My class teacher gave me this film ('The Red Shoes') to research in order to gather some inspiration, it is based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson. It is about a girl called Karen who is adopted by a rich lady after her mothers death but grows up vain. Before she was adopted Karen had a round pair of red shoes, and now she tricks her adoptive mother into buying her a new pair of red shoes. Karen wears these shoes repeatedly to church without paying attention to the service, ignoring the anger of her adopted mother and disapproving stares at her wearing these red shoes to church. When her adoptive mother become ill, Karen deserts her preferring to attend a party in her red shoes. A mysertious solider appears and makes a strange remark about what beautiful dancing shoes Karen had, soon after Karen begins to dance and can't stop, the shoes take over, she cannot control them and they are stuck to her feet. Karen can't attend her adoptive mothers funeral because of the shoes, an angel then appears to her and condemns her to dance even after she dies as a warning to vain children everywhere, Karen begs for mercy but the red shoes take her away before she hears the angels reply. Karen in despair finds an executioner and asks him to chop off her feet, when he does the shoes still continue to dance, thinking she had suffered enough for the red shoes, Karen decides to go to church in order for the people to see her, but the red shoes dance before her barring the way, this happens the following week too. She now does not dare go to church instead sat at home alone and prayed to God for help, the angel reappeared and gave Karen the mercy she asked for he heart becomes so full of joy that it bursts, her soul then goes to heaven where no one mentions the red shoes.
The 1948 Film Plot
'Red Shoes' is a British film that focuses on a ballet dance, it was produced in 1948 by the team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, who are collectively known as The Archers. The film employs the 'story within a story' device, as it is based on the fair tale 'The Red Shoes' (Hans Christian Anderson). It is about a pair of enchanted crimson ballet slippers, the narrative followes the three characters; the young, beautiful socialite Vicky Page who holds a great love for ballet, he lover Julian Craster and her directorial director Boris Lemontove. Within the film Vicky attracts the attention of the famous director Lemontove and is promised by him "You shall dance, and the world shall follow", however this is only the basis that if she dances he will control everything else. On this basis Vicky rises to fame as the prima ballerinas in a world class Ballet company, however when Lermontov discovers the relationship between Vicky and Julian he dictates to Vicky that she must chose and must give up either Julian or her dancing. He is shocked however when she chooses Julian over ballet and leaves the company, and convinced that she will return to him in the future.She does miss the dancing, and when offered the change to dance in 'The Red Shoes' ballet show, she tries to resit but eventually gives in. Julian is furious at her choice as it appears that Lermontov has convinced him to leave him, Juilian then chases after her arriving as she prepares to dance 'The Red Shoes' ballet. Vicky tries to explain how she has missed her ballet, but did not want to leave him but when Lermontov enters he reinforces the apparent betrayal pf Vick, so Julian gives her the ultimatum, dancing or their marriage.Vicky is so distresses at the rapidly escalating tension and competition between the two crucial men in her life that all she can do is cry broken heartily, unable to contemplate losing either part of her life. Lermontov takes this as a victory and gloats, which causes Julian to leave, when lermontov comforts her a little he promises "...And from now onwards you will dance! Like never before". However whilst being escorted to the stage, still wearing the red shoes Vicky is seized by an irresistible impulse and runs out of the theatre, completely distraught she throws herself off a balcony in front of the approaching train. Julian cradles her crushed body and obeys her final request to "take of the red shoes..." Lermontov shaken and knowing his part in the tragedy appears to the audience and announces that she will never dance again however the company performs 'The Red Shoes', with just a lone spotlight taking the place of Vicky onstage. The performance is ghostly with the hidden meaning of "life rushes by, but the red shoes dance on...!
Thoughts...Thoughts...Thoughts
The reason why I focused on the original fairytale and later the film is because similar to my idea of the main object within the film being shoes, the object that is continuously present within my film is different peoples shoes. By analysing both he fairy tale and film production, I have been able to establish an idea of how if need I could incorporate my idea of focusing on a person shoes into a more structured narrative. I have also found both from here and the advert research that I conducted that the primary colour red is used for the central shoes, this I feel is because as a colour it not only is bright and eye catching but also can hold lots of meaning, from love and romance to evil and horror, it is a diverse colour and one which I am going to incorporate in a pair shoes within my film.
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