100 All-Time Films (To see the entire list, click here)
Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s The Red Shoes (1948)
The Powell and Pressburger team (also known as The Archers) have created some of the most memorable works of British cinema such as Black Narcissus and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, but The Red Shoes is their masterpiece. It features some of the most amazing use of Technicolor in film and unique cinematography. Declared as Martin Scorsese’s favorite film (a huge honor considering his love of cinema), this ode to fairy tales is a unique film that will never be equaled.
The film is a story within a story. It features a ballerina who joins an established ballet company and becomes the lead dancer in their reinterpretation of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Red Shoes”. When we actually get to the ballet in the plot, you encounter possibly the most beautifully choreographed scene in cinematic history. It is an enchanting moment that echoes its dark story that ends tragically.
When some films can create life through words, The Red Shoes does so with its color. The reds are so sharp and the eyes are so striking that it actually feels you are looking at an illustrated version of a Hans Christian Anderson storybook. The message it suggests is pretty strong in that to become the best at anything or to achieve perfection, you must focus solely on that and give up everything else. It is a large price to pay to be the best and it can ultimately be your downfall.
Recently, Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan was released and took audiences by storm. Although it was a very well made film, you really need to go back to the story it imitated. It tries to be The Red Shoes, but really, nothing can equal it.
