Mao's Last Dancer (2009): cast, story & where to watch
2009 · Film · ★ 6.6
Released in 2009, Mao's Last Dancer is a drama and romance film directed by Bruce Beresford, running about 117 minutes. “Before you can fly, you have to be free.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. At the age of 11, Li was plucked from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao's cultural delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979, during a cultural exchange to Texas, he fell in love with an American woman. Two years later, he managed to defect and went on to perform as a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet and as a principal artist with the Australian Ballet.
Who’s in it. Mao's Last Dancer stars Chi Cao as Li Cunxin - adult, Chengwu Guo as Li Cunxin - teenage, Wen Bin Huang as Li Cunxin - boy and Joan Chen as Niang, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, Mao's Last Dancer has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $23.9M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Mao's Last Dancer page.
If you liked it. Fans of Mao's Last Dancer tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Mao's Last Dancer (2009)?
- In US, Mao's Last Dancer is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Mao's Last Dancer worth watching?
- Mao's Last Dancer holds an audience score of 6.6 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama and romance. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in Mao's Last Dancer?
- Mao's Last Dancer stars Chi Cao, Chengwu Guo, Wen Bin Huang, Joan Chen and Bruce Greenwood.
- When was Mao's Last Dancer released?
- Mao's Last Dancer was released in 2009, with a runtime of about 117 minutes.