
The Red Shoes
dir. Michael Powell
90
7 sourcesSynopsis
A fledgling ballerina falls in love with a brilliant composer, but the jealous head of the ballet company plots to drive them apart.
Critics consensus
The Red Shoes is one of the best-looking movies ever, and blends multiple moods and styles with balletic grace.
What resonated with audiences
'The Red Shoes' delivers breathtaking Technicolor cinematography and stunning visual spectacle, with Jack Cardiff's groundbreaking work and the fifteen-minute ballet sequence universally hailed as among cinema's greatest achievements. The lavish production design and dance choreography mesmerize throughout. However, opinions sharply divide on engagement levels, with some finding sections outside the ballet dramatically inert and boring. Character development and writing receive mixed reactions, criticized as underwritten and generic by some, though others appreciate the compelling story and theatrical nature.

Directed byMichael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
StarringAnton Walbrook, Marius Goring, Moira Shearer, Robert Helpmann, Léonide Massine, Albert Bassermann
Written byEmeric Pressburger, Michael Powell
CinematographyJack Cardiff
EditingReginald Mills
MusicBrian Easdale
The Red Shoes
1948 · NR · 2h 13m
Drama, Romance
A fledgling ballerina falls in love with a brilliant composer, but the jealous head of the ballet company plots to drive them apart.
