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Mao's Last Dancer (2009) 7.1
Ratings:
7.1/10 from 4,366 users
Metascore: 55/100
Reviews: 50 user | 103 critic | 23 from Metacritic.com A drama based on the autobiography by Li Cunxin. At the age of 11, Li was plucked from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao's cultural delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet. In ... See full summary » Director:Bruce Beresford |
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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Chi Cao | ... | |
| Bruce Greenwood | ... | ||
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Penne Hackforth-Jones | ... |
Cynthia Dodds
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| Christopher Kirby | ... |
Mason
(as Chris Kirby)
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| Suzie Steen | ... | ||
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Madeleine Eastoe | ... |
Lori
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| Aden Young | ... |
Dilworth
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Wen Bin Huang | ... | |
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Shu Guang Liang | ... |
Jing Tring - 8 yrs
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Ye Wang | ... |
Cunfar - 14 yrs
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Neng Neng Zhang | ... |
Gong Mei
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Wan Shi Xu | ... |
Shen Yu
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Shao Wei Yi | ... |
Yang Ping
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Hui Cong Zhan | ... |
Teacher Song
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Ji Feng Sun | ... |
Headmaster
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
A drama based on the autobiography by Li Cunxin. At the age of 11, Li was plucked from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao's cultural delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979, during a cultural exchange to Texas, he fell in love with an American woman. Two years later, he managed to defect and went on to perform as a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet and as a principal artist with the Australian Ballet. Written by Anonymous
Taglines:
Before You Can Fly You Have To Be Free.Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG for a brief violent image, some sensuality, language and incidental smoking | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
AustraliaRelease Date:
1 October 2009 (Australia) See more »Also Known As:
El prodigio See more »Filming Locations:
Acer Arena, Olympic Boulevard, Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia See more »Box Office
Opening Weekend:
$199,657 (USA) (20 August 2010)Gross:
$4,806,750 (USA) (3 December 2010)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
|Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Written by Wayne Vaughn and Maurice White
Performed by Earth Wind & Fire
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Chi Cao's parents were two of Cunxin Li's former teachers at the Beijing Dance Academy. Li wanted Cao to portray him. See more »Goofs
The film does not show Houston as it was 1981-86. For instance, when Cunxin first arrives in Houston, he and Stevenson drive past a Ferris Wheel, which did not exist in 1981. In addition, the Wortham Center was not complete until 1987. From 1969 to 1987, the Houston Ballet danced in Jones Hall, which is still in use for many other performances. However the Director may have chosen Wortham considering it architecturally and environmentally more grand, and timing off by only a year. Beresford may not have considered the environs of Jones Hall as attractive. There may have also been time and budget constraints on researching old photos of downtown, using CGI, etc. See more »Soundtracks
"Let's Groove"Written by Wayne Vaughn and Maurice White
Performed by Earth Wind & Fire
See more »
In a village of China, the eleven year-old Li Cunxin is selected by the Comunist Party to study ballet at the Madame Mao's Dance Academy in Beijing. Years later, he travels to Houston in a cultural exchange program invited by the artistic director Ben Stevenson (Bruce Greenwood) and he is promoted to principal dancer of the Houston Ballet. Meanwhile he secretly dates and falls in love with the dancer Elizabeth Mackey (Amanda Schull).
When the China's government asks Li Cunxin (Chi Cao) to return to his country, he marries Liz and defects to USA. He is forbidden to return to China and has no news of his parents and family. Meanwhile, his marriage with Liz ends and he misses his parents. But five years later, he has a great surprise during a performance.
"Mao's Last Dancer" is a film about the true story of the Chinese ballet dancer Li Cunxin. The engaging biography of Li Cunxin is an example of discipline and strength associated with courage to make the right decisions, and it is amazing how a boy from a poor village in China could have become a great ballerino in the West.
Bruce Greenwood, Kyle MacLachlan and Joan Chen are well known actors and are fantastic, but Chi Cao, Chengwu Guo and the rest of the cast and dancers have also top-notch performances. Everything is perfect in this film, from the direction of Bruce Beresford to the cinematography and art direction. My vote is ten.
Title (Brazil): "O Último Bailarino de Mao" ("The Last Ballerino of Mao")