"Why do you want to live?"

Fall of '48 post #1

The Red Shoes

September 6, 1948

Starring Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook, and Marius Goring

A talented but undiscovered ballet dancer by the name of Vicky Page (Shearer) gets her big break and sets her career in motion when she meets the ruthless but extraordinary director Boris Lermontov (Walbrook) at a small after party for one of her dance recitals. Lermontov watched her dance and was somewhat impressed, so approached her afterwards. By talking to Vicky, he learned what true passion she had for dance--that it didn't matter to her who she danced for, whether she was famous or got paid for it, but that the only thing that mattered was that she simply dance, because she loved it so much. After that night, Lermontov decides to take her on and train her as one of his pupils. He never truly realized her potential and her gift until he watched her perform a part in Swan Lake.  Lermontov then approaches Vicky and tells her how impressed he is with her and extends an invitation for her to accompany his studio to Paris.

While in Paris, the star prima ballerina of Lermontov's company makes the decision to try and balance a personal life and her career, so she gets married--a choice that Lermontov finds infuriating and unacceptable. He makes the clear statement in front of all of his dancers saying, "A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love will never be a great dancer. Never." And from that time on, he begins to take a new interest in Vicky, believing that she would make an excellent replacement and lead dancer. So, he has Julian Craster (Goring) create a new dance called The Red Shoes, and everything revolves around Vicky--his new rising star. Unbeknownst to anybody else, Vicky and Julian fall in love and begin an affair while working together on The Red Shoes. Their secret is safe for a while, but eventually Lermontov discovers that the two are lovers and he is furious. He approaches Julian and reprimands him for the affair--for tampering with Vicky's career--and he demands that the two no longer see eachother. When Julian refuses, he is fired from the company. Lermontov believes that will solve the problem, but Vicky and Julian are in love, and when she learns that Julian is leaving the company, she goes with him. Lermontov frees her from her contract, and the two lovers move to London where they get married and live quite happily together.

Some time later, Vicky