The Red Shoes

The above quotation goes for the film as well as the ballet contained within it Lermontov speaks of. It gives the impression of being a simple and straightforward melodrama, but unfolds in complex and sophisticated metanarratives. It seems to revolve around a simple and stock love triangle of obsessed artist types, but is actually quite psychologically dense. And it is something exquisite, ethereal, exhilarating to behold — achieved through agony, and ending in agony.

Mango says I am not a P&P girl. I would say, perhaps, I am not instinctively a P&P girl. Certainly there is much here worth cultivating a taste for. What stands between us is perhaps that layer of artifice, that sense heightened reality raised to a level of staggering and unrelenting beauty, that I admire and gawk at but cannot connect to. I must connect if I am to love. There is much in studio trickery and glorious Technicolor that impresses me and little that personally moves me. That’s certain. The other barrier is the characters, and I would say this of both those in Black Narcissus and here in Red Shoes (although now I’m starting to get the hang of it): yes, they appear simple, but much is simmering under the surface. These are people who make it difficult to relate to, inhabit, and identify with as I do in my usual viewing mode.

But I feel I am acquiring that taste and Red Shoes is a good one to advance my appreciation — it begins to solve my “problems” with P&P. For one thing, I have a soft spot for dance movies. I don’t have the vocabulary to describe how stunning the 20-minute ballet sequence is, but suffice it to say my heart was racing and my mind boggling to keep pace with this feast for the eyes. Now that heightened reality is easily met on the terms of an actual artistic production, and there’s no disputing the mastery in the conception and staging as the piece transforms from something for the stage to something that is pure cinema, and at that something deeply rooted in Vicky’s psychological state. It is staggering.

And then, this triumverate of Vicky the aspiring and innocent dancer, Lermontov the single-minded and autocratic impresario, and Julian the young and egotistical composer — all are locked in this compelling power dynamic, fueled by similar ambitions and each holding their particular art and outlook higher than the others’. Anton Walbrook was a revelation to me as Boris Lermontov, alternately chilling and charming in a pitch-perfect performance as a man who has devoted his life to the ballet and expects nothing less of those he deigns to guide toward greatness. His relationship with Vicky is fascinating; surely he wants to possess her, is jealous of anything that distracts her from their mutual purpose, but his lover is ballet — if there is real desire for her, it is entirely sublimated under his precept that a great dancer can never “rely upon the doubtful comforts of human love.” His obsession drives the film to its necessary tragic close. But for all his possessiveness, he had something to give to and share with Vicky; Julian, her tender lover, would sooner lock her dancing shoes in a drawer and get on with the real art of music.

So I would not say I am categorically not a P&P girl. It is only that my cinematic history has led me down other paths, and it would require some immersion to grow to tolerate or love everything that seems counter to my sensibilities — after all many things I love now took some work acquiring the taste. I had demurred to Mango that, that said, it still didn’t feel like the right path on my ‘cinematic journey’ to go through that immersion now, although I’m so struck by (and perhaps smitten with) this Anton Walbrook that he may guide me through a few more P&Ps before I do let go of this thread. In any case, this is an exceptional film, ravishing, top 100 material, and sure to grow in my estimation. Oh how I long to see it on the big screen!

Lermontov Not even the best magician in the world can produce a rabbit out of a hat if there is not already a rabbit in the hat.

Lermontov Don’t forget, a great impression of simplicity can only be achieved by great agony of body and spirit.

Ljubov You can’t alter human nature.
Lermontov No? I think you can do even better then that. You can ignore it.

Lermontov A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never.

4 Comments »

Neat, I didn’t realize you were keeping up this blog (thanks for the afinpassing update).

Awesome that you enjoyed The Red Shoes! Awesome comments, too. P+P are so radically different from the rest of cinema history; it takes some thought to delve into their subtleties and to embrace what they did. You are no superficial viewer, of course, and I as always praise your awesome astuteness. *praise*
Smitten with Walbrook, eh? I suppose the next P+P you’d want to go for then is The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp?… but then, I REALLY must warn to be careful there. I would esteem it to be in the lower liking of your taste, but then again, I had esteemed The Red Shoes to be there, too. So watch it! I will also doubly recommend A Matter of Life and Death and I Know Where I’m Going!

Hmm… I have P+P related news, too.
1: One of Our Aircraft is Missing arrived at my library today, so I’ll pick it up and watch it some time next week. I look forward to completing Powell’s filmography as soon as I can.
2: Look at this: http://www.denverfilm.org/filmcenter/detail.aspx?id=21682
That’s right, The Red Shoes is playing at my school next weekend… YEAH! I go to all the free screenings, but they didn’t give out this season’s free screenings program last month, so this was a total surprise (found out a couple days ago). I am horribly, horribly excited for this. Almost more so than for The General, which they played last month.

I hope you become a P+P fan girl. That would the greatest.

Comment by Mango — 29 December 2007 @ 29 December 2007

Oh, thank you for stopping by and leaving my first real comment! For the sentiments, and for being a guinea pig: I didn’t realize I had them displaying in all caps. That looks godawful. Must fix.

Yeah, I’ve only recently made this blog public. It’s been a three-year process. Gave up on it 50 times because it requires so much set-up. As you know I always make things too complicated. But I’ve had time on my hands and now that almost everything is set up maintenance is easy so hopefully I’ll keep it going. Yeah, I have basically sought to create an entire database of my film experience; I will not do a thing unless I can do it to death.

I think I will be turning to I Know Where I’m Going! next, between your & Justine’s recommendations it sounds like a good next step. Then Blimp for Anton. Although some of my TLC cronies have forecasted I’ll develop a thang for this Roger Livesey. We’ll see!

I’m insanely jealous you’re seeing TRS on a big screen. Honestly, I’m a great apologist for home screenings and even laptop screenings, but TRS demands it. I’ll feel like I only got 75% of the film at best till I see it in all its glory. But I know that won’t be lost on you. And awesome you are almost done with the filmog!

I’m still not sure where I’ll come down when I see a larger selection of their work, but it’s true they seem to be radically different from everything else that’s going on in film and certainly radically different from what I have seen. It requires a bit of tuning in. And I’m enjoying it. I guess as you know I have always been more interested in a personal experience than film for its own sake, but if they are both then all the better!

Comment by lauren.bray — 29 December 2007 @ 29 December 2007

Those caps were quite annoying. Need me to do any other guinea pigging? I want this blog to be as sexy as can be.

I didn’t realize you had been working on this so long. How do you feel about a public? Personally, I like writing a blog with a nonexistent public.

Comment by Mango — 30 December 2007 @ 30 December 2007

Do any and all guinea pigging you like! Any minor annoyances you come across. I imagine the reader sees things I don’t.

I like having it public, though I imagine the audience is only a handful and I like it that way. Nice if a few people get something out of what I write. But it’s written and organized for my benefit, trying to get all my lists and info in order for my own uses, collecting my reviews so I can remember what I thought of movie X anyhow. Most of the time I forget there’s a ‘public’ though I do like comments.

Comment by lauren.bray — 1 January 2008 @ 1 January 2008

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