A collection of "classical" Swan Lake ballet films. (For Swan Lake by Matthew Bourne see Bourne collection, New Adventures dance/theatre company.)
One could get the impression that I am less than enthralled by Swan Lake. Wrong! I love this ballet (and most ballets, as long as they don't take themselves too seriously). I love dance and dancers. I love Tchaikovsky's music; and how it can be 'cut-and pasted' so much and still sound great.

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While the details of the plot line varies from version to version, the following plot line, from a review of the American Ballet Theater version, does well as a general description:

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"The story is adapted from an old Russian folk tale. Princess Odette is captured by the evil sorcerer Rathbart and cursed to be changed into a swan. Young Prince Siegfried is being pressured by his mother to find a bride. Irritated, he runs out into the woods and finds Swan Lake, where Odette has become queen of the swans. He learns, that only by someone swearing eternal love to her, can the spell be broken, and he does so. At a ball, numerous princesses are paraded before the prince, who shows little interest. But when Rathbart, in human form, arrives with his daughter Odile, enchanted to resemble Odette, Siegfried is deceived. Swearing love to Odile, betraying Odette, he may have condemned her to spend the rest of her life as a swan." [digitallyobsessed.com]

It is at the ending/climax that we have the most significant differences in the various versions. In some, we have a happy ending. Siegfried triumphs over Rathbart; Odette is freed; Siegfried and Odette live happily ever-after. In others, there is a sort of a happy ending as Siegfried's love triumphs; he and Odette escape Rathbart's curse by going off together -- but it's in death. And my favorite. Rathbart in anger, creates a vicious and dramatic storm on the lake, drowning both Odette and Siegfried. For me, this is the whole moral of the story. Profound betrayals, whether your fault or not, cannot be reversed. Swan Lake is a tragedy. Tragedies can not be changed.
I don't know whether this is true, but everything doesn't always work out for the best in the end. Beside, the storm and drowning scene is great theater!. It is what I look forward to after two hours of swans on tippy-toes flapping their wings. And greatly disappointed when it's not there, and all ends lovey-dovey.