Review of Black Tights (1-2-3-4 ou Les
Collants noirs)
If you’re a big fan of ballet, you will absolutely love this film. Naturally,
the film is quite French and features scenes of Paris. Four different ballets
are performed throughout the film and are then linked together by a narrator.
The ballets are performed by Les Ballets de Champs Elysees and are
breathtakingly beautiful. The gorgeous Technicolor of the filmography only adds
to the beauty of this film.
The shots of the costumes alone are worth watching this film. They were designed
by Christian Dior and Yves Saint-Laurent.
The film is narrated by Maurice Chevalier. The four dance routines featured in
the film are Cyrano de Bergerac, A Merry Mourning, The Diamond Crunchers and
Carmen.
A lady mobster is the star of The Diamond Cruncher dance number. Eventually she
gives up her life of crime all for the love of a man who isn’t a criminal. In
Cyrano de Bergerac Roland Petit, who also choreographed the film, portrays
Cyrano. The music in this film is quite interesting, as it was composed by the
same person who composed the music for the Twilight Zone. The story of Carmen
doesn’t change much, except that in this rendition you get to see it danced
rather than sung. A Merry Mourning is the story of a young woman who finds
herself in the midst of a romantic triangle that proves to be rather deadly.
A lot of action and beautiful dancing packed into a movie that runs just over
two hours. If you like ballet and anything French, this should be a must see
movie on your list.