Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24910 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

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.

Beautifully shot, but boring Story Line
I love Argentine Tango dancing and also like some foreign or arty movies, but I found this one quite boring. Sally Potter really got on my nerves with her monotone quiet voice, Pablo Veron was the better actor of the two. There wasn't much of a story and the analogy of leading and following in dance and directing movies was not a big revelation. I started watching it, but got bored and wound forward to the dance scenes. Some were good, some less so. Sally Potter became quite a good dancer in the time it took to make the movie, but she didn't have any original style that made her stand out.
Good points:
Beautifully shot; the photography style matched the passion of Tango dancing
Pablo Veron's Tango dancing
Pablo's Tap dancing in the kitchen