The Swan Lake

This excellent adaption of the famous ballet differs from other ballet films in its imaginative use of cinematic technique. Rather than simply portraying the dancing, the film features numerous overhead shots and several close-ups of the dancers. Transitions are well handled, and the entire work is a visual delight, showing a group of people dancing for the sheer joy of the art. The choreography was by Nureyev. The production, said to cost over $1 million, included the participation of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and 60 dancers from the Vienna State Opera Ballet. It was filmed on soundstages in Munich.