Rating: 
Summary: Don Quixote
Review: ...this is a handsome and historical ballet film...well worth owning, especially if you are an admirer of Nureyev. The film has been carefully restored and there is a short restoration demo and also a 'making of' short. The bottom line is that this Australian Ballet film is beautifully mounted and very well performed. Mr Nureyev is at the height of his abilities (1973)...and it is a joy to watch.
Rating: 
Summary: From the San Francisco Chronicle:
Review: Essential. Often called the greatest dance film ever made, and easy to see why when witnessing Nureyev's blazing solos.
--Octavio Roca, Dance critic
Rating:
Summary: good
Review: good, very goo
Rating:
Summary: The Beauty of Nureyev
Review: I have had the pleasure of seeing Nureyev dance on VHS tapes and read much about him, but I never really saw Nureyev until I saw him in this DVD! I have always heard that his beauty was shocking and I was able to see him as clearly as if I was standing next to him during the entire DVD. It is TRUE that his beauty is beyond description. The dancing by all was wonderful, but I could not take my eyes off of Nureyev until about my 10th viewing! I also loved the segment on the making of the movie. It was fascinating and showed what I imagine would be rare footage of everyone involved in the movie. If you REALLY want to see Nureyev you MUST add this one to your collection! Nureyev's Don Quixote is a masterpiece but you must purchase the DVD or you will lose so much that makes this ballet wonderful.
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Summary: Ballet for all!
Review: This complete version of the ballet by Minkus was supervised entirely by Nureyev, not only a great artist and dancer but also a man of excellent visual imagination. There are no weird camera angles, a fault that is common in film presentations done by filmmakers who are unfamiliar with the unique requirements of dance. It also presents Nureyev in an unusual role in which he is allowed to capitalize on his quick, bright sense of humor. THIS MOST EXCELLENT BALLET VIDEO IS LIVELY AND DELIGHTFUL, AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ANY BALLETOMANE'S VIDEO LIBRARY OR THE PERFECT INITIATORY PRODUCTION FOR THE BALLET NEOPHYTE.
Rating:
Summary: Buy It!
Review: This DVD is a spectacular restoration of one of the best ballet films of all time. It has a terrific performance by Nureyev, and features the great Lucette Aldous, a perfect match for Nureyev in charisma and technique. The DVD also has numerous bonus materials, including a "making of" documentary and side-by-side before-and-after scenes to illustrate the restoration. I also have the VHS and laser disk of this movie, and they are both dark and dirty looking compared to this beautiful DVD. It's really a great improvement and well worth purchasing.
Rating: 
Summary: Rudolf Nureyev's Revival For the Australian Ballet
Review: This is a great film of Marius Petipa's (creator of "Swan Lake", "The Nutcracker", "The Sleeping Beauty", "La Bayadere" among others) "Don Quixote" in that the production quality (sets, costumes, music, and line up of numbers) is outstanding. The dancers are no where near the ability of the Kirov film of this same ballet. If there was a way to combine this production with Kirov Ballet dancing it would be perfection! Dont get me wrong though....the dancers are quite good.Here we have the late great Rudolf Nureyev as Basilio, and Lucette Aldous as Kitri. Nureyev changed many things in this production for himself (bringing the male up to the level of the female as he always did in his restagings). Alongside those differences, he made the ballet shine more with the music restored by John Lanchbery, giving the Minkus score more personality and musical backbone much in need in the original score. His orchestrations also the give the music a more Spanish-style feel. The acting is highly entertaining, as the dancers do well in showing a flair for the comedy of this ballet. Nureyev should have left some things alone however, including his treatment of the 'Kingdom of The Dryads' scene in the second act. He simplifies the choreography for the corps and in a way that downsizes the grand affect the traditional choreography makes. He also adds at the beginning of the second act music from the other Petipa/Minkus ballet "La Bayadere" for a pas de deux for himself and the heroine. His choreography is horrible in this section. All in all however, this video is quite a sight to see. I must stress again how fond I am of the way Lanchbery treated the Minkus score. His restoration really makes it sound up to the level it should (get the cd of this music available at the Orchestra Victoria web page). This is a great version of this ballet, and worth owning for its outstanding production quality, but I will only give it three stars for its 'pretty good' dancing.
Rating: 
Summary: A rotten tomato in a golden box.
Review: This is a relatively well-made ballet DVD among others. However, the cheesy performance really is not worth such a luxury. Compared to the fascinating 1988 Kirov version by Tatyana Terekhova and Farouk Ruzimatov, this one is on the kindergarten level, I'd say. I really don't know why Lucette Aldous was able to get a chance to play the leading role with her flat, robot-like performance. What's more, in the final act she seems to be totally exhausted with sore legs that couldn't stretch or even stand at all. I think the only reason Kultur Video made this DVD so well is simply because it presents Nureyev, whose name is supposed to attract lots of ballet fans (although I personally don't think his performance could compete with Ruzimatov's in the Kirov version). My own suggestion is that don't pick this version, if you are not a big Nureyev fan.
Rating:
Summary: A rotten tomato in a golden box.
Review: This is a relatively well-made ballet DVD among others. However, the cheesy performance really is not worth such a luxury. Compared to the fascinating 1988 Kirov version by Tatyana Terekhova and Farouk Ruzimatov, this one is on the kindergarten level, I'd say. I really don't know why Lucette Aldous was able to get a chance to play the leading role with her flat, robot-like performance. What's more, in the final act she seems to be totally exhausted with sore legs that couldn't stretch or even stand at all. I think the only reason Kultur Video made this DVD so well is simply because it presents Nureyev, whose name is supposed to attract lots of ballet fans (although I personally don't think his performance could compete with Ruzimatov's in the Kirov version). My own suggestion is that don't pick this version, if you are not a big Nureyev fan.
Rating:
Summary: A must-see for all balletomanes
Review: This is my FAVOURITE ballet video. I can watch Nureyev forever and never get tired. The whole ballet is filmed like a movie. And because it's directed by Nureyev, there are no annoying extreme closeups of dancers' faces. Lucette Aldous, who dances Kitri, is like a firecracker, she never stops. And Robert Helpmann is a very chivalric Don Quixote.
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