Description

A glorious Technicolor epic that influenced generations of filmmakers, artists, and aspiring ballerinas, The Red Shoes intricately weaves backstage life with the thrill of performance. A young ballerina (Moira Shearer) is torn between two forces: the composer who loves her (Marius Goring), and the impresario determined to fashion her into a great dancer (Anton Walbrook). Criterion is proud to present The Red Shoes in its DVD premiere. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Moira Shearer exquisite in debut (VHS Edition)
This film directed by Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell, and released as one their Archers productions in 1948, is one of the films which I truly cherish. It tells the tragic story of the very talented young ballerina Victoria Page who has to make an agonizing choice between her love for composer Julian Craster and her dedication to art, which is personified by impresario Boris Lermontow. A film about the ballet world, art and love. It features several real dancers such as Moira Shearer, Leonide Massine, Robert Helpmann and Ludmilla Tcherina. This contributes to the feel of authenticity. Volatile/prima donna tempers flare. We certainly get an intimate look into a fascinating world. As with many other Powell and Pressburger films, there's an underlying myth, in this case Hans Christian Andersen's tale of the red shoes [Andersen's downbeat tale deals with a girl who desires a lovely pair of red shoes so much but once she has them in her possession, she can't stop dancing, and only death will liberate her from what has now become a torture]. In this production of 'The Red Shoes' life will irrevocably imitate art. Filmed in lavish technicolour it captures all of the magic of ballet perfectly. It is accompanied by an interesting and haunting music score by Brian Easdale.

The beautiful and luminous center of this film however is Moira Shearer's exquisite performance as the tragic Vicky. She brings Vicky's devotion to ballet and vunerability poignantly to life. 'The Red Shoes' would be Moira Shearer's debut, who was at the time a rising star with 'The Sadler's Wells Ballet' and it definitely earned her a place in cinematic history. Not in the least because of the stunning fifteen minute dance sequence which Lermontow's company performs: 'The Ballet of the Red Shoes'. Herein Moira Shearer's and Leonide Massine's performances as the girl and the shoemaker stand out. A spectacular and surrealistic ballet on its own, this was choreographed by Robert Helpmann and designed by painter Heinz Heckroth. Also shown are interesting and very well executed fragments from such classic ballets as 'Giselle' or 'Le Boutique Fantastique'.

Further stood out for me Anton Walbrook's performance as the fanatical and tyrannical impresario Lermontow, who demands total commitment of his employees to their art. Together with Moira Shearer's Vicky his intelligent, intense and ultimate poignant interpretation carries this picture. In Lermontow we meet a man who has the vision, knowledge, connections and creative instinct to bring a dancer such as Vicky to greatness. Marius Goering is adequate as Vicky's love but Leonide Massine as Grischa/the shoemaker was very eloquent and poignant.

An intense, passionate and unforgettable film which occupies a special place of honour in my film collection.

A Must See For Ballet Fans
The 1948 classic film starring Moira Shearer (herself a professional ballerina) is no only an enjoyable semi-realistic fantasy film, in much the same lines as say The Wizard Of Oz, but a brilliant film technically to look at. It's drawn from the dark fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson (responsible for such stories as The Little Mermaid), in which a young girl is forced to wear red shoes with a will of their own. The poor girl dances until she dies. The concept is taken to a late 40's England, where the aspiring ballerina Victoria Page seeks to dance in the prestigious company headed by the eccentric, perfectionist and intensely driven impresario Lentmontov. The story provides the audience with a glimpse of dance rehearsals, theatrical life both pre-performance and during, the charm of the glamourosu life ballerinas are said to enjoy. But in reality, it is a study on obscession, the demand for virtuouso performance and the conflict between love of one's career and romantic love. Victoria Page is herself doomed to dance to her death when she is torn between her duty to Lentmontov and her love for his musical composer and choreographer. This movie is excellent for ballet fans, and for stage magic fans- the Ballet of the Red Shoes is the most striking moment in the film, an original ballet set against surreal, nightmarish backgrounds of carnivals, ballrooms and ghostly netherworlds where neon lights change colors in blinding and dizzying speed and danced to jazzy 40's music. The film is sure to impress adults (I disagree that it is for children due to the drama of the whole thing), and it is marvelously shot in Paris, London and Monte Carlo. A film like this does'nt come often.

Don't ignore human nature
Amazon Reviewer "ploompy" notes, "...Look for Lermontov's great advice to Kraster when his intellectual & creative material is purloined by a professor. Lermontov says simply, "It is better to be stolen from than to have to steal..." I agree, this is an excellent piece of advice to remember in life.

Another line in the "Red Shoes" by the Lermontov character is worth noting. Lermontov is warned about "human nature" and how current events within his theatre group is breaking up the act. Lermontov responds to this by saying "I simply ignore it". As events unfold with the "Red Shoes" story Lermontov's ignoring of human nature comes back to haunt him in the end. One can never IGNORE human nature. It trumps eveything else.

Excellent movie on all levels. A true movie classic.

