Boléro

In the opening sequence, Ravel pulls Ida Rubinstein into a factory and insists that the machine noises feel like music. This surreal moment sets the tone for the film's meditation on modernity and art. Ida's reaction foreshadows both collaboration and tension to come.

A younger Ravel is rejected in his scholarship application, and, drawn by an oriental melody outside, he accidentally falls from a window and injures himself. The accident hints at the fragility of ambition and the awakening of his musical curiosity. The near-tragic moment becomes a hinge in his artistic development.

Ravel meets Ida Rubinstein at a reception and learns she wants him to write ballet music for her. The encounter marks a renewed public interest in his work and foreshadows the collaboration that will shape his later years. Ida's magnetism and ambition push him toward new forms.

During the creation phase, Ravel is surrounded by influential women, including Marguerite Long and Misia Sert, who both support and complicate his process. The film traces how these relationships influence his approach to structure and expression. He navigates mentorship, desire, and artistic expectations in equal measure.

Ravel suggests orchestrating Albéniz's Iberia for Ida's dance cycle, signaling a push to adapt a piano work for orchestral ballet. The idea introduces a practical obstacle, as copyright issues loom over the project. The moment underlines his willingness to rethink repertoire for performance contexts.

On tour in the United States, Ravel encounters jazz and expresses curiosity about its rhythms and sensibilities. The experience broadens his palette and foreshadows how modern genres will infiltrate his later scores. The trip becomes a turning point in his openness to experimentation.

Upon returning to Paris, Ida Rubinstein presses him to write the ballet, but he confronts a stubborn writer's block. The film portrays the struggle as a crucible that forces him to rethink form and mood. His creative energy stagnates until new impulses arise.

To escape the block, Ravel retreats to the seaside and spends time with Misia Sert. The coastal setting offers space for reflection and rejuvenation. It is during this period that crucial breakthroughs begin to crystallize.

Ravel learns he cannot orchestrate Iberia due to the copyright belonging to Arbós, prompting a shift in his approach. Ida Rubinstein and Ravel then settle on a new ballet length of 17 minutes, setting the rules for Boléro’s framework. The scene marks a turning point toward the creation of a uniquely concise, modern form.

Ravel fields a new musical idea: a one-minute theme repeated 17 times, building a hypnotic ride toward the finale. He presents this idea to Ida as an ode to modernity and a metaphor for the contemporary world. The moment crystallizes the core concept behind Boléro.

Ravel presents Boléro to Ida Rubinstein in the factory setting, aligning the work with the mechanized modern era. Ida is initially enthusiastic about performing it in that space. Yet the collaboration soon feels tension as her interpretation veers toward erotic staging.

During rehearsals, Ida’s erotic staging clashes with Ravel's vision of a mechanical, public art piece. The friction exposes differing impulses about modernity, performance, and the boundaries of art and theater. The sequence deepens the emotional stakes of the project.

Boléro debuts to great acclaim, signaling a breakthrough in Ravel's career and cementing its place in modern repertory. The reception underscores the work's provocative energy and enduring popularity. The premiere also prompts Ravel to acknowledge the erotic undertones in the piece.

Paul Wittgenstein commissions Ravel to compose the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand while Ravel also works on his Piano Concerto in G major. These projects reveal a demanding period of concentration and physical strain on his creative faculties. He experiences a collapse during rehearsal and faces a difficult health crisis that culminates in a hospital visit, where a dream-like memory of Boléro returns.