Cunningham (2019)

The iconic Merce Cunningham and the last generation of his dance company is stunningly profiled in Alla Kovgan's 3D documentary, through recreations of his landmark works and archival footage of Cunningham, John Cage, and Robert Rauschenberg.

Director:

Alla Kovgan

Writer:

Alla Kovgan

Stars:

Carolyn Brown, John Cage, Ashley Chen

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Carolyn Brown	...	Self
John Cage	...	Self (archive footage)
Ashley Chen	...	Self
Brandon Collwes	...	Self
Dylan Crossman	...	Self
Julie Cunningham	...	Self
Jennifer Goggans	...	Self
Lindsey Jones	...	Self
Cori Kresge	...	Self
Daniel Madoff	...	Self
Rashaun Mitchell	...	Self
Marcie Munnerlyn	...	Self
Robert Rauschenberg	...	Self (archive footage)
Silas Riener	...	Self
Glen Rumse	...	Self

Storyline

Even for those who know little about dance, Merce Cunningham is a recognizable name - an iconic figure in his field. His mid-20th century collaborations with composer John Cage (his lifelong partner) and visual artist Robert Rauschenberg were central to an era of transformation. Cunningham resisted "avant-garde" or any other label. "I don't describe it. I do it," he once said. Now, with Cunningham, we have a chance to experience what he did. Filmmaker Alla Kovgan assembles the last generation of Cunningham dancers (led by Merce Cunningham Dance Company assistant director of choreography Jennifer Goggans) to present landmark works from the Cunningham repertoire. The film concentrates on the three decades from 1942 to 1972 when Cunningham was making his reputation. Gorgeously shot in 3D, Cunningham brings us closer to these works than any audience has ever been before. Taking an inventive approach with locations, the film places dancers in evocative backdrops such as a tunnel, a ...

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Plot Keywords:

modern dance | choreographer | new york | avant garde | dancer | 

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Taglines:

A 3D cinematic experience about legendary American choreographer Merce Cunningham

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some smoking

User Reviews

Notes from a long conversation with my girlfriend after leaving the cinema

• Great to see a film about dancing! A relatively unexplored sub-genre of documentary, and Cunningham was welcome for this alone. It adds to a hole that I suppose Wenders' Pina opened.

• On that note, this film should not have been shot in 3d, which added nothing but nausia. We expect the 3d was entirely for the purpose of (a) copying Pina and, relatedly, (b) getting funding. But Cunningham's dances are far less spectacular and their presentation here likewise. The 3d only distracts from the movement in all but one Warhol-involved set, especially when edited with 2d archival.

• First half entertaining, second boring. The film progresses at a monotonous pace: one thing happens and then another and then another. No real conflict or tension.

Which is a problem. Because there evidently was plenty of this, but only in reality. The movie, on the other hand, brushes past unconvincingly. No one in the film is given space apart from Cunningham - everyone else speaks to convince the audience how great he is. I wanted to hear from one of his female dancers honestly, in long form, of the darkness of Cunningham. This would help to flesh out his character, give us something to chew on, and organise the film into a narrative. As is, we grew progressively distrusting and disengaged with the Greatest Hits/ Victory Lap tone, before the film ends suddenly with the news that all his dancers left.

• Ultimately we were left unconvinced that Cunningham (the dancer) was all that interesting. Fashionable certainly, he's attached to the right people, and I'm sure it would be great to be dancing as him, but the just-over-half-full prime-time-at-the-festival cinema was an endless circuit of yawns.

• Nevertheless we feel cultured now.

Details

Country:

Germany France USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 December 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cunningham

Filming Locations:

MMC Studios, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,422, 15 December 2019

Gross USA:

$265,102

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$367,788

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arsam International, Achtung Panda! Media, Bord Cadre Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color Color (Action) Black and White (archive footage)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1