the nutcracker have always be a somewhat problematic ballet . it bear little resemblance to eta hoffman original story on which it be base . in the ballet and the story be essentially over by the second half when clara ( or marie in this version ) travel to the kingdom of sweet to watch a series of character dance . there an infinite variety of stage production that re interpret the story in myriad way ( not always successfully ) to compensate for the ballet weak libretto . balanchine version doesn not really have any sense of drama or story at all ( despite the fact that there be plenty of drama and mystery in tchaikovsky wonderful first act music ) . the result be a completely forgettable first half christmas party where hardly anything happen and where even the dancing ( the little that there be of it ) isn not particularly memorable . the pantomime over acting and particularly of drosselmeier and which might look passable on the stage and just look silly film for the big screen . unfortunately and thing aren not much well when we get to the kingdom of sweet ( act ii in the stage version ) . although there be a few choreographic highlight and most of the choreography be bland and uninspiring . this certainly isn not vintage balanchine . balanchine be widely regard a a master of abstract dance and but i have always felt he be less successful a a creator of narrative ballet . watch this film version of his stage production of the nutcracker have only re affirm this view .