The Nutcracker is a 1993 adaptation of the Peter Martins's stage production of The Nutcracker which itself was adapted from the original Tchaikovsky ballet. Produced in conjunction with Warner Bros. And the New York City Ballet as then Time Warner Chairman Steve Ross had wanted to produce a film with the company, considerable time and resources went into adapting the ballet for the screen with Macaulay Culkin secured for the lead role. The final directorial effort of Emile Ardolino before his untimely death, the film while praised for the dancing and music was subject to criticism for not doing all that much to adapt the story for film. Produced on an estimated $19 million budget, the film only brought in $2.1 million. As essentially a repackage of the ballet I guess it does it's job, but as a movie it's pretty lazy and lacking in any sort of passion to the filmmaking.
As expected from a film featuring the New York City Ballet the dances are all fine including from Macaulay Culkin who had experience in Ballet playing Fritz in prior School of American Ballet productions. Many critics questioned Culkin's involvement in the film at the time as he isn't allowed to do much, but given the source material it's really not his fault and he does what he can with the role. Despite being a film the movie doesn't take advantage of the switch in mediums and instead just shows the dances and staging as they were on film which results in the production feeling cheap and rather empty despite the money involved. Given that The Nutcracker ballet barely had any story to speak of (the second half is more of a pageant than any sort of narrative) there is a feeling that something's been lost in translation from live-performance to stage recording.
I suppose if you're not inclined to get tickets to a live production of The Nutcracker maybe this filmed version will suffice, but it doesn't do anything to make the experience feel very cinematic with its steadfast adherence to the original staging more a hindrance than an asset.
As expected from a film featuring the New York City Ballet the dances are all fine including from Macaulay Culkin who had experience in Ballet playing Fritz in prior School of American Ballet productions. Many critics questioned Culkin's involvement in the film at the time as he isn't allowed to do much, but given the source material it's really not his fault and he does what he can with the role. Despite being a film the movie doesn't take advantage of the switch in mediums and instead just shows the dances and staging as they were on film which results in the production feeling cheap and rather empty despite the money involved. Given that The Nutcracker ballet barely had any story to speak of (the second half is more of a pageant than any sort of narrative) there is a feeling that something's been lost in translation from live-performance to stage recording.
I suppose if you're not inclined to get tickets to a live production of The Nutcracker maybe this filmed version will suffice, but it doesn't do anything to make the experience feel very cinematic with its steadfast adherence to the original staging more a hindrance than an asset.