tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post2894263266597565408..comments2023-07-01T05:05:31.938-04:00Comments on Films Worth Watching: The Red Shoes (1948) - Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric PressburgerJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10656287096270976604noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-24226228752959921412012-03-21T12:03:20.983-04:002012-03-21T12:03:20.983-04:00One of my all time favourites. Thanks for highligh...One of my all time favourites. Thanks for highlighting some truly magical images - they really show off the film's true beauty. One of the best I've ever seen.Danhttp://www.top10films.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-17519856291886422382012-03-13T22:36:55.822-04:002012-03-13T22:36:55.822-04:00Hey Stephen!! Haha yeah I know what you mean. Afte...Hey Stephen!! Haha yeah I know what you mean. After Mallick and The Red Shoes does anything else matter? I still think Days of Heaven is Mallick's most beautifully shot film, but The New World is a better film on the whole. Glad you liked the screen shots!! There's just too many good ones not to share them!Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10656287096270976604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-37673380588512580092012-03-12T22:15:48.167-04:002012-03-12T22:15:48.167-04:00Oh, I love this film so much. Just looking at the...Oh, I love this film so much. Just looking at the screencaps is a pretty ravishing aesthetic experience in itself. When it comes to ranking most beautiful color films ever made my list goes something like: 1. The New World. 2. The Red Shoes. and then who cares?<br /><br />Great write-up Jon, I liked the extra screenshots.StephenMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16588260639227694557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-17146273156770237602012-03-12T20:23:11.365-04:002012-03-12T20:23:11.365-04:00R.D.,
Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you'...R.D.,<br />Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you're such a big fan of the film. Vicky's choice is a difficult one and that choice is what drives the conflict at the end. Yes and Walbrook really stood out to me this time. It's just a fabulous performance from him, and he's one of those vastly underrated actors. He has a really good cameo in 49th Parallel and is also quite fun in Ophuls' La Ronde which I've watched recently.Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10656287096270976604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-49962609134818217152012-03-12T02:50:44.986-04:002012-03-12T02:50:44.986-04:00Jon, a lovely post on a great film. For several ye...Jon, a lovely post on a great film. For several years in the forties, Powell and Pressburger created one masterpiece after another, and though I love them all, "The Red Shoes" is my favorite. I like the way you isolated the film's theme of artistic obsession and the choice Vicky has to make between love and art. I also like the way you gave credit to Anton Walbrook. I absolutely agree that his Lermontov is the dominant performance in the film and one of the great screen performances of all time.R. D. Finchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05045080274131718843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-50190358930441942702012-03-09T09:16:59.049-05:002012-03-09T09:16:59.049-05:00@ Samuel- Thanks for the comment! I had seen this ...@ Samuel- Thanks for the comment! I had seen this a few times before, but for some reason Walbrook stood out even moreso this time.<br />@ Rudy- Thanks for stopping by. It's a gorgeous film.<br />@ David- It IS one of Scorsese's favorites and I did see the Cardiff doc which sheds some nice light on this film and his work. Glad you enjoyed the screen caps. I don't normally include this many, but they're too beautiful not to include them. <br />@ Sam- Thanks as always for your support. Black Swan I like, but the genesis of it would clearly be found in The Red Shoes. I go back and forth myself on Powell and Pressburger's best work. It's generally whatever I'm watching at that minute that I consider their best. What's so remarkable is their work remains so fresh and vital. Their works seem hardly to age at all. There's such a timeless modernity to the work. It's self aware, passionate stuff that never ages. At least in their best works it feels this way.Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10656287096270976604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-2792838077276085302012-03-08T21:45:22.175-05:002012-03-08T21:45:22.175-05:00"If The Red Shoes isn’t the greatest film eve..."If The Red Shoes isn’t the greatest film ever about artistic obsession, I’m not sure what is."<br /><br />Well Jon, there are some BLACK SWAN fans out there who would make some claim for that statement, but be rest assured I'm not one of them! Ha! What you say here is dea-on, and your artistic appraisal is magnificent, as is your screen cap display. In the last two years I am inclined to favor either THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP or BLACK NARCISSUS as Powell and Pressberger's absolute masterpiece, but THE RED SHOES definitely pushes close. Yes, Jack Cardiff's color cinematography is utterly ravishing, and ranls among the most gorgeous ever produced. This is a wonderful appreciation of one of the cinema's supreme classics. Great work Jon!Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-76742762501321368702012-03-08T01:41:35.858-05:002012-03-08T01:41:35.858-05:00I think this is also one of Scorsese's favorit...I think this is also one of <a href="http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2012/directors-choice19-great-directors-top-10-favorite-films/" rel="nofollow">Scorsese's favorite color films</a>.Did you watch <a href="http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2011/6-things-you-might-like-to-know-about-jack-cardiff/" rel="nofollow">the documentary about Jack Cardiff</a>? <br /><br />I prefer this to Black Narcissus because of the climax ballet scene and the story of the internal struggle between career and love of a woman.The screencaps are gorgeous,I believe they are from the Criterion Blu-ray.Davidhttp://www.tasteofcinema.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-56396522665872034512012-03-07T19:30:25.889-05:002012-03-07T19:30:25.889-05:00"...it’s Anton Wallbrook’s performance as Bor..."...it’s Anton Wallbrook’s performance as Boris that really stands out, not only as the best performance in the film, but one of the all-time great performances in any film."<br /><br />Yup. And I'm often tempted to drop the "one of." Beautiful screencaps, by the way.Samuel Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00934870299522899944noreply@blogger.com