Boléro

The narrative spans the early 1900s, with a pivotal incident in 1903 that alters Ravel’s path, followed by events in the 1920s during his meeting with Rubinstein and his American tour. The period is marked by the interwar cultural climate, the rise of modern performance, and the ongoing pressures of composition, health, and recognition.

The film opens in a factory where machine noises are reframed as music. It then follows Ravel through Paris’s artistic circles and the high-society world surrounding Ida Rubinstein. Later, the story takes him to America for a tour and finally to seaside retreats that mirror his search for inspiration and release.

🎼 Modernity

Boléro is depicted as an ode to modernity, built on a single rhythm that repeats and evolves. The factory setting and the contemporary dance world frame music as a public, industrial-age phenomenon. The film suggests that modern art thrives on repetition, spectacle, and the transformation of ordinary sounds into art.

🧠 Creativity under pressure

Ravel faces writer’s block and external demands from patrons, commissions, and collaborators. The tension between artistic vision and commercial expectations drives his late-night introspections and strategic choices. The back-and-forth with Ida Rubinstein and the rights issues surrounding Iberia highlight how inspiration must contend with real-world constraints.

🕯️ Memory and loss

The film weaves in memories of Ravel’s mother and childhood, shaping his emotional world and artistic voice. Defeats at the Prix de Rome linger as formative scars that inform his resilience. These memories surface as he confronts illness and existential questions during the creation of his music.