好色先生TV

The symbiosis between man and machine has long been a source of cinematic curiosity. Think of Fritz Lang's 鈥楳etropolis鈥�, Kubrick's 鈥�2001: A Space Odyssey鈥�, the 鈥楾erminator鈥� series, and, more recently, 鈥楾he Transformers鈥� or this summer鈥檚 blockbuster, 鈥榃ALL-E鈥�. Freshest in the memory, Pixar鈥檚 cute little waste collector was claimed in aid by many parents on Saturday, desperately trying to find ways to keep their tiny offspring from wandering off across London Fields.

I don鈥檛 think that the 13-tonne star of 鈥楾ransports Exceptionnels鈥� really had much in common with 鈥榃ALL-E鈥�, other than four wheels and a yellow body, but it kept a few toddlers watching, just in case.

'Transports Exceptionnels鈥� is a 20-minute duet between a svelte, smartly dressed Frenchman and a Komatsu excavator

鈥楾ransports Exceptionnels鈥� is a 20-minute duet between a svelte, smartly dressed Frenchman and a Komatsu excavator. Before you think I鈥檝e gone quite bonkers let me go further by saying that it鈥檚 a remarkably romantic affair: made all the more so on this occasion by the setting sun streaming through the trees of Hackney's London Fields on a glorious Autumnal afternoon; doubly enhanced by the smoldering, tormented mezzo-soprano voice of Maria Callas singing two of her most spine-tingling arias (鈥楶rintemps Qui Commence鈥� from Saint-Sa毛ns鈥� 鈥楽amson et Dalila鈥� and 鈥楳on Couer S鈥橭uvre 脿 ta Voix鈥� from Massenet鈥檚 鈥楲e Cid鈥�).

The creative team here had no need for animation to suggest the Komatsu鈥檚 human tendency; the digger鈥檚 long arm, flexing at the elbow, extended to caress and gently scratch Phillippe Priasso鈥檚 head and when he was lovingly held, curled up, inside the bucket-hand, it had the same effect as when King Kong cradled Fay Wray. But passion also turned to anger when the same bucket thumped the ground petulantly as Priasso turns away.

When he was lovingly held, curled up, inside the bucket-hand, it had the same effect as when King Kong cradled Fay Wray.

Dominique Boivin鈥檚 choreography makes every diverse use of the excavator鈥檚 limited range of movement to achieve this extraordinary pas de deux; he has the arm circling in sweeping merry-go-round movements; extended and folded in; or rising high with Priasso standing erect on the bucket or dangling from its lip.

The performance courts danger across every major bullet point from construction鈥檚 health & safety black list: Priasso risks falling from height, or being crushed under the excavator鈥檚 moving wheels (especially when he is dancing on them, as they turn); and there are moments when the hidden driver 鈥� Eric Lamy 鈥� must be unsighted, unaware of exactly where the Komatsu鈥檚 human partner is.

The real achievement of this remarkable work is in this clever juxtaposition of the precise, carefully crafted movements of the dancer and the unseen hero in control of the machine. But, when all is over, it鈥檚 still the excavator that gets the loudest applause. 鈥淕o, Wall-e, go鈥�, said the boy next to me. 鈥淧erhaps, Bob the Builder鈥檚 driving it?鈥� said his dad.