Adam - Giselle / Carla Fracci, Erik Bruhn, John Lanchbery, American Ballet Theatre

I was much looking forward to this release as I had never seen this, one of the most notable ballet films ever done.

Ive watched a lot of movies over the past 50 years, and I think Im in a position to say that its very likely that the director of this movie never got a job as director of a movie again. Thats how badly he directed this version of Giselle. I also have watched some excellent ballet DVDs in the past year, so I knew that this ballet had to have been performed better. I bought the Giselle by the La Scala ballet company with Alessandra Ferri as Giselle, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Carla Fracci was magnificent as Giselle and Bruhn a very good partner.

We just bought this DVD. Images are beautiful and sound quality is excellent. Carla Fraccis dancing is superb. At times, the filming adds value e.g. by including snapshots of forests and lakes. At times, the rapid-cut editing and the close-ups are a bit disturbing. In spite of those minor grudges, we warmly recommend buying this beautiful DVD.

Its a fabulous perf...and so what the producer is a bit too far into puddle reflections and sech...we would be much the poorer had this film never been made, and I would have been much the poorer for never having seen it...and Fracci radiates...plus the conducting is first rate....

I thought it would be little more Modern ballet. Instead, theres an awful lot of traditional dancing around, and then everyone dies. Then they dance some more.

I used to love watching Carla Fracci dancing Giselle in the theatre often with Erik Bruhn or Ivan Nagy but not this sorry mess. Shot in a studio the first act set resembles the ABT first act but the second act looks like a one set fits all from an old Omnibus TV presentation. The director seems to have seen Godards Breathless and never gotten over it. Instead of seeing the dance and complete steps the choreography comes at the viewer as a series of jump cuts from different angles often with people or stage props between the viewer and dancers; like bursts of machine gun fire. Such wasted opportunity. Perhaps a silk purse cannot be made from a sows ear but this ill conceived video proves the reverse can be easily done.

After reading all the glowing reviews I was sorely disappointed in this adaptation of my favorite ballet. The director seemed to think adding story lines. filmed like Van Dam action scenes would give the ballet to a different viewpoint. Instead it just serves to distract from a great dancing experience. Pass it up.

I reviewed this yesterday and am only writing this because that was not quite correct. This is a movie which I hadn’t realized when I ordered it. The scenery, costumes are so elaborate they take aware from the gorgeous impact that actual ballet has had on me so many times. The filming of it is totally different than seeing it in person...

I detest this film. What should have been a glorious opportunity to capture Fracci and Bruhn in their signature partnership is ruined by the meddlesome and ignorant direction of Hugo Niebeling and David Blair. Giselle is a ballet; ballet is about dance; dance should be the focus of attention. We should have unobstructed views of the dancers dancing. Instead, we get shots through villagers eating and talking, shots from above, shots from the side, shots through machinery, shots reflected in pools, and so on - absolutely infuriating, unartistic, and puerile. What a shame and a sham! What a colossal misunderstanding of art!