Mao’s Last Dancer (2009)

Mao's Last Dancer is another best ballet movie Toplist wants to mention. Mao's Last Dancer is a 2009 Australian film based on the 2003 book of professional dancer Li Cunxin of the same name. Mao's Last Dancer is a biographical dance film set during Mao's Cultural Revolution. Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal performer Chi Cao, Australian Ballet performer Chengwu Guo, and Huang Wen Bin play Li Cunxin. Bruce Greenwood, Kyle MacLachlan, Joan Chen, and Amanda Schull all appear in the film.

The film follows his spectacular rise in China's limited ballet scene and subsequent emigration to the United States, primarily to avoid China's heavy-handed censorship. Because the film is political in nature, it is highly sensitive. Nonetheless, the film should be a must-see for everyone who appreciates ballet, with many memorable passages such as the Don Quixote scene.

Bruce Beresford directs Mao's Last Dancer, which is based on Li Cunxin's memoirs of the same name. Jan Sardi wrote the screenplay. Australian filmmaker Bruce Beresford is a master craftsman of character-driven dramas, as evidenced by Breaker Morant, Tender Mercies, Crimes of the Heart, and Paradise Road, drawing us into personal encounters with characters battling for freedom, independence, meaning, love, or community.

Director: Bruce Beresford
Casts: Chi Cao, Bruce Greenwood, Kyle MacLachlan
IMDb: 7,3