biography born

Born to Be Wild - The Leading Men of American Ballet Theatre
$19.99
This DVD has definitely exceeded my expectations. I have been so disappointed that there are few ballets on DVD that have been produced within the last 5 years. I bought this DVD because I wanted to see what the ABT has produced since the year 2000 in the form of dancers.

These 4 men are fantastic. I know for sure one of them was trained by Mikhail Baryshnikov...I think Ethan Steifel. All 4 men are absolutely terrific dancers not to mention heart throbs with Jose actually taking your breath away with his dancing and masculinity.

This DVD is a documentary NOT a ballet although it has a short dance routine at the end of the DVD showing the 4 men together.
I"m sure it was made to introduce to us the 4 new male dancers
with ABT It helped me to determine if they are dancers I really want to spend my money on and the short clips showing their dancing ability in the ballets they were in proved to me that it definitely wouldn't be wasted money. I've already bought "Le Corsaire" with 3 of them performing (just arrived in the mail yesterday) and Center Stage with Ethan Steifel which is a movie about ballet dancers not a ballet. Very great performance by Ethan.


I know I would not have bought Center Stage before I saw what Ethan could do. I doubt very much if I could go wrong with buying anything that these 4 men are in as "Born to be Wild" shows us how incredibly talented they are.

The documentary is acutally out of date already as it was made in 2002 ...7 years ago. I think one of them has left ABT. However, unlike the lady that said she won't watch it again, I know I will watch it many times just so I can see these amazing dancers both off stage and on stage. There really does need to be more current ballets available for purchase.

Gloria Hutson

Born on the Fourth of July
$2.99
Based on the true story of Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise), a gung-ho marine who questions his patriotism after some serious war wounds. Stone's surreal treatment of Kovic will make you empathize with the main character, but too many gaps in his Vietnam-era odyssey keeps the film from being a masterpiece. Still, a fine production in keeping with Stone's signature style.

The End of the Certain World: The Life and Science of Max Born
$26.95
I received this as a gift from someone who knew I read a lot of books about J.R. Oppenheimer, who was one of Born's doctoral students. It's a fascinating biography about a fascinating man. I agree with many comments that came before and will add my own observations:
1) I'm not a physicist (though I am a scientist), yet I found the physics in the book lacking compared to treatments in other books I read (say, books by Richard Rhodes, Davis' biography "Lawrence and Oppenheimer," etc). Even the description of what made the quantum revolution a revolution is fairly hidden because of the inadequate description of the physics.
2) The author tells us about Hedi Born's "hothouse" upbringing and expectations, alluding to this as an important dynamic in the marriage. Pages and pages go by before it's brought up again, when Hedi has an affair with a colleague of Born's. What her "hothouse" upbringing had to do with the affair is not really explained.
3) The author also casually drops the bombshell that Born converted to Lutheranism to please his mother-in-law. This seems so out of character for the Born Greenspan depicted: non-religious but proudly Jewish.
4) The author mentioned that Born didn't get along with his mother-in-law, then when she died, it was devastating to him. A contradiction that's not resolved satisfactorily.
5) From the bibliography, it appears the author is fluent in German, yet many German terms are used without translation (Sutterlin script, eg). The appearance of German words (not italicized!) in English sentences is a bit odd; she should have used the entire phrase and then supplied the translation. It would give the book more flavor to do this.

Born Rich
$19.99
This is the "real deal". It is NOT a drama -- it is a documentary.
In ancient China and Japan, commoners were not even allowed to look upon the faces of royalty. And, although the rich people in this documentary are, with one exception, (a descendant of Count Otto von Bismark and other European royalty), not royals, they are, all of them, very, Very, VERY rich. And they speak here as themselves, truthfully and candidly. It is a very refreshing change from the usual documenataries of self-absorbed movie stars, or worse, criminals.

Each person here IS an individual. Aside from the wealth they all possess, there are, of course, many points of differentiation between all these individuals. One person didn't find out until he was about 9 or 10, that he was, in fact, from a wealthy family -- and he found it out in the most embarrassing way: his father's name showed up in FORBES' Magazine's list of the 400 wealthiest people in the USA -- and his elementary school teacher read the article to his class! Ivanka Trump recalls a moment when she and her father encountered a homeless man outside the Trump Tower, and her father mentioned that this man had about a billion, (or more) dollars more than he had, (Mr. Trump had just lost a lot of money in a business deal), and Ivanka, grounded in reality as she is, did a double-take in her mind. The European Nobleman says he'll probably marry and get a divorce, because one woman is not enough for him. One lady shows off her Hampton's Tennis Club -- and mentions that she took some Jewish friends there, and worries if there will be any reprocussions. Etc. etc. Whether you agree with these attitudes or not, it's fascinating to see them actually verbalized, and to realize that such people, ideas and life-situations, did, do, and continue to exist.

Watching the film, one wonders what has happened to the participants in the intervening years, (the documentary was made in 2003). One also admires the candor and the actual appearance in this documentary of these people, (they obviously did NOT have to appear here.) It's interesting, to, to note not only differences between these super-rich people and one's self. but also, (sometimes surprisingly), the simulariites -- after all, we're all human beings! What I admire most, I suppose, of all the participants as a group, is that they DO realize that wealth has made them different, in many respects, (but not in all), from
other people. And, as a group, they cogently and intelligently deliniate what those differences, and simularities are. I felt sad for the European royal, who used 4-letter words all the time, (making him seem so sadly common indeed), as well as his idea of continuing to womanize even after he married. (One hopes that he has found -- or will find -- a decemt. kind, and good-looking woman to change his attitudes...and speech patterns.) It was great to see Georgiana Bloomberg with her horses -- good show!
Juliet Hartford, the A&P heiress, seems totally grounded in the real world and reality itself -- whilst still enjoying the privileges which she realistically recognizes as privileges.

There is no film rating of this documentary. The "deleted scenes", however, in my mind, change my own film rating of this DVD from a "PG" to an "R". Rauchier language, and more un-politically correct views are expressed here -- and a secret or two as to the origins of one of the interviewees is discolosed. But why quibble? Despite the shortcomings of these individuals, (and, to be honest, ghetto kids as well as the Southampton-born have shortcomings!), this is a wonderful glimpse into some really grounded people -- grounded in reality despite tremendous wealth.

Watching this movie, too, one begins to feel some kind of kinship with these people -- at least, I did. No -- I don't have a million dollars, or anywhere close to it. But then, neither did the interviewees grand-fathers, or great-grand-fathers, or great-great-grand-fathers. The wealth in these famiies goes back at the most, perhaps 5 generations. Compared with, say, the Windsors, all of these charming, outgoing, and incredibly intelligent young people are, in a sense, "noveau riche". Their immediate predecessors, (or those going back as little as four or five generations), whether living in the USA or abroad, attained, through fair means, (and sometimes, yes, foul ones too), the American Dream. Even those whose forebearers were "robber barrons", however, have turned, themselves, into credible, likeable, talented, and sociable human beings. Like JFK's wealth -- which stemmed from the SOMETIMES shady dealings of his father -- the wealth these young people have inherited seems to have done them, personally, nothing but good. They are prime examples of what good the "American" dream, (where-ever it is achieved), can do. Watching this documentary can make anyone feel the talents inside him or herself bursting to come out, so that he or she can join the moneyed class -- and do as good, or better, with the money earned than the bright and brave young rich people here presented.

An enthralling and invigourating DVD to watch. I only wish this documentary was longer -- or, like the English "7 Up", had updates on the lives of these bright, grounded, and intelligent young people!