The Red Shoes (1948) Review

Title: The Red Shoes
Year: 1948
Director: Powell & Pressburger
Country: UK
Language: English

Amid the post-war gloom in the UK, Powell & Pressburger dared to make a film about passion; the intense passion an artist dedicates to their craft. The Financial Backers of The Red Shoes thought P&P were indulgent, as they had gone over-budget, & that this picture would be a financial flop. At the time they were correct about the financial loss, but long-term it proved to be a huge hit that changed the course of cinema. 

A young ballet dancer (Moira Shearer) is torn between the man she loves and her pursuit to become a prima ballerina.

In his 1986 memoir A Life in Movies, Michael Powell said: "We had all been told for ten years to go out and die for freedom and democracy . . . , and now the war was over, The Red Shoes told us to go out and die for art." P&P's musical is an influential technicolor spectacular that dissects artistic expression and takes us to places that no other "backstage musical" has, before or since. 

Composed for the film by Brian Easdale, the score is remarkable as it pulls us into the melodrama and melancholy of this picture. The set designer, Hein Heckroth, designed beautiful sets that will take your breath away. The ballets shows are wonderfully staged and shot with mesmerizing cinematography. 

The Red Shoes is an incredible film that deserves the praise it gets from filmmakers like Martin Scorsese. Modern musicals owe a great debt to this truly brilliant Powell & Pressburger work. It is absolutely a must see.