The Red Shoes (1948)
89%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: NA
The Red Shoes is one of the best-looking movies ever, and blends multiple moods and styles with balletic grace
The Red Shoes is like a beautiful painting come to life, with its stunning Technicolor and breathtaking ballet sequences. It’s no wonder that it’s considered one of the greatest films about ballet ever made. And let’s not forget about those iconic red shoes – they’ve never been redder! Even if you’re not a fan of ballet, you can’t help but be swept away by the passion and artistry on display in this film. So sit back, relax, and let The Red Shoes transport you to a world of beauty and wonder.
Production Company(ies)
Universal Pictures, Studio Canal, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment,
Distributor
Criterion Collection, MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Hotel de Paris, Place du Casino, Monte Carlo, Monaco
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1948
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
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Runtime:2h 13m
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Language(s):English, French, Russian
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 6, 1948 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2001
Genre(s)
Drama/Romance
Keyword(s)
starring Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring, Robert Helpmann, Leonide Massine, Albert Basserman, directed by Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, written by Hans Christian Andersen, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, Keith Winter, Marius Goring, drama, romance, box office performance, budget, reviewed by George Campbell Dixon, Joe Morgenstern, Melissa Anderson, Jonathan F Richards, Anthony Lane, Derek Malcolm, Victor Pineyro, Michael Barrett, Brian Eggert, Matt Brunson, Jeff Beck, Christopher Kane, produced by Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, MPAA rating, ballet, ballerina, composer, ballet company, producer, art direction, cinematography, Technicolor, Faustian bargain, Svengali relationship, instructor, tension, behind the scenes, supporting characters, dreamy, visual spectacle, theater stage, magical proportions, editing, Black Swan
Worldwide gross: $30,846
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $436,141
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,771
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 47,562
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Anton Walbrook – Boris Lermontov
Marius Goring – Julian Craster
Robert Helpmann – Ivan Boleslawsky
Leonide Massine – Grischa Ljubov
Albert Basserman – Sergei Ratov
Michael Powell – Producer, Writer, Director
Emeric Pressburger – Producer, Writer, Director
Hans Christian Andersen – Writer
Keith Winter – Writer
Jack Cardiff – Cinematographer
Brian Easdale – Composer
Reginald Mills – Editor
Hein Heckroth – Production Designer
Arthur Lawson – Art Director
Dorothy Sinclair – Set Decorator
Ernest Irving – Musical Director
Gordon K. McCallum – Sound Recordist
A.W. Watkins – Sound Recordist
Harold V. King – Assistant Director
Joyce Broughton – Assistant Editor
Margaret Furse – Costume Designer
Charles E. Parker – Makeup Artist
George Blackler – Hair Stylist
John Cox – Special Effects
W. Percy Day – Special Effects
Les Bowie – Special Effects
Tom Howard – Special Effects Supervisor
George Blackwell – Stunt Coordinator
Director(s)
Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Writer(s)
Hans Christian Andersen, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, Keith Winter, Marius Goring
Producer(s)
Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (64) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (62) | Rotten (2)
These faults, if faults they be, may well be outweighed by the beauty of the ballet sequences and music, by the skill with which Mr Powell always uses colour, and by Miss Shearer’s endearing charm.
March 9, 2015
George Campbell Dixon
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The Red Shoes was shot in three-strip Technicolor, a process that’s no longer used because of expense and technical complexity, but one that yielded some of the most spectacular images in cinema history.
October 23, 2010
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
TOP CRITIC
The greatest film about ballet ever made.
May 13, 2010
Melissa Anderson
L.A. Weekly
TOP CRITIC
The shoes have never been redder. The color of passion that drenches the Technicolor world of The Red Shoes has been restored to its original luster.
March 2, 2010
Jonathan F. Richards
Film.com
TOP CRITIC
No wonder Britain, still rationed in color, food, and feeling in the wake of an exhausting war, could not cope with what the movie proposed. Catch it here now, and you will not just be seeing an old film made new; you will have your vision restored.
February 1, 2010
Anthony Lane
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
What a cast, and what superbly florid but controlled direction. Unequalled Technicolor photography from Jack Cardiff. too.
December 11, 2009 | Rating: 5/5
Derek Malcolm
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
Black Swan wouldn’t exist without The Red Shoes, a film about the most primitive human emotions, through the most exquisite forms of art. Powell-Pressburger were absolute masters of their craft. Incredible film. Full review in Spanish
April 8, 2022 | Rating: 9/10
Victor Pineyro
Seventh Art Studio
Andersen himself achieved a dizzying worldwide success by pouring out his anguish in charming characters and, if we are to believe what we hear, it didn’t free him from his unhappy isolation.
March 23, 2022 | Rating: 10/10
Michael Barrett
PopMatters
Even the most cynical viewer cannot help but find themselves dazzled by the beauty of the production and the haunting nature of the narrative
March 20, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
One of the premier films to ever examine the personal sacrifices an individual must make to excel at their art.
December 26, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
The Red Shoes stands out as a remarkable artistic experience, made even more memorable by the layers of art that went into telling this portrait of artists in pursuit of their passions.
December 13, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
Jeff Beck
The Blu Spot
The picture’s two and a half hours long, contains a full-length ballet, exquisite Technicolor, and superb performances by everyone concerned, including the great dancer Leonide Massine.
June 29, 2021
Christopher Kane
Modern Screen…
Plot
Under the authoritarian rule of charismatic ballet impressario Boris Lermontov, his proteges realize the full promise of their talents, but at a price: utter devotion to their art and complete loyalty to Lermontov himself. Under his near-obsessive guidance, young ballerina Victoria Page is poised for superstardom, but earns Lermontov’s scorn when she falls in love with Julian Craster, composer of “The Red Shoes,” the ballet Lermontov is staging to showcase her talents. Vicky leaves the company and marries Craster, but still finds herself torn between Lermontov’s demands and those of her heart.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Red Shoes features the great dancer Leonide Massine in a superb performance.
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