The Red Shoes (1948)
I’ve realized that I apparently respond very well to films about artists who become consumed by their work, where art and reality start to blur and slowly drive them mad. This classic film has laid the foundation for many that followed. I can clearly see its influence in films like TÁR, Three Colours: Blue, Suspiria (both 1977 and 2018), and of course Black Swan.
In comparison, The Red Shoes is more direct - to an extent one might even say simplistic - in how it presents the choice between art and life, with scenes that spell it out quite clearly. That doesn’t take anything away from its impact. I think it has more layers than simply sacrificing yourself for art, as Vicky is not only consumed by her own determination to dance, but is also a victim of those around her who want to possess her for their own ambitions. It plays into the age-old idea that the artist must suffer to create something great, though the romance between Vicky and Julian offers an alternative to that belief, only to be tragically shattered in the end.
The film is deservedly renowned for its ballet sequence, where we see Moira Shearer perform the ballet that gives the film its title - an astonishing work of art in its own right. The blend of dreamlike unreality, strong colors, and music alone is cinema from the very top shelf. I feel inclined to watch Black Swan again.
Rating: 4.5