Fast forward to the pandemic shutdowns, and companies all over the world were forced to embrace new technologies in order to keep moving.
Dutch National gave Coppelia yet another upgrade, not for the stage, but for a film. The stage, and even some of the dancers, were draped in blue screen. Both the sets and the creations of Dr. Coppelius were then added in with CGI animation. The run time has been pared down to a comfortable hour and a quarter. The story has been pared down a bit as well, losing the jealous shenanigans of the traditional Swanhilda.
Coppelia has always been something of a cautionary tale, and with the current rush into the metaverse, this blend of actual and virtual reality – and the dangers of confusing the two – is quite timely.
Little Swan, as she's known in this version, is very much her own woman. Unlike her neighbors, she's not interested in the superficial perfections promised by Dr. Coppelius and his new cosmetic clinic. But as everyone around her, even her own mother, become obsessed with appearances, Swan realizes that the doctor is taking more than he's giving. Coppelius is extracting all their positive personality traits – the things which make them most human – so he can give them to Coppelia, turning his alluring digital creation into his ideal of human perfection.
The last item on his list is the loving heart of Swan's boyfriend Franz. When Coppelia lures Franz into the clinic, Swan rounds up her friends to break in and save him. Love and loyalty prevail in the end, overloading the doctor's machines and destroying the clinic, even as Coppelia flickers, tantalizingly, between virtual avatar and real woman.
The villagers all come to their senses. Deciding that there's more to life than striving for a false aesthetic, everyone manages to pair off at the end, not just Swan and Franz – but without the iconic mazurkas. The Delibes score is gone, replaced with a waltz-heavy, instantly forgettable background of incidental fluff.
Still, if you're looking for a family-friendly holiday treat that isn't the more famous of the Hoffmann tales, you can view the film at PBS.org. (And why not become a member while you're at it?)