The Red Shoes

With the dawn of awards season upon us, we are finally seeing the films that cinephiles live for. Amazing stories presented in unique ways flood the theaters in this period of fall and early winter. Every year audiences expect the best and the filmmakers deliver. On one such fall years ago in 1948, a British picture was released in the United States. Directed by the duo of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, this film was called The Red Shoes. These two men had formed a partnership in the studio system days of the Rank Organization and turned out several dramas with elements of fantasy. The Red Shoes was no different in that whimsical tone, but stands out as one of the most beautiful films ever made. This beauty lies on so many levels, not just the aesthetics. A story is the most important part of any film; this is one of intensity and motivation that remains embedded in the minds of viewers. The crew behind the scenes were the best of their craft and made a universe that audiences adored. Lastly, the actors were not only thespians, but skilled artists who were adept at handling anything. All of these aspects collide to provide audiences with an amazing experience.

The plot of this film is very simple and is alluded to on a few occasions. The story chronicles two young artists, a ballerina and a composer, who are given the opportunity to join a world famous ballet company. Personally selected by the proprietor, Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook), dancer Victoria Page (Moira Shearer) and musician Julian Craster (Marius Goring) are seen as the best of a new generation and can achieve the extraordinary. The first major collaboration of our two protagonists is the creation of a ballet based on a Hans Christian Andersen story called The Red Shoes. In the fairy tale, a girl puts on a pair of shoes to dance. However, when she becomes tired the shoes continue to dance against her will and she does so until her death. The ballet is a great success and Victoria and Julian begin to fall in love. This seems to be a happy ending, but Lermontov believes that in order to achieve greatness an artist must devote their whole of their desire to their art. He orders to couple to break up or leave the company and the real tension begins. Conflict that was merely superficial and pertaining to work is now within the characters and threatens to destroy them. Will Lermontov have a change of heart or will the young lovers fight to see their dreams come true?

The story is brilliant, but there is so much more to the film. The first thing people notice about the film is the colors, brought out by Technicolor. Using a three-strip method, where three different colored reels of film pass through the camera at the same time, various colors could be represented easily. This is similar to how CRT televisions could make every color imaginable from red, green and blue. Varying shades would enhance one of the strips of film more so than the other two and new colors besides the three on the film would be made. Technical specs aside, the film is presented amazingly. Set and costume designers worked tirelessly to ensure the picture was just as marvelous as the story. In charge of set design was Hein Heckroth, who was known as a surrealist painter in his time. Heckroth brings surrealism to life in the ballet sequence and uses bright colors and employs realistic settings outside of the ballet world. The contrast between a normal setting and the ballet stage is noticed as if they are two worlds; in many ways they are.

The actors in this film were a mix of Powell and Pressburger regulars and newcomers. Mainstays like Walbrook and Goring hit hard and memorably. The ire that Walbrook channels into his later scenes confirm the tone of Lermontov established by his reserved, Faustian nature earlier in the film. Goring was great as Julian, the long suffering student who has his chance to excel, taking every setback as a blow but working nonetheless. Watching their performances, few would realize that most of the ballet dancer characters in The Red Shoes were played by actual dancers. They do dance well, as would be expected, but their acting is authentic. Even Moira Shearer, the protagonist Victoria, was a novice actor. She delivered a powerful performance despite this being her first film, specifically excelling in conveying emotions. The fact that she only acted a handful of times afterwards makes this performance even more special. Also in the supporting cast was Robert Helpmann, who not only acted but did the choreography. This ability to act and work behind the scenes was not uncommon in that era, but stands out today since the choreography was something to behold. 

 

As far as obscure themes are concerned, some have been highlighted already. Dividing ballet from reality through set design, using Technicolor to heighten the experience of wonder and the story within a story are all great. However, it should be noted that there are a few marks that make viewers think. First is the ballet sequence, not only does it tell the story of The Red Shoes, it acts out the struggle that Victoria will face on an emotional level. The inability to stop voluntarily, various people yearning to her as a star and the captivation with something that may not be good are found in the ballet and as the film progresses. The use of red is very prevalent in the film and is expected by viewers. Besides referring to title, the color symbolizes passion. Words written in red, red lipstick, red posters and Victoria's red hair are found in almost every scene. This illustrates the desire that Victoria, Julian and even Lermontov have to surpass their expectations. This drive to perfection is the force behind The Red Shoes, and few will forget that.