George Balanchine's The Nutcracker (1993)

For 50 years now, George Balanchine's The Nutcracker has been the New York City Ballet's traditional, timeless, and beloved rendition of Tchaikovsky's masterpiece. This production was filmed in widescreen and even includes postproduction special effects from George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch. (I wondered how they did the towering Christmas tree, the floating bed, and the flying sleigh until I saw ILM listed in the credits. The special features explain how the special effects were considered essential to producing the film though intentionally kept low-tech.) The first half of the film centers on a half-dozen families' traditional Christmas celebration -- esp. dancing and toys; after Drosselmeyer's pivotal appearance, Clara (here named Maria) is saved and crowned by her Nutcracker Prince -- here played by Macaulay Culkin, who generally employs the same blandly winsome expressions he parlayed in the first two Home Alone movies. The second half of the film displays impressive individual and ensemble ballet performances esp. by the Sugarplum Fairy (Darci Kistler) and her Cavalier (Damian Woetzel). These two and other key figures in the ballet are a joy to watch and the costumes and choreography seem impeccable. Throughout, Kevin Kline ably narrates in a calm, dulcet tone. 4 stars. (2-1-09)