Rating: 
Summary: An overwhelming film!
Review:
This work belongs to that elite of perfect artworks. You will never find just a little fissure in its construction. Not only it contains one of the most memorable ballet sequences in any age, but also is a mature film in what its purposes concern. Would you sacrifice the love of your life or would follow your bliss through the art? The ever lasting question has been formulated internally for so many artists. The special case of Frau Teresa Carreño, the renowned Venezuelan pianist faced the similar challenge. And it would be the right time for reminding you this is precisely the central conflict in Ingmar Bergman's Autumn Sonata for instance.
This lovely artist will face the painful choice. And please ignore all the relative comments around the movie about the overdramatic tone. A decision of this level will involve your whole life, so you make your choice. The art for not dying of the truth or the obvious loneliness leaving behind you all the affective universe of your beloved couple.
Monumental masterpiece of Michael Powell one of the most prominent British directors in any age. He shares honours with David Lean, Carol Reed, Laurence Olivier, Anthony Asquith which talks by itself about the level I mean.
Rating:
Summary: Famous quote from this classic film
Review: 1. Look for Lermontov's great advice to Kraster when his intellectual & creative material is purloined by a professor. Lermontov says simply, "It is better to be stolen from than to have to steal."
2. The ongoing struggle for women(and men) to make the choice between fulfilling their career ambitions and devoting time to family is, of course, even more pronounced today. Recommended for all similarly thoughtful, conflicted young people.
3. stunning footage of Monte Carlo
Rating:
Summary: Famous quote from this classic film
Review: 1. Look for Lermontov's great advice to Kraster when his intellectual & creative material is purloined by a professor. Lermontov says simply, "It is better to be stolen from than to have to steal."
2. The ongoing struggle for women(and men) to make the choice between fulfilling their career ambitions and devoting time to family is, of course, even more pronounced today. Recommended for all similarly thoughtful, conflicted young people.
3. stunning footage of Monte Carlo
Rating:
Summary: Don't ignore human nature
Review: Amazon Reviewer "ploompy" notes, "...Look for Lermontov's great advice to Kraster when his intellectual & creative material is purloined by a professor. Lermontov says simply, "It is better to be stolen from than to have to steal..." I agree, this is an excellent piece of advice to remember in life.Another line in the "Red Shoes" by the Lermontov character is worth noting. Lermontov is warned about "human nature" and how current events within his theatre group is breaking up the act. Lermontov responds to this by saying "I simply ignore it". As events unfold with the "Red Shoes" story Lermontov's ignoring of human nature comes back to haunt him in the end. One can never IGNORE human nature. It trumps eveything else. Excellent movie on all levels. A true movie classic. Enjoy
Rating:
Summary: A film of endless beauty
Review: Believe it or not, I'm writing this review having just watched the film on my circa 1984 CED disk player! I've just joined the 21st century and will be getting the DVD.
The richness of color in this film is in my mind unparalelled in any other I've ever seen. Everything shimmers, from the blue of the Mediterranean in the Monte Carlo scenes, to the deep red of Moira Shearer's hair. Even on my CED disk.
If the production values weren't so incredible, and the ballet so beautifully done, this would frankly be just another weepy romance. But everything in the film is interpolated to perfection to advance the story and illustrate the deeper psychological workings of the characters' minds.
Two points which occurred to me from other reviewers: 1) Favorite quote "Even the best magician can't pull a rabbit from a hat if there isn't already a rabbit in the hat" 2) Vicky Page destroys her life when she cannot make the decision between dancing and her life. Moira Shearer left dancing at 27 and lost plum movie assignments later ("Hans Christian Andersen" for instance when she became pregnant) because she would not be separated from her family.
Anyway, if you haven't got it by now, this is a magnificent film, something the entire family can enjoy together and should be part of every movie owner's library.
