth: all you need is a few committed people to wreak havoc. Take September 11, or any given day in Israel: A few people, a few weapons, and scores of dead innocents left in their wake. I take from this film the haunting realization that the “terrorists” on display here are not demons, easy to dismiss. Thinking about World War II, it is easy to write off Hitler as an evil, despicable or even insane leader. But the characters of “The Dancer Upstairs” are not maniacal. They are not insane. They are normal people, ready to give their lives for a cause. Director John Malkovich, in his debut, intentionally leaves parts of this story untold. Questions such as why this uprising is occurring or what is the political climate of the country are never addressed. As such, the audience is never put in the position of judging whether Ezequiel’s movement is right or wrong. All we are given is the people and the humanism running behind this conflict, making judgment that much more difficult. The film boasts several achievement and shortcomings. Of the former, I must admit that “The Dancer Upstairs” drips with atmosphere and realism. Bardem’s performance is one of the finest of the year, portraying a scarred policeman who still longs to care. The film’s weaknesses are equally obvious. There are pacing problems, as the film fails to create smooth transitions between scenes of action and scenes of drama and dialogue. Jerky shifts in and out of action sequences make the film jagged and jarring. And, some contrived surprises necessary for the story are telegraphed far too early. I think many in the audience saw some big surprises long before they occurred. Everything in “The Dancer Upstairs” is done with its ending in mind. Rejas’ quest ends in memorable fashion and, as the detectives prepare for the ultimate showdown, I found myself bursting with anticipation and excitement. Suddenly, the film’s contrivances make sense and its shortcomings are nearly made up for in a final, haunting sequence. The epilogue only adds to the film’s powerful tale of real-world terrorism. It is one thing to cite alert levels and denounce entire religious groups. It is quite another to realize that terror is living next door, or even in the same house. If I ran the world, this film would be titled “A Delicate Balance—” reflecting the balance of peace and harmony that few of us, hopefully, will ever need to doubt.  Check out Reviews, Commentary, and More at Zertinet.com |
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