Mao's Last Dancer

Wow. This was an excellent movie, and I recommend it for several reasons.

SPOILER SPACE

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A small village boy, taken from his home by the Communist gov't, to become a dancer, a propaganda tool. He is inspired by one man, who wants him trained as a classical ballet dancer, instead of a political tool, and that man is 'disappeared', but his love of the dance is in Li's heart.

He is spotted by the director of the Houston Ballet Company as the only one of the Chinese dancers that felt the dance, and was alive with it. "The are more like athletes than dancers" was a pretty good description. Li is partnered with the female principal dancer during practice. She replaces his dancing partner, and they perform on stage in China.

Li gets to come over to the US, after being told by the Ministry that America is bad, evil, and not to be trusted. Most of that is blown out of the water in the first day. He visits the Chinese consulate, as require, and again is told that he can't trust Americans, especially the women, and that he would only be shown the good parts of Houston. (Considering the village he grew up in, just about every part of Houston was the good parts!) He finds more and more that what he has been told about the US isn't true. People are free to speak out against the president and he is shocked to see them not being arrested for it. Just this bit of freedom gets him thinking.

He makes one helluva name for himself in the Houston Ballet when he has to sub for an injured dancer only 3 hours before showtime. Perfection on stage would be the only way to describe it.

Li, after all he has seen, all he has learned and experienced wants to stay in the US longer. He knows he can't just go back to that confining life he had in China. So, on advise of attorney, he marries his US girlfriend in a bid to stay. When he does the right thing and report it to the consulate, they kidnap him, keep him locked in a small room, and try to brow beat him (You are all alone, your friends have already left, think of your family in China) into going back voluntarily. None of it works. He wants to stay.

After much publicity, he is told he can stay, but he no longer has a home or family, that he is a man without a country. He is released and allowed to stay in the US. But he is plagued by nightmares of his family being murdered for his choice.

I could go on and on, but don't want to do a synopsis. This was an excellent movie. Definitely worth seeing again.

And on a political side: Should I hear or read any more blather about Obama indoctrinating kids by telling them to "set goals, study hard and stay in school", I suggest they watch the first 20 minutes of this movie. That is indoctrinating children, not Obama encouraging kids.