Enjoy

Great movie
My husband and I just saw this movie on Turner Classic movies last nite and we just loved it. My husband had seen this movie when he was 5 years old, around the time the movie was made and had not seen it since. The ballet sequences were great, the technicolor and special effects were super. We highly recommend this movie to anyone who has a taste for the ballet or just folks who enjoy a good movie

Thanks to Turner Classic Movies.....
I saw "The Red Shoes" tonight once more on TCM and my heart pounds each time I see it...The color, the acting, the art direction, the music. This is a film that has aged well like fine wine...... you just want more and more of it.
I am so glad to have finally ordered the DVD. I have had the VHS tape a few years but now I will soon have the DVD thanks to CDNOW for making it so easy to order...
Dave Reep
Kansas City ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Max Ophüls explores the scandalous life of dancer and courtesan Lola Montes with a bittersweet empathy that turns melodrama into a tragic melancholy masterpiece. Using the theatrical re-creation of Lola's life in a big-top pageant as a framing device, Ophüls contrasts the outrageous sensationalism of her reputation with poignant, poetic flashbacks that explore her many affairs, most notably with Franz Liszt (Will Quadflieg) and King Ludwig of Bavaria (Anton Walbrook). Lola's greatest tragedy is that she loved well, if not too wisely. If Martine Carol's central performance is lacking passion, as many critics have argued, her quiet, at times seemingly passive demeanor makes her a veritable prisoner of her society and her reputation. Swept along by Ophüls's sweeping camerawork, which glides through the film in a balance of intimacy and contemplative remove as if on the wings of angels, her life becomes like a cinematic ballet with Ophüls the choreographer and conductor. Peter Ustinov costars as the jaded circus ringmaster, who nightly narrates her exploits to a throng of scandal-hungry spectators, while she performs with a face hardened in indifference, resigned to her empty role as a figure of spectacle in a garish gilded cage.Shot in delicate color and impeccably composed widescreen compositions throughout by Ophüls's regular cinematographer Christian Matras, Lola Montes is his most beautiful and restrained film, a fitting swan song for one of the cinema's most sensitive directors. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Sad But True Story.......Beautiful Film
This review refers to the Fox Lorber DVD edition of "Lola Montes"(1955).....

Director Max Ophuls,brillantly brings to the screen, the sad but true story of "Lola Montes". In the 19th century, she was the talk of Europe. Her affairs with dozens of men including the great composer Franz Liszt and even a King were infamous and resulted in such great scandal, that Lola became an object of hatred and curiosity. Outcast from society, in poor health and with no place to turn,her once regal lifestyle is now reduced to being put on display in a circus act that parallels her story. Once you enter her life, you'll be as captivated as her admirers were.

The beautiful Martine Carol is the actress who portrays this tortured soul that no man could resist. The cast also includes, Peter Ustinov,as the seemingly cruel ringmaster forcing Lola to go on with her story,Anton Walkbrook as King Ludwig I ,so taken with Lola, he bestows on her her own palace. Also look for Oskar Werner as the young student.

The early use of "CinemaScope" is wonderful and you can take in all the details on this DVD. Although the colors seem somewhat dated, I thought this 50 year old French film had a nice clear picture. The sound was recorded low and needs to be turned up a bit. The DVD includes Filmographies of the principle cast.The subtitles are nice and in the black bar area.

It's a beautiful film, and a story that may leave you sighing.A nice addition to your foreign film collection...enjoy...Laurie

Max Ophuls cinematic look at the famous courtesan
"Lola Montes" tells the story of the famous courtesan, played by Martine Carol, who became a circus novelty because she was ill and had nowhere else to go. As the high points of her life out acted out for the crowd, Lola recalls her own memories of these events, only having to respond when the Circus Master (Peter Ustinov), compels her to answer questions from the audience. Obviously Ophuls is looking at how fame and fortune can be fleeting, but it is the style rather than the subject matter that proves most memorable. The only significant problem with this film is the performance of the leading lady, who never manages to evoke either the desirability of Lola at her height of popularity or her despair on the bottom side of life. Peter Anton Walbrook plays the elderly Ludwig I, King of Bavaria and Will Quadflieg plays the musician Franz Liszt, two of Lola's most famous conquests. Oskar Werner plays a student in this 1955 French/German film. The true star becomes Ophuls' camera work, showing us what he wants us to see as he wants us to see it. He also takes advantage of the widescreen in several interesting ways. The last thing you need to know is that this appears to be a "semi-restored" version of Max Ophuls' legendary film. "Lola Montes," the director's only film made in Technicolor and CinemaScope, was originally 140 minutes long. The producers cut this down to 92 minutes and this videotape professes to be 110 minutes long. Work the math and it would seem 18 of the lost 48 minutes have been restored to this version. Hopefully more of what has been lost will magically pop up in the future.

