The documentary Cunningham seems to be more of an academic instructional video on dance than an engaging look at pioneering artist — and Black Mountain College collaborator — Merce Cunningham. In many ways, it’s a traditional nonfiction film that unfortunately includes a very tiring display of monotone B&W clips. What viewers will find among many of these sequences are actors who are great dancers, who are frequently intriguing and who oftentimes execute exquisite movements. But that being said, unless you’re a dancer or avidly into dance, you may find this film to be quite the soporific lullaby.
The film begins with a scene of a man dancing in a tunnel, then shifts to a New York City skyline — where, upon a rooftop, there are several dancers, in various poses and wearing colorful suits. While moments like the rooftop scenes, some nature shots and even some sequences with dancers in unadorned rooms are fleetingly compelling and impressive, they’re unlikely to excite the average viewer.
Instead, the film is esoteric to a fault, and despite its focus on Cunningham, his discipline, his accomplishments and some of his professional disappointments, it fails to get all that personal about the man. For a dance geek, this documentary may be heaven, but for me, I need not watch it again.
Starts Feb. 21 at Grail Moviehouse
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