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6.5/10
257
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In Bali, a young woman falls in love with a musician, but he may have eyes for her half-sister.In Bali, a young woman falls in love with a musician, but he may have eyes for her half-sister.In Bali, a young woman falls in love with a musician, but he may have eyes for her half-sister.
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaA musical score that combines Western and Balinese musical traditions was composed in 1999 by Richard Marriott and I Made Subandi. It has been performed live at screenings for the film at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival twice, in 1999 and 2013. In both cases, it was performed by joint musical groups Gamelan Sekar Jaya and The Club Foot Orchestra.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Love Island (1952)
Featured review
Fascinating Flaherty-style "documentary"
Shot in Bali in 1933 with an all Balinese cast, Legong adopts the Flaherty technique of grafting a fictional storyline onto what is essentially a documentary film, much in the style of Nanook of the North and Moana. Photographed in two-strip Technicolor, the film is far more valuable as an ethnographic document of life in Bali in the early 30's than as Hollywood entertainment.
It's a shame the film crew was not able to handle on-site sound. Even more than the absence of actual Balinese dialogue, which is replaced by dialogue cards, the loss of music during the several important dance scenes is deflating. While the composer tries hard, there is no way he can substitute for the sounds of an actual Balinese gamelan orchestra, with its lively rhythms and brilliantine percussion.
The story is a bit of fluff about unrequited love; one that would have little relevance in actual Balinese culture. Far more interesting are the dance performances, the market scenes, and the elaborate ceremonies, preserved here in color for all time. A true step back in time, especially when one realizes that the old people seen in the film were born in the 19th century. Legong suffered censorship in Britain (for violence: cockfighting) and in the U.S. for nudity (bare breasts). Today it would be more likely to be censored for showing a couple of six-year olds (at a guess) sharing a couple of clove cigarettes.
From the angle used, I believe the deserted beach shown at the end of the film to be Kuta Beach, which today resembles Miami far more than the idyllic strip of sand and water that forms the final shot in Legong.
It's a shame the film crew was not able to handle on-site sound. Even more than the absence of actual Balinese dialogue, which is replaced by dialogue cards, the loss of music during the several important dance scenes is deflating. While the composer tries hard, there is no way he can substitute for the sounds of an actual Balinese gamelan orchestra, with its lively rhythms and brilliantine percussion.
The story is a bit of fluff about unrequited love; one that would have little relevance in actual Balinese culture. Far more interesting are the dance performances, the market scenes, and the elaborate ceremonies, preserved here in color for all time. A true step back in time, especially when one realizes that the old people seen in the film were born in the 19th century. Legong suffered censorship in Britain (for violence: cockfighting) and in the U.S. for nudity (bare breasts). Today it would be more likely to be censored for showing a couple of six-year olds (at a guess) sharing a couple of clove cigarettes.
From the angle used, I believe the deserted beach shown at the end of the film to be Kuta Beach, which today resembles Miami far more than the idyllic strip of sand and water that forms the final shot in Legong.
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- adf-911-276664
- Oct 17, 2012
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Legong (la danza delle vergini)
- Filming locations
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 5 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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