Thursday, September 15, 2011

Movie review – “The Red Shoes” (1948) ****1/2

A classic, with moments that will take your breath away, particularly the spectacular ballet. There’s sublime acting from Anton Walbrook and Moira Shearer and the other dancers like Robert Helpmann. Shearer is sexy as hell asnd very likeable- she should have had a bigger career in films, but that was her choice. Marius Goring’s acting is fine but he’s just not good looking enough. And his character is a possessive prat - he doesn't mind if she dances for anyone just as long as it's not Walbrook.

The film struggled to regain it's momentum after the Red Shoes ballet - the plot becomes about Shearer's romance with Goring, she's way too hot for him, and her longing to do back to Walbrook feels a little rushed. But it's still a compulsive, wonderful passionate film.

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