Degas and the Dancer

I watched a set of six video tapes in this Artists' Specials series, each about a different artist. This one was the best by far.

This is a strong short film, showing the relationship between a very young ballet dancer and the great Impressionist artist Edgar Degas. How the young Marie learns through the artist, Degas, about life and dealing with her own self-doubt about her abilities at dance, and how Degas in turn learns about his own weaknesses and strengths from the young girl, with some excellent acting all around by both.

The HBO Artists' Specials are great ways for kids to get an education without their realizing it---the stories are interesting, there is always a child as a central figure, and the history is pretty accurate. I particularly like the Degas episode, and appreciate the fact that the same actor portrays Degas in the episode about Mary Renault.

Most of the time the made for cable movies tend to be a little flat. Kind of like a long television show.

A short film - just a television hour. The story is simplistic.