The Red Shoes

The Red Shoes (1948)

A Technicolor Dreamworld Come to Life

by Ray Manukay

★★★½☆

Watched 26 Jan 2024

Breathtaking and glorious Technicolor provides a feast for the viewer's eyes in The Red Shoes, directed by the legendary duo Pressburger and Powell. Famously renowned as one of Martin Scorsese's favorite movies, it's not hard to see why—it acts as the polar opposite to his own gritty, working-class style.

🎬 Production Credits

Directors: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Writer: Emeric Pressburger

Cinematography: Jack Cardiff

Editor: Reginald Beck

Music: Brian Easdale

Based on: Hans Christian Andersen

The film feels like a kaleidoscope and a rainbow had a baby in the land of Oz and it was transported into the tapestry of The Red Shoes. — Ray Manukay

Visual Sumptuousness vs. Melodrama

The film is a dreamworld of magical ballet sequences, enchanting music, and vivid, dreamlike lighting. However, the story dips into shameless melodrama with operatic performances in a tragic third act that might elicit some unintentional laughter or unsympathetic eye rolls. The rushed execution of the ending gives it a "cult classic" vibe rather than grounded realism.

💡 Fun Facts

• The film's 17-minute ballet centerpiece took six weeks to film and features over 50 dancers.
• Cinematographer Jack Cardiff won an Oscar for his revolutionary use of Technicolor in this production.
• Martin Scorsese helped fund the 2009 restoration of the film to preserve its vivid color palette.

The Performers

• Moira Shearer: A professional ballerina whose casting ensured the dance sequences were authentic and technically flawless.
• Anton Walbrook: Delivers a sharp, demanding performance as the obsessive impresario Boris Lermontov.
• The Ensemble: Features zany, clown-like side characters with brightly colored costumes that pop against the meticulously detailed sets.

✅ Pros

• Arguably the most beautiful film ever made.
• Breathtaking ballet sequences.
• Unrivaled use of Technicolor.

❌ Cons

• Third act dips into operatic melodrama.
• Rushed, unearned tragic ending.

Read the original review on Letterboxd

🏆 Final Verdict

It is not hyperbole to say it is legitimately one of the most visually sumptuous films in history. While the narrative nuance of the Actors Studio is absent, the delight to the audience's senses is absolute.