Monday, October 10, 2011

The Red Shoes

Very rarely are there movies immortalized for their cinematography. There are some directors whose works are noted for the cinematography (Terrence Malick) while other times it's the cinematographers who are noted (James Wong Howe, Roger Deakins).

Another noted cinematographer is Jack Cardiff, who is mostly associated with Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. (For good reason, too.) He shows his skill to the highest caliber with The Red Shoes. He uses color flawlessly throughout, whether it be the sets of the ballets or the costumes (including the title red shoes).

Even if you're not a fan of ballet, you're bound to like The Red Shoes. It's not just about ballet but also about human emotion (mainly those Moira Shearer and Anton Walbrook). Who else but Powell and Pressburger could do this masterfully?

The Red Shoes is visually and emotionally beautiful. Every small detail works wonderfully together. Shearer and Walbrook are excellent in their performances. This is definitely not one to miss.

My Rating: *****

5 comments:

  1. One of my favorites. I saw Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker introduce a restored version of this a few years ago. You should see more Powell and Pressburger films, if you haven't already.

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  2. Ahh great film, so beautiful. Love how Aronofsky used this as one of his main influences for Black Swan.

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  3. Love this film. Moira Shearer was so underrated.

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  4. Watching any film by The Archers is an education in film and its possibilities. They truly were amazing, and their films STILL are, so many years later.

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  5. This is the only Powell and Pressburger movie I've seen and it's a true stunner. It blew my mind how amazing it was. I need to see more.

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