Crazy Horse

2011 2h 14m FR

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 28

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A cinéma vérité exploration of the grueling schedules, auditions, lighting design, and backstage operations at the famous Parisian nude cabaret, Le Crazy Horse de Paris, over a ten-week period, specifically capturing the creation of a new show put together by choreographer Philippe Decouflé. Wiseman highlights the immense precision, discipline, and artistic effort required by dancers and staff to maintain the legendary cabaret's distinct aesthetic.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Naamah Alva
Bagira
Daizy Blu
Herself
Philippe Decouflé
Himself
Philippe Katerine
Himself

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Frederick Wiseman
Languages: French
Countries: United States of America, France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 15 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, France.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Frederick Wiseman Paris Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Frederick Wiseman, shot by John Davey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Frederick Wiseman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Naamah Alva and Daizy Blu and Philippe Decouflé carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2043814 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Frederick Wiseman directs. John Davey behind the camera. Frederick Wiseman cuts. Produced in United States of America, France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 15 years ago.
2International production across 2 countries: United States of America, France.
3Part of the "Frederick Wiseman Paris Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Frederick Wiseman, shot by John Davey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Frederick Wiseman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Naamah Alva and Daizy Blu and Philippe Decouflé carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt2043814 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 28 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 8 themes, including "paris, france", "behind the scenes", "cabaret dancer", "observational cinema".

The technical file

Cinematography: John Davey
Editing: Frederick Wiseman
Sound: Emmanuel Croset
Runtime: 134 min · 2h 14m
Status: Released
Box office: $152,616
Original language: FR
IMDB: Crazy Horse (2011)

Part of

Frederick Wiseman Paris Collection

Frederick Wiseman's Paris Collection groups three documentaries: La Comédie-Française ou L'amour joué (1996), La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet (2009), and Crazy Horse (2011). Shot in Wiseman’s direct-cinema style—no interviews, no narration—they follow rehearsal, administration, casting, lighting, and the nightly demand to go onstage at the Comédie-Française, the Paris Opera Ballet, and the Crazy Horse nude revue. Taken together, the films are a study of how three historic Paris performance houses work, and of how bodies, craft, and looking are organized.