The Criterion Collection’s 4K offerings kicked off last month with great editions of Citizen Kane, Menace II Society, Mulholland Dr., and Uncut Gems. The lone December 2021 offering is The Red Shoes, a 1948 British release that revolves around a ballet company run by the enigmatic Boris Lermontov. Starring Austrian actor Anton Walbrook as Lermontov, who puts on a sensational performance, renowned Scottish ballerina Moira Shearer as Victoria Page in her acting debut, and Marius Goring as a young composer named Julian Craster. By featuring a mix of actors and real-life dancers, the film has a unique feel and an authenticness to its art.
I had never seen The Red Shoes until purchasing this set and I came away quite the fan. What struck me the most is that directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger do a great job of trusting the audience to put things together, which seems increasingly rare as the artform goes on. Rather than relying on an overwhelming amount of exposition, the narrative moves forward without wasting time. For example, the love story that the film’s story revolves around takes place primarily off-screen, which instills a mystery and potential innocence to it. Less is more, which makes the few scenes between Shearer and Goring all the more important and keeps the viewer’s attention at a high.
The centerpiece of the film is a 17-minute ballet production of the titular play, itself an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s story of the same name. It starts off as a regular ballet with viewers watching the stage, but it soon becomes a psychological examination of both the art and Victoria’s own struggles of balancing life and art. The theme of art versus life is seen throughout, and it comes to a proper crescendo with an emotional ending.
Of course, a film in The Criterion Collection being excellent is hardly a surprise. What makes these packages so appealing is the special features and The Red Shoes doesn’t disappoint. The commentary track is fantastic and touches on the film’s impact on cinema, its ambitious production, and how it inspired generations of directors. Interviews with Goring, Shearer, cinematographer Jack Cardiff, and composer Brian Easdale are interspersed between commentary by film historian Ian Christie. However, most striking is the segments that feature Martin Scorsese reminiscing about the film, why it resonated with him, and how it helped him figure out the fight cinematography in Raging Bull.
Other special features include the 2000 documentary A Profile of “The Red Shoes,” which features many interviews with the production team, audio recordings of Jeremy Irons reading from both the novelization and the original Andersen tale, a look at the restoration process by Martin Scorsese, who also shows off his own memorabilia for the film, and galleries of art and stills. The novelization excerpts are particularly interesting as it goes deeper into Victoria’s character and expand upon several storylines that go on in the background of the movie.
The only potential disappointment about The Red Shoes Criterion 4K release is the packaging. While the other 4K releases have had lovely outer boxes and premium packaging, this British classic didn’t receive such attention or premium packaging. Instead, it’s in a standard plastic case. There’s a nice booklet inside that features some great shots of the film, an essay on its themes, and a look at the restoration process. It still outdoes the quality of your standard release, but it sticks out like a sore thumb if you have the other 4K releases.
While it won’t look as nice on your shelf as Criterion’s other 4K offerings, The Red Shoes is still well worth owning. The 4K transfer of the 2009 restoration is of gorgeous quality and the extras are insightful. The film still holds up as a unique piece of cinema that is highlighted by great performances by Shearer and Anton Walbrook.
SCORE: 9/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 9 equates to “Excellent.” Entertainment that reaches this level is at the top of its type. The gold standard that every creator aims to reach.
Disclosure: Critic purchased a copy for our The Red Shoes Criterion 4K review.
