The Red Shoes (1948)

The Powell and Pressburger film 'The Red Shoes' (1948) has an interesting sequence in it. The film evolves around a dancers role in 'The red shoes' ballet and her love which is torn between to men. The sequence I am mentioning is a chapter of the film in which 'The red shoes' ballet is performed in front of a theatre audience. I first came across this scene by itself without watching the rest of the film which came before or after. By watching this scene and not the rest of the film I was fascinated by what I thought was a short film about the story of the red shoes. The scene begins with an man in the audience opening a theatre guide which contained the cast and crew, including photographs which I assumed where the real names, people and photographs of the actors within this 'short film' as I took this peek into a theatre guide to be the credits of the film. The ballet is filmed with shots of lights on stands at the sides of the stage, sound and film editing and special effects such as superimposition. I took this to be a film which did nothing to hide the fact that it was a film. To take this scene in such a way based upon some incorrect assumptions this sequence was to me fascinating and a very powerful work of art utilizing the techniques of theatre and film to create one work of art beautifully executed. Even to ignore my incorrect interpretation of this scene it remains a part of film which stands up as a work of art. My incorrect interpretation of this extract of the film lead me to experience it in a way which created through misunderstanding a new and unique experience of this extract. This unique experience of viewing was based upon a situation which was created in my mind and conjoined with the film I was watching. It is this chance misinterpretation which endears this moment to me.

The visuals of the film are stunning. The ballet's music makes up the only sounds of the scene, we watch the main character move upon the stage in silence and silently dance into a dream like sequence where the films special effects come into play much more. The characters decent off of the stage and into a dream world represents her complete rapture in the role she is performing, internalizing the story and performance to give a convincing performance. The scene was for me about an actresses engagement with a role whilst she performs. Indeed now knowing the full film and story this scene is still the case, we see an actress using personal emotions and experience coupled with situations and charters in the ballet to invoke a more genuine performance.
The shots of the stage lights behind the curtains and the gradual integration of film techniques with the ballet following my incorrect assumption, would show that the film was made to reveal that it is a film, reminding the audience that they are not watching a ballet but watching a film of a ballet, a cut and edited film of a ballet which was produced and performed solely for the film.