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The Films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

One of Our Aircraft is Missing

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

A Canterbury Tale

I Know Where I'm Going!

A Matter of Life and Death

Black Narcissus

The Red Shoes (July 10/11)

Loosely inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, The Red Shoes follows Moira Shearer's Victoria Page as she climbs the ranks of a respected opera company and eventually falls for an up-and-coming composer (Marius Goring's Julian Craster) - with problems ensuing as the company's tyrannical impresario learns of the relationship. Filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger have infused The Red Shoes with an almost unreasonably deliberate pace that does, for the most part, hold the viewer at arm's length, with the slow-moving atmosphere exacerbated by an ongoing emphasis on the less-than-enthralling day-to-day exploits of the various characters (eg there's a rehearsal sequence that seems to unfold in real time). There's little doubt, then, that the film's place as a passable endeavor is due mostly to Jack Cardiff's frequently stunning cinematography, as Cardiff livens up even the most routine of sequences with visuals that are generally nothing short of breathtaking. The inclusion of a 15-minute ballet performance at around the midway point brings the proceedings to a dead stop, however, with the far-from-engrossing vibe persisting right up until the film's final half hour - which is devoted primarily to the entertainingly melodramatic exploits of the three protagonists. By the time the memorable, unexpectedly striking finale rolls around, The Red Shoes has certainly established itself as a periodically spellbinding yet grossly overlong endeavor that could've used a few more passes through the editing bay.

out of

The Small Back Room

Gone to Earth

The Elusive Pimpernel

The Tales of Hoffman

The Wild Heart

Oh... Rosalinda!!

The Battle of the River Plate

Ill Met by Moonlight

© David Nusair