Criterion / NR / 134min 1080p Full Frame 1.33:1 English Monaural

After their grand success with Black Narcissus in 1947, writer/directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger revisited a script that Pressburger had begun in the 1930s. It was to be a film about the ballet, but more than that, a film about the forces of creativity. Their story is rooted in Hans Christian Andersen’s fable, The Red Shoes, wherein a young girl is punished for her vanity by an angel who condemns her to dance, even after death. One feels the presence of this macabre fable as it uncoils beneath Powell and Pressburger’s story of a ballet company’s inner workings.

However, in Powell and Pressburger’s The Red Shoes, the young girl is in no need of moral castigation. Victoria Page (played by the indelible Moira Shearer) is a lively, but modest girl with dreams of becoming a great dancer. She meets Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook), the impresario of one of the most prestigious ballet companies in the world. After seeing Victoria perform, Lermontov recognizes her potential and, with promises of artistic greatness, the two enter into a mephistophelian bargain. Lermontov, who is arguably the most interesting character in the film, runs his company with a ruthless, unyielding authority. He expects everyone to forfeit their lives and loves for the sake of their collaboration, for the sake of the art. In an early scene, Lermontov all but banishes his lead ballerina after discovering her plans to marry. Lermontov must fully possess his dancers, particularly his leads from whom he demands absolute obedience and sacrifice. And like so many obsessed artists, Lermontov harbors an abstract and furious jealousy towards those who stray from his grip. And so begins the film’s central conflict when Victoria falls for Julian Craster (Marius Goring), a young composer whom Lermontov himself commissions to write the company’s new ballet, “The Red Shoes.”

My interest in The Red Shoes was initially inspired by Martin Scorsese and his deep appreciation of the film. As an avid Scorsese devotee, I’d heard the filmmaker speak on many occasions about the influence The Red Shoes has had on his work. I eventually scraped together enough money to buy the original Criterion DVD. This was, of course, not the ideal way to experience the film, but even in standard definition and on a relatively small screen, I was still tremendously moved by the power and precision of the production. I grew up long after color’s inception and had seen my fair share of Technicolor films, but I had never seen one with quite so much breadth and vitality. And even though the film communicates within the 1.33:1 aspect ratio, each scene felt enveloping and endless, as if I were experiencing the film from a wing of the stage.

This is in large part due to the seizing quality of Jack Cardiff’s cinematography. His work with Powell and Pressburger represents some of the finest examples of image making we have. And there is hardly a better example of this than the 17-minute surrealist ballet sequence at the center of the film. I had already enjoyed Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron’s wonderful shared ballet hallucination in An American in Paris (which was undoubtedly inspired by The Red Shoes), but the emotional weight of Powell and Pressburger’s sequence continues to overwhelm me. If the rest of The Red Shoes had been a failure, this sequence would still be a resounding masterpiece of form and technique.

As in any of Powell and Pressburger’s films, observing the underlying minutia of their tapestry is part of the great reward of The Red Shoes: whether it be the intimate connection between Brian Easdale’s score and the film’s characters; the allusions, both biographical and metaphysical, of Pressburger’s script; and the way Powell’s direction visualizes that which cannot be spoken. Regardless, there is true beauty in the work, true character. This new high definition restoration has given me the opportunity to re-experience one of cinema’s greatest treasures. And for that, as saturated as I feel by the current acronymic landscape of superfluous CGI and 3D, I am grateful.

The Red Shoes comes to Blu-ray in its original full frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The transfer utilizes the AVC codec, takes up 37GB of space on the disc, and has a video bitrate of 31.57Mbps.

The technology of digital restoration has now progressed to a point where we can reach into the past and return with much more than just preservation. The Red Shoes is one of those rare instances where the image actually looks better on a digital master than it did during its original 35mm presentation. Allow me to explain. The film was shot using the three-strip Technicolor process in which three strips of negative (red, green and blue) were run through the camera and then mated to form the final color image. That means that not just one, but three negatives had to be repaired for this new print. During the film’s original theatrical run, the mating of the three negatives caused a blurring in certain scenes. Much of this has been corrected using digital restoration techniques, which means the image is sharper and clearer than when it was originally shown. I’ve gotten so used to bemoaning digital tampering that I often forget that, in the right hands, the term “digital manipulation” doesn’t have to be a pejorative.

