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Catalog/Biography/Mao's Last Dancer
Mao's Last Dancer poster
B
Strong
MASTER SCORE 63.8 / 100
2009·Biography / Drama / Music·1h 57m

MAO'S LAST DANCER

“Before you can fly, you have to be free.”

At the age of 11, Li was plucked from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao's cultural delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979, during a cultural exchange to Texas, he falls in love with an American woman. Two years later, he managed to defect and went on to perform as a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet and as a principal artist with the Australian Ballet.

Above the Line
Bruce Beresford·DirectorJan Sardi·ScreenplayCunxin Li·AuthorPeter James·Director of PhotographyChristopher Gordon·MusicMark Warner·Editor
Cast
Amanda Schull·Elizabeth MackeyChi Cao·Li Cunxin - adultChengwu Guo·Li Cunxin - teenageWen Bin Huang·Li Cunxin - boyJoan Chen·NiangBruce Greenwood·Ben StevensonKyle MacLachlan·Charles FosterJack Thompson·US Federal JudgeCamilla Vergotis·Mary McKendryMadeleine Eastoe·Lori
Full Crew
(17 credits)
Directing· 1
Bruce Beresford·Director
Writing· 2
Jan Sardi·ScreenplayCunxin Li·Author
Camera· 1
Peter James·Director of Photography
Editing· 1
Mark Warner·Editor
Sound & Music· 1
Christopher Gordon·Music
Art & Design· 6
Elaine Kusmishko·Art DirectionAnna Borghesi·Costume DesignHerbert Pinter·Production DesignKerrie Brown·Set DecorationZiggy Golden·Makeup & HairXin Mu·Makeup Artist
Production· 4
Jane Scott·ProducerTroy Lum·Executive ProducerSue MacKay·Line ProducerGeng Ling·Co-Producer
Other Departments· 1
Maree McDonald·Hairstylist
By the Numbers
63.8
OF 100
Master Score
7.3
OF 10
IMDb
—
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
$24M
ROI -4%
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

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Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

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Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind Mao's Last Dancer's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#991717
#0A2640
#FFFFFF
Mood
Dramatic, Romantic
Composition
Centered
Era
2000s
Visual Style
Photographic

“The movie poster features a red background with two dancers in the foreground. A man in a white shirt and black pants is bent backwards, looking up at a woman i”

romancemusic
Key Elements
TutuBallet ShoesChinese Character
Atmosphere
Vibrant
Color Mood
Mixed
Setting
Urban
Design Score
7/10
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THREE WAYS DEEPER

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