The Red Shoes
1948 Directed by Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Synopsis
The Powell and Pressburger classic is widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made. Vicky Page, a young ballerina, becomes torn between her love for composer Julian Craster and artistic devotion to her profession, which is dominated by impresario Lermontov. Winner of two Academy Awards the film is visually one of the most innovative and beautiful works of cinema.
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Part of The Archers Season - 1942 to 1957
alchemy
al·che·my (ˈælkəmɪ)
n.
1. A medieval chemical philosophy having as its asserted aims the transmutation of base metals into gold, the discovery of the panacea, and the preparation of the elixir of longevity.
2. A seemingly magical power or process of transmuting.3. The Red Shoes
During what I would imagine is the most famous scene in The Red Shoes, I found myself thinking rather a lot about stereotypes.
I am someone who grew up in a working/middle class family in Manchester, where the main love is football and anyone who didn't like football was generally viewed as someone undesirable. Ballet is something that, if it came on the TV…
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Wow.
I can't remember the last time a film has fascinated me, disturbed me, enchanted me, and amazed me all at once.
This is very much a nightmare within a dream. The visuals all look breathtaking but, without spoiling, once you look at the layers behind it all it adds new meaning to it all. The internal conflicts within it's characters and themes of obsession and perfection help add to it and make the story even more sublime to both look at it think about. The cinematography and color of it all just looks so beautiful. The acting is amazing especially coming from the beautiful Moira Shearer. The art direction and choreography is just outstanding. I've never cared that much…
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Film 60 of The December Project
An utterly beautiful film, but I had two big problems with it.
Victoria and Julian were very well drawn, but lightly so, like pictures by an artist who can create a portrait in a few lines. The Red Shoes mirrors the fairytale and the ballet, not very wordy forms, so it's obvious why most of the characters are this way, (Lermontov an exception) but I wanted to know a lot more about those two. Fairytales also start with exposition: The Red Shoes took ages to get going and the first time I was captivated was when the Red Shoes ballet itself began, yet in the interim we hadn't substantially got to know anyone. There… -
As my introduction to the work of the highly regarded Powell-Pressburger partnership, The Red Shoes lived up to the hype and then some. Films about dancing always seem to be huge crowd-pleasers, but for me they've been hit or miss depending on their predictability/sentimentality factors. The Red Shoes is definitely the height of the genre. It takes the best of all of the mediums it brings together - dance, music, and film - and becomes a masterful piece of moving poetry.
It begins by showing the inner workings of the ballet company business and how hard it is to catch a break as a dancer. As Victoria Page gains some success and she becomes the darling of the company's owner…
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Recommended to me on my Lend me your Heart list (which can be found here)
This is one of the most eloquently scripted, beautifully shot and emotionally haunting films I've ever seen.
I will not say more as anything I say won't do it justice.
This says it all:
www.youtube.com/watch?nomobile=1&v=xmC1bGPq7Js( this scene is part of the film so tread lightly if you haven't seen it)
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I remember the first time I ever heard of The Red Shoes. It was at the Lincoln Sq Barnes & Noble in Manhattan (which is now closed!). I thought it was Judy Garland on the cover of the Criterion blu-ray. Months later, I finally got a chance to see it after my obsession with Black Swan led me back to it.
The Red Shoes is a Technicolor masterpiece, a beautiful expression of artistic devotion. Each scene feels like a little dance with fluid blocking and lyrical dialogue. I am just in love with Moira Shearer, a wonderful actress and a brilliant dancer. Anton Walbrook is fantastic as her temperamental ballet director. But the movie belongs to the Ballet of the Red Shoes. Despite Hollywood trying to recreate that magic in films like Oklahoma!, Carousel, Singin' in the Rain and An American in Paris, this all-dance sequence remains a singular achievement in filmmaking.
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Never seen a more gorgeous film than this, probably never will.
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"Don't forget, a great impression of simplicity can only be achieved by great agony of body and spirit." - Boris Lermontov
Powell and Pressburger once again have managed to create a gorgeous world with stunning visuals whilst also weaving in an incredibly foreboding and haunting atmosphere leading to a rather grim climax. The entire film is superb, the acting, the cinematography, the narrative and pacing etc. but I'd personally just like to focus on the 15 or so minute dance sequence.
I couldn't pull my eyes away from the screen, is this what it feels like to be hypnotised, i was completely under Powell and Pressburger's spell. The fantastic use of Technicolor, choreography, costume and use of over 120 pieces…
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I see now why The Red Shoes is often referred to as one of the greatest films ever made. I don't remember the last time a movie so completely and utterly both enchanted and enthralled me. It really is a masterpiece of cinema.
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Obviously beautiful, but am I missing the point when I say that I know far too little about Victoria, and missed her descent into madness?
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I was a bit disappointed by this film. The colours are gorgeous and there's some nice visuals, but I never connected with the characters and found elements of the plot contrived and hokey. Still, the surreal dance scene midway through the film is pretty damn awesome. Overall, not something I'd see again, but it has some strong elements.
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Perfect. silentjoe13's review sums up my thoughts pretty well.
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an indisputable classic. so influential on films of its kind (particularly "Black Swan" recently). and its technical achievements are still awe-inspiring. a GREAT film.
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Si mantenerse firme en la creencia de la existencia de hipotéticas "edades doradas" imposibles de superar por una contemporaneidad que no le llega ni a la suela de los zapatos es una visión de la cultura un tanto obtusa, lo mismo podría decirse de afirmaciones que entienden la historia del cine como una mera -y constante- "evolución" hacia formas cada vez más perfiladas y perfeccionadas, en una visión del pasado histórico como una colección de obras superadas, admirables por lo que han conseguido hacer "avanzar" el lenguaje audiovisual; como curiosidades para estudiosos y aficionados, pero que rara vez se consideran valiosas en sí mismas. 'Las Zapatillas Rojas' es un buen ejemplo de lo poco acertado de esta visión: las afectadas…
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"The Red Shoes" es una obra maestra de diseño de producción. Es tan audaz que se da el lujo de crear una secuencia expresionista de 17 minutos para representar el ballet principal ademas de adentrarnos en los detalles que involucran su creación. La cinta es basicamente operatica en su historia y personajes, estableciendo arquetipos cuyos deseos y obsesiones finalmente los consumirán (y convirtiendo a la cinta en una tragedia).
"The Red Shoes" es una extraordinaria pelicula, brilllantemente actuada y dirigida por Michael Powell y Emeric Pressburger. Es un clasico del cine que no pierde su relevancia.