The 4K restoration was, of course, a massive undertaking that was funded by a number of groups (including Scorsese) and took nearly three years to complete. The transfer contained on this Criterion Blu-ray was struck from that very 4k master, and the results are magnificent. The film is now virtually free of damage, scratches, dirt and debris. Colors are brilliantly rendered with each hue leaping from the screen; the red shoes often battle Moira Shearer’s fiery locks for supremacy. Black levels and contrast appear spot-on, with excellent shadow detail and no crush. There has been no digital tampering aside from the aforementioned corrections, so halos and noise reduction should not be a concern. You will notice some softness, but I believe that to be a product of filtering, as well as the three-strip process, and not a fault of the transfer. And given the high bitrate, fine detail is excellent and the film’s grain structure has been left marvelously intact. This is a wonderful transfer.

The Red Shoes is presented here in a 24-bit uncompressed English monaural track at 1152Kbps.

Criterion’s uncompressed 1.0 track faithfully and quite dynamically recreates the film’s original soundtrack. Dialogue is clear and coherent throughout, with only the slightest presence of hiss. There are no pops or other such distorting elements to be heard. And Brian Easdale’s score is lovingly reproduced.

Criterion has gone all out here with some of the finest special features I’ve ever had the pleasure of reviewing. This package should be seen as one of the year’s very best.

Commentary with Ian Christie:
Film historian Ian Christie leads this lively commentary, which contains excerpts from interviews with Martin Scorsese, the film’s stars, cinematographer Jack Cardiff and composer Brian Easdale. Christie is a pleasant commentary host with his lulling British accent and learned insights. This is the same track that appeared on the original Criterion DVD.

The Red Shoes Novel:
Some 30 years after Powell and Pressburger made The Red Shoes, they were commissioned by Avon Books to write a novelization. Here, actor Jeremy Irons reads select excerpts (which were selected to enhance the elements expounded upon in the book) while you watch the film. Now that’s a special feature!

Restoration Demonstration with Martin Scorsese (4min):
For anyone who has even a passing interest in how these classic films are restored, this is an essential feature. Martin Scorsese personally walks us through a demonstration of the restoration process, paying particular attention to how the three-strip Technicolor process that I mentioned in the video section was handled. Scorsese breaks down the process with video examples that are wonderfully informative, as well as accessible to the layman.

Profile of The Red Shoes (25min):
This is a fascinating in-depth documentary on the making of the film. It includes interviews with Ian Christie, Jack Cardiff and many more.

Stills Gallery:
This is a massive collection of stills spanning throughout the various stages of production.

Scorsese’s Memorabilia:
Here Mr. Scorsese shares with us select items from his collection of The Red Shoes memorabilia, including the last copy of Pressburger’s original script and a pair of red ballet shoes worn by Moira Shearer. Suddenly my gold Yoda soda can seems entirely without sophistication.

The Red Shoes Sketches:
This is an amazing feature. They’ve taken production designer Hein Heckroth’s beautiful storyboard sketches for the ballet sequence and animated them (more of a slideshow, really) with Brian Easdale’s score. You can also choose to watch the final filmed version in a side-by-side comparison with the animation, or you can choose to watch the animation while Jeremy Irons reads the original Hans Christian Andersen fable!

Theatrical Trailer:
The film’s theatrical trailer presented in full frame 1080p.

. . . . .

Whew! Who needs a cigarette?

The disc comes housed in Criterion’s standard clear Blu-ray case with a 24-page booklet featuring notes on the restoration and an essay by David Ehrenstein.

[Click images for full resolution captures]

Reviewed by: Pirate
Review Date: July 10th, 2010
Release Date: July 20th, 2010