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The Red Shoes

Play trailer Poster for The Red Shoes 1948 2h 13m Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
98% Tomatometer 65 Reviews 91% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
In this classic drama, Vicky Page (Moira Shearer) is an aspiring ballerina torn between her dedication to dance and her desire to love. While her imperious instructor, Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook), urges her to forget anything but ballet, Vicky begins to fall for the charming young composer Julian Craster (Marius Goring). Eventually Vicky, under great emotional stress, must choose to pursue either her art or her romance, a decision that carries serious consequences.
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The Red Shoes

The Red Shoes

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Critics Consensus

The Red Shoes is one of the best-looking movies ever, and blends multiple moods and styles with balletic grace.

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Critics Reviews

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Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com 11/16/2023
4/4
The Red Shoes showed me I could transcend who I was born as and become who I knew I was supposed to be. Go to Full Review George Campbell Dixon Daily Telegraph (UK) 03/09/2015
These faults, if faults they be, may well be outweighed by the beauty of the ballet sequences and music, by the skill with which Mr Powell always uses colour, and by Miss Shearer's endearing charm. Go to Full Review TIME Magazine 03/09/2015
A lingering, calf-eyed look at backstage ballet's little world of overworked egos and underdone glands. Go to Full Review Chance Solem-Pfeifer Willamette Week 01/22/2025
The Red Shoes... remains a beguiling love story, a world-class use of color-as-storytelling and a touchstone film for any artist torn up inside about the enriching power of their art versus the destructive forces of perfectionism. Go to Full Review Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall 12/12/2023
5/5
Powell and Pressburger's films stand up because they tap into the human condition while pushing cinematic boundaries, and this is one of their most indelible fables. Go to Full Review Victor Pineyro Seventh Art Studio 04/08/2022
9/10
Black Swan wouldn't exist without The Red Shoes, a film about the most primitive human emotions, through the most exquisite forms of art. Powell-Pressburger were absolute masters of their craft. Incredible film. Full review in Spanish Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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G L @RT09869090 Jul 3 Ballet & drama, the show must go on. See more Ben W @Username618 Mar 28 'How much worse, to have to copy, than be the one who is copied.' You'll get something out of its high production values, but there's a rather pointlessly dark fairytale at its heart. See more Jean R. @Jeanieinabottle Mar 4 One of the most beautiful and haunting movies around the premise of an iconic and beautifully performed ballet. The cinematography is bar none to any other movie and the acting superb. Even if you are not a fan of ballet, I encourage you to watch it. See more Karen C @jaysherman472 Dec 27 A movie with amazing Technicolor, cinematography, choreography and storytelling. See more Luca D @JoeCamel7 04/26/2025 The acting was good enough not top tier, but what carries this movie is some of the best choreography I have ever seen, and great set designs accompanied by an amazing soundtrack. Overall a big creative melting pot that is a lot of fun to watch and listen to. See more Will G @Wgoodeve 02/17/2025 A great film. It is about a ballet performance and they travel to France. The ballet is about a woman who can’t stop dancing when she wears these red shoes. Martin Scorsese owns the original red shoes. See more Read all reviews
The Red Shoes

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Cast & Crew

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Michael Powell

Director

Emeric Pressburger

Director

Moira Shearer

Victoria Page

Anton Walbrook

Boris Lermontov

Marius Goring

Julian Craster

Robert Helpmann

Ivan Boleslawsky

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The Red Shoes

The Red Shoes (1948) The Red Shoes (1948) The Red Shoes (1948) The Red Shoes (1948) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In this classic drama, Vicky Page (Moira Shearer) is an aspiring ballerina torn between her dedication to dance and her desire to love. While her imperious instructor, Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook), urges her to forget anything but ballet, Vicky begins to fall for the charming young composer Julian Craster (Marius Goring). Eventually Vicky, under great emotional stress, must choose to pursue either her art or her romance, a decision that carries serious consequences.
Director
Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Producer
Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Screenwriter
Hans Christian Andersen, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, Keith Winter, Marius Goring
Distributor
MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Criterion Collection
Production Co
The Archers, Independent Producers
Genre
Drama, Romance
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 6, 1948, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 23, 2017
Runtime
2h 13m
Sound Mix
Mono
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