Director Wim Wenders has been a longtime fan of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch and he dreamed of working with the late experimental dance choreographer Pina Bausch, but he didn’t know how to film it until he saw a U2 concert film in 3D.  With some experimentation and planning on what dance pieces to film, the project came to a halt when Pina died.  The story would have ended there if it wasn’t for Pina’s dance theater company urging Wim Wenders to still do the project as a film for Pina Bausch.  The result is a beautiful and breathtaking homage and tribute to Pina that is also uncomfortable and unexpected at times. 

 

PINA is one of those movies I wish I could have saw in the theaters in 3D, but the 2D version which combines the best of the left and right eye cameras from the 3D footage were edited to make this version of this film.  Wim Wenders belived the format of 3D would be the closest to have people experience Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch without going to see them.   However, the 2D version is a beautiful rhythmic piece of movie to watch like an experience I want to revisit as Pina’s dancers put on four of Pina’s dance theater pieces in addition to each dancer providing their answers to questions asked by Wim in the form of dance solos pulled from dance pieces the dancers did for Pina or worked on with Pina.  The dance answers (aka the dance solos) take place in a variety of indoor and outdoor environments that are a mix of landscapes and city environments.  The film also manages to incorporate rare footage of Pina Bausch into the movie.  I definitely will watch PINA again.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The only extra on disc one is an audio commentary featuring Wim Wenders.

 

The bulk of the extras are on disc two:

THE MAKING OF PINA- A behind-the-scenes 45 minute documentary with commentary by Wim Wenders as he explains and shows what went into filming the movie.

 

14 deleted scenes with optional audio commentary by Wim Wenders that features over 40 minutes of scenes that didn’t make it into the final film.  Each scene is interesting to watch even if it didn’t fit Wim Wender’s final vision for the film PINA which he put together a film out of hours of footage shot for the film.

 

Five behind-the-scenes pieces shows various short bits of behind-the-scenes footage from various parts of the production.

 

Rounding out the extras are a 22 minute inter view with director Wim Wenders and the theatrical trailer.

 

Also included in the DVD case is a booklet of photos, linear notes, an essay on the film, and excerpts from a speech Pina gave and a speech Wim Wenders gave on Pina Bausch.

 

FINAL ANALYSIS:  PINA is a beautiful movie that acts as one part art film and one part homage/ tribute to the late Pina Bausch as performed by the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch.   Criterion Collection has presented the movie in a fantastic package with a variety of extras that each viewer should also watch in addition to the film itself.

 

This DVD review is (c)2-10-2013 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com