The Red Shoes

Classic Powell and Pressburger drama about an aspiring ballerina who is presented with a stark choice between her artistic ambitions and the man she loves. The film, justly famous for a ballet sequence credited by many as the best on film, has at its heart Victoria Page (Moira Shearer), a talented young ballerina hired to work on an adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen tale, 'The Red Shoes'. The production is overseen by Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook), a ballet impresario who rules his domain with a rod of iron, making the careers of those he champions but demanding absolute loyalty and dedication to the art of ballet in return. When Boris discovers that Victoria has fallen in love with Julian (Marius Goring), the ballet's composer, he becomes convinced that the affair will distract his leading lady and presents her with a choice - the ballet or Julian? Will the young ballerina be able to choose between her two great loves?