Swan Song: Max Ophuls Final Movie
Max Ophuls last movie, Lola Montes, is now on DVD, though it has no special features, no trailer, merely filmography and a list of awards as well as scene selections. In 1955, Max Ophuls had already directed several classic films of the French market during World War II days, 30's and 40's- his most honored being La Ronde. To many, Lola Montes was not the greatest film Max Ophuls ever made. He was a naturalized Frenchman, adored the culture but was Austrian born, specifically Vienna. His films were considered artsy, classy and dramatically appealing. Ophuls followed an ABA or "Ronde" circular plot structure. What happens in the beginning of a film will return at the end of the film. Never is this more true than in his famous La Ronde, set in Vienna about the many intrigues of love affairs. On DVD, the CinemaScope color of Lola Montes is in its beautiful restored glory, though it can look better in some parts. The movie is so old it truly shows its "cinematic wrinkles". Martine Carol is the woman whose quiet beauty and restrained mannerisms landed her the title role, Peter Ustinov, who did several movies, including American films, plays the role of the ringmaster who is entertaining audiences at a circus by showing off Lola Montes and her incredible life story and Anton Walbrook, who appeared as Lentmontov in the English film, "The Red Shoes" in the part of King Ludwig.

Lola Montes is a fictional and sensationalized account of the true, historic person of the courtesan/Spanish dancer Lola Montes, regarded as the most famous 19th century courtesan. She did exist, she had love affairs with what were celebrities at that time- Franz Liszt the pianist and composer and her most impressive lover, King Ludwig of Bavaria, the so-called "Mad King" whose extravagant lifestyle, erratic behavior and expensive castle building projects cost Bavaria a lot of money and made his own people turn against him. The circus element is entirely fabricated for the sake of drama. The ringmaster, Peter Ustinov, is entertaining audiences, mostly composed of men, with scenes of Lola Montes lives and in the end, she leaps from on high in an incredible stunt after which she must deign herself to be kissed by all the men for only one dollar. Peter Ustinov is speaking three languages if you really notice- French, German and the bits of English he speaks to Lola during the jumping scene. The use of English, which even Lola uses now and then, is meant to cater to the American or English audiences who must have seen this film. Martine Carol, in my opinion, does a terrific job as Lola Montes. She is a polyamorous woman, who is clearly liberated, passionate and earthy. She has dignity despite everything. The only thing I had against her performance is they never showed her dancing the Spanish dances she was so famous for- the bolero, the fandango, tarantella, etc. They could have cast an actual Spanish dancer in the role.

A Female Casanova -- or so she appears
Other women in the same time period became famous for their artistic talents(George Sand for one) but Lola Montes had no real talent and so she made her mark by being beautiful and aggressive. These qualities won her many admirers and at least two famous lovers: the King of Bavaria and Franz Liszt. Its a complicated story though and one with many ironies. When Lola was younger her mother wanted to marry her off to a wealthy older banker but Lola refused and instead ran away with a young man who ended up being a drunk and a philanderer. We never really see Lola's transformation from young innocent girl into woman of the world but she makes the transition so completely that nothing of the little girl remains in the woman that Lola Montes becomes. The way Carol Martine plays her we assume that either Lola Montes has no emotions or that she has them but has learned to keep them to herself. Either way it seems what Lola really loves is a man who can take care of her in style and so the real love of her life is not Franz Liszt who she grows bored with but rather the King of Bavaria who sets her up in a little palace of her own which seems perfect for her (an icy palace in an icy land for the icy Lola). Later Lola will refer to this as the happiest period in her life but we are likely to attribute this happiness not to the elderly and deaf King of Bavaria himself but to the palace he provided her with. This was the one time in her life she had a home. When the stability of Bavaria is threatened by revolution she is forced out of her palace. Outside of Bavaria she is destitute and she has nothing to sell -- except her reputation. Though penniless shes now become famous or infamous throughout Europe and so when Ustinov offers her a salary for merely telling her tale she has little choice but to accept. In the 21st Century we are so used to seeing how people capitalize on scandal that its fascinating to see a nineteenth-century version of this phenomena. Its also fascinating to see how Lola Montes must play "Lola Montes". There is a huge difference between what really happened and what the public wants to hear happened and so the story that Ustinov tells each night is just a fiction designed to give the crowd what it wants. Lola herself just goes through the motions of playing this fictive "Lola" to make a buck. In our media savvy era we might have a hard time seeing Lola Montes as a victim, rather we are likely to see her as someone cashing in on her "fame". Lola is ultimately a victim however in the same way Jay Gatsby was a victim -- they are victims of others misperceptions of them. The misperception so often repeated takes on a larger than life reality while the real life is buried in the shadows. This is the tragedy of fame, this is the tragedy of Lola. It is perhaps the most fascinating study of personality of its era. And one that speaks to our era most pointedly.

Fox=crafty, sly, or clever person, but...
...Fox-Lorber can be credited with sly only, for releasing this lack of quality even Madacy would be ashamed of.
The 1 star is because of this release. Maybe they don't know yet that DVD technology allow for subtitles as a choice option, and maybe their budget was too short to get them right (one quarter is accurate, one quarter is approximate, one quarter is absolute fancy, and one quarter has escaped translation. But the worse is the (absence of) quality of the picture which is perfectly matched by a botched soundtrack.
Until Criterion or some real professional in DVD business will take care of getting this released as it should be, better to avoid this one. ... Read more