The Red Shoes (1948) can be seen as a huge influence on Aronofsky's Black Swan. This classical tale of tragedy centers around the story of a ballerina torn between romantic love and her passion. The film centers around the nature of artistic passion and the validity of the claim that in order to make true beauty, an artist must sacrifice everything. When Victoria, a dancer, is caught between two passions she is forced to make a choice. However, true passion is all-consuming, it doesn't just open its hand and let you go. Faced with this realization, Victoria is crushed by the resulting paradox.
The movie is an enjoyable watch with beautifully shot dance scenes and a strong orchestral score. Although it doesn't have Aronofsky's haunting mind behind it, it does serve to be a strong commentary on what we expect of our artists and what the thirst for beauty will drive people to do. As a culture, we place almost unreasonable expectations upon our entertainers, who sacrifice for their craft and for public appeal. The Red Shoes pulls away the curtain and reveals the obsession behind the art, and the tragic consequences that can result. If you're looking for a strong ballet movie and Black Swan hasn't opened near you, The Red Shoes will sate your appetite. It's now streaming on Netflix.
Saw it back in September. It's a great movie, especially on the big screen-they had it as part of a film series here
ReplyDelete