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The Red Shoes (1948)
Review of the American release of the DVD
Color, 1948, 134 mins.
Directed and Produced by Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger
Starring Anton Wallbrook, Marius Goring, Moira Shearer, Robert Helpmann,
Leonide Massine / Written by Michael Powell / Music by Brian Easdale / Cinematography
by Jack Cardiff
Format: DVD - Criterion (MSRP $34.98)
Long regarded as one of the finest British films and a watershed in the
art of Technicolor cinematography, The Red Shoes inspired countless
female viewers to take up ballet but, more significantly, also inspired
generations of moviegoers to accept art as an integral part of one's life.
Of the numerous masterpieces by Powell and Pressburger, The Red Shoes
remains the best-loved and continues to enjoy a growing critical reputation.
The opening scenes of the film quickly establish the central theme: people
will do anything for the sake of art. Impassioned theatergoers quickly
flood into their seats for the debut of a new ballet; comically, they all
claim to be there for different reasons - to hear the music, to fawn over
the dancers, etc. As the show begins, we are introduced to Boris Lermontov
(Wallbrook), a talented but controlling impressario who enjoys full control
over his protegees' lives. After the show, he arranges for his next show
to present a gentry girl, Victoria Page (stunning redheaded Shearer, making
her debut), whose desire to dance overwhelms all social obstacles. Julian
Craster, a talented young composer, writes the score for the next ballet,
an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Red Shoes," about a woman
whose acquisition of a pair of a magical red shoes carries a heavy price:
she dances herself to death. Julian and Victoria fall in love, much to
Boris' consternation, but their happiness is tortured by her longing desire
to return to the stage. Art and reality tragically merge together as Victoria
finds herself unable to reconcile the two greatest loves in her life.
In a few fortunate films, all of the necessary elements come together perfectly,
and this is one of those occasions -- acting, music, writing, and imagery
all fuse into a cohesive, magical whole. While the grimmer aspects of the
story (Victoria really does suffer!) have turned off some critics, this
film's ever-growing cult following focuses on the positive, cathartic aspects
of the story, particularly the nobility of sacrifice for one's ideals.
The central "Red Shoes Ballet" is a marvel of cinematic craftsmanship and
has understandably influenced countless other directors over the years (Martin
Scorsese, who participates in the lively commentary here with Shearer and
Jack Cardiff, counts it as a personal favorite and even presents his collection
of memorabilia for one of the supplementary features). Cardiff's brilliant
use of color ranks with his equally amazing accomplishment on Powell and
Pressburger's Black Narcissus, and Shearer simply looks radiant in
every frame (unfortunately her career, like Powell's, came to a screeaching
halt after Peeping Tom).
The Red Shoes has generally fared well on video and TV over the years,
but the Criterion edition mastered from the original negative is a stunner.
The amazing clarity and vividness of color don't really burst forth until
a few minutes into film (the first scenes are deliberately shot with a sort
of gauzy overcast), and the results rank up there with the best of the MGM
Technicolor musical restorations. A few very mild print blemishes aside,
this is very close to a pristine presentation. The DVD includes the same
extras as the laserdisc special edition (but at a much lower price), with
a few new surprises thrown in as well. The theatrical trailer (amusingly
cropped from 1.85:1 so that Shearer is described onscreen as possessing
a "bewitching loveline" instead of "loveliness") and Jeremy Irons reading
excerpts from the film novelization are nice little bonuses, but the real
point of fascination is the Powell/Pressburger filmography, which includes
brief snippets from all of their films together. Seeing crisp DVD excerpts
from Tales of Hoffmann and Stairway to Heaven is enough to
make a film buff's mouth water, but even more compelling are the clips from
films currently unavailable; a letterboxed fragment from the sadly unavailable
Oh Rosalinda! looks especially appealng, so perhaps Criterion will
oversee a more comprehensive release of the Powell/Pressburger canon on
DVD in the near future. Until then, audiences will just have to be content
with this fine DVD package, which is very welcome company indeed.
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