Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9549 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-06-25
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Black & White, Colour, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 97 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Sally Potter's self-reflective film stars Potter (an actress and the director of Orlando), more or less as herself, learning to tango from master-dancer Pablo Veron and considering making a film called The Tango Lesson. The film that we happen to be watching, however, is concerned largely with the delicious conflict between the politics of tango--the need for one partner, typically the woman, to yield to the other--and the expectations of the film-maker to do things on her own terms. Can Potter simultaneously surrender and control for the duration of this circular project? The question is made more complicated by Veron's desire to be in one of Potter's films--in other words, to follow her lead. Potter may not be Veron's equal on the dance floor, but that isn't the point of this interesting movie and its provocative, internal debate. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

Special Features
1.85 Wide Screen
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 5
English\French\Spanish
Region 0
Dolby Digital 2.0 English French Spanish
Dolby Digital 2.0
Theatrical Trailer
Yo Yo Ma Music Video
Production Notes By Sally Potter
Stills Gallery

Synopsis
A love story propelled by the power of the Argentine tango, THE TANGO LESSON stars director Sally Potter as a director, Sally, who, while in Paris preparing to make a film she doesn't really want to make, wanders into a tango performance and is smitten with the dance. After a lesson with the performer, Pablo (Pablo Veron), Sally embarks on a pilgrimage to Buenos Ares, abandons her film project, falls in love with Pablo, and is inspired to make a new film about the tango. Enchanting dance sequences by Veron and the very capable Potter hearken back to Golden Era MGM musicals.

Customer Reviews

It Splits an Audience.
If I were to say that intelligent, European viewers will like it, and those (also depicted in the film) who like a Hollywood style film won't - that would turn off many who should or would watch. And it's too simple an analysis. The film talks to us on many levels - the dance and it's elements, reflected in the events in the film; the script that acts out the actual making of this film with parallel fiction. Rather like a spoof documentary, we are left with a sense of having watched reality, whilst knowing it's still a work of fiction that draws on fact. Like reality we are left wondering what will happen next and in the future, we are never told the back story of Sally, what brought her to this point, why is she alone, why is she in Paris. It's just like real life when we meet someone new - so often we know so little for certain, just what we observe in the present where we are experiencing it live.

If you want a story that has a start, middle and end, a film that uses the more common scripting formulae of popular film making, you are going to feel uncomfortable with this film - but this film feels like life. We are so used to that phased story process, it's sometimes hard to relate to a film that doesn' use it. (For more on this read either Secrets of Film Writing or Michael Druxman's book called "The Art of Storytelling". In both they suggest you'll be on your own when it comes to financing a film if you don't follow the pack on storyline development. Sally Potter's film doesn't come over as a Hollywood product and doesn't have regular story development - and it's so much better for that. But opting for a film like that has it's downside and the feedback here demonstrates that well - you'll split the audience into those who love it and those who find it challenging to enjoy.

Give yourself the challenge - get into this film and others like it - and make a promise to yourself afterward - carry on watching and reading the best in life.

unconvincing and rather contrived, if beautifully shot
This film just did not do it for me, never felt right and convincing or appealing, despite the captivating tango and the beautiful photography of it. I could see the point or points it was making, but just too much of it, too much of a program and not convincingly acted out and too self-centred on Ms Potter, which left me feeling almost annoyed at the beginning of the film and at several points throughout.
This to me seems to be mostly a film about Ms Potter, certainly not so much about Tango as such, which is being utilised to present her points. Some of the dancing is still very impressive, captivating and also funny, namely the kitchen scene.
I think, and the reviews here seem to support this view, this is a film that will divide people and to some it may well speak and appeal, but it left me feeling unsatisfied and at odds.

Boring ego-trip
Tango is a very sensuous dance that with its intimacy and good lines works brilliantly on film. However, Sally Potters film does not work for me, appearing to be nothing more than one big ego-trip for her. I have shelf loads of tango videos (I have danced tango for several years and like Sally Potter have travelled to BsAs to dance). Even with all those videos, Sally Potter's film does not have a space on my shelf - it just cannot compete. I know people who have taken up tango after watching her film, but whether new to the dance or an experienced tango dancer there are far better tango videos to watch. Amongst my dancing friends I have a few who used to dislike tango and who disliked this film even more than me, but when shown instructional videos by Fernanda Ghi and Guillermo Merlo absolutely loved what they saw to the extent that they started tangoing themselves. So my recommendation is to give Sally Potter a miss and watch the experts doing their own thing - whether Fernanda/Guillermo, Chicho, Gustavo etc.