Rating:
Summary: Powell And Pressburger's Greatest Film
Review: Directors Powelland Pressburger collaborated in a number of films but The Red Shoes tops them all. This 1948 TechniColor movie has become a classic and lovers of the ballet fondly look to this film for inspiration. Stars ballerina turned actress Moira Shearer as Victoria Page the tragic heroine who wears the fatal shoes, Antal Walbrook as the demanding and imperious manager/impresario Boris Lentmontov. The film is drawn from the Hans Christian Anderson tale, in which a young girl is given red shoes by a shop keep only to dance herself to death. The film never even borders on magic realism nor is over the top but maintains a subtle psychological drama that turns grotesque into a climatic and grim finale. Moira Shearer's performance is Oscar worthy. Vicky Page learns from Lentmontov all the right stuff to be a dedicated dance artist. But the ballet is second in her heart when she falls in love with a young composer/conductor. Distracted by love, Lentmontov worries that he has lost his greatest star. The crisis is even greater because apparently, cold though he is, Lentmontov falls for Vicky himself. Anton Walbrook delivers a great performance as Lentmontov. He would later take on the role of King Ludwig of Bavaria in the French Max Ophuls film "Lola Montes". There is an extended ballet sequence, the original ballet "The Red Shoes" which makes use of magic animation and colorful backdrops. This film is genius and art. A great film to be shown in ballet history class or dance classes. This is also a caution film. Perhaps it's unwise to seek artistic perfection. It's ultimately Victoria Page's own fault for her tragedy. The Red Shoes is a metaphor. She became a slave to her art and it destroyed her. Her indecision cost her greatly. Which is greater ? Perfection in her ballet career or true love ? Torn by her love of ballet and her love for Julian, she meets a dire fate. This movie is incredible. All the scenes, dialogue are artistic composition. The film was shot in European locations, including London and Paris.
Rating:
Summary: Red Shoes
Review: Every internet site with a Recommendation engine and a dvd to sell or rent has been pushing this one on me. There is NOTHING about a Technicolor movie chock full of ballet and classical music and romance that appeals to me.
Anyway, I finally caved in and loved this movie. The dance sequences make sense (which surprised me some), the commentary tracks are informative and fascinating, the "look" is beautiful. I especially liked the Svengali-like Anton Walbrook character.
Bottom line - trust your recommendation engine.
Rating: 
Summary: If it sounds too good to be true ...
Review: First of all, I enjoy a good movie of any vintage but generally prefer the movies of yesterday ie from the classic silents to
the noirs, westerns and epics of the 40s, 50s and early 60s.
Engaging storylines, characters you can invest in emotionally & compotent direction are, in my humble opinion, elements found less and less in recent years. The Archers clearly need no introduction to even the most casual of film buffs. I own and enjoy several other Powell/
Pressburger titles eg BLACK NARCISSUS, COLONEL BLIMP, etc. Recently purchased RED SHOES from Amazon Marketplace (I won't identify the seller) thinking I was getting a great deal on the
Criterion edition but instead received a no-name, no-label
Asian import version. Terrible transfer of both sound and picture. Would not read on one of my DVD players, froze after
one hour on a second one ... I finally got through the whole movie on a cheap player and a 14" screen. Would expect to find a disk of this quality in the $4.99 bin at our local Walmart. With regards the movie, as others have written, not one of the
Archers' stonger efforts but the Red Shoes ballet sequence is
truly breathtaking ... I'll probably shell out the big bucks &
purchase the Criterion for this sequence alone. Hope this saves somebody $23.49
Rating:
Summary: Flawed Transfer
Review: For many years the Red Shoes has been heralded as a classic. And rightfully so. This movie is an extremely stylish and whitty expose about the world of ballet. The people who thrive within this world, and the price of dedication to one's art. The dvd is drenched in rich technicolor. The detail is supberb. However, this dvd is also loaded with distracting dust particles throughout. Obviously the optics and/or negative was not cleaned prior to the transfer. This disc, being quite expensive, one might want to consider that, aside from the wonderful story, beautiful color, and informative extas, the visual aspect of this disc is lacking. This movie has not been restored to the excellent viewing quality that some of the other classics, like Vertigo, Rear Window, or even the recently released Citizen Kane, have been exposed to. All of these transfers are simply beautiful. A terrible transfer from a studio 'The Criterion Collection' that prides itself on the 'highest technical quality'. The Red Shoes is a 10+ movie, the dvd however, is a 4. Buyer beware.
Rating:
Summary: STUNNINGLY beautiful. Can life really be so colorful?
Review: Frequently listed as one of the most popular movies in women's polls, THE RED SHOES should be equally gratifying for male cinema buffs. Are there any women in your life who own a DVD player? You'll get ample brownie points for giving this, even more for watching it with them. Just don't let them know you are enjoying it as much as they are.
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