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Le Bal

Released Mar 23, 1984 1h 52m Musical List
Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
In this musical set in a French nightclub, choreographed song and dance routines -- rather than a streamlined narrative -- tell the story of Parisian culture and politics from the 1920s through the 1980s. A disparate, anachronistic series of characters, including an ordinary waiter (Francesco De Rosa), a Nazi collaborator (Marc Berman), resistance fighters and 1960s student protestors gather to celebrate and parody 20th-century France's icons, demons and social changes.

Critics Reviews

View All (3) Critics Reviews
Diego Galán El Pais (Spain) It is evidently an original film. [Full Review in Spanish] Feb 10, 2020 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Ettore Scola's charmingly original, Oscar-nominated film examine French history and culture through dance. Rated: B+ Jul 29, 2011 Full Review Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) An oddity? Yes, but an oddity well worth having. Rated: 4/5 Jan 10, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (22) audience reviews
Audience Member New York Times loves this film, where can I watch it????? Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member A terrific way to tell a part of the french History. From popular culture and making a homage to musical and dance films. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member A fascinating film that manages to tell multiple stories about multiple characters without any dialogue whatsoever. Films like this don't get made anymore. The use of dance and body language to tell the characters' stories is beyond brilliant. Highly recommended. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member A film without dialogue representing 50 years of ballroom dancing. It's very corny and not entertaining. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Ettore Scola is the most playful director I've ever seen. But sometimes, playing cinema without hidden cards, makes his enjoyable films/experiences unfulfillable though. Anyway i can't deny his deep faith and extremely fresh ideas in Le Bal. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Really relaxing to watch a film without speech and just listen to the music. Still, witty and without nonsential filler dances. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Le Bal

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Le Bal

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Movie Info

Synopsis In this musical set in a French nightclub, choreographed song and dance routines -- rather than a streamlined narrative -- tell the story of Parisian culture and politics from the 1920s through the 1980s. A disparate, anachronistic series of characters, including an ordinary waiter (Francesco De Rosa), a Nazi collaborator (Marc Berman), resistance fighters and 1960s student protestors gather to celebrate and parody 20th-century France's icons, demons and social changes.
Director
Ettore Scola
Producer
Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina, Giorgio Silvagni
Screenwriter
Jean-Claude Penchenat
Distributor
Almi Pictures
Production Co
France 2 Cinéma, Cinéproduction, Office National Commerce Industrie Cinéma (ONCIC), Massfilms, SFP
Genre
Musical
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 23, 1984, Original
Runtime
1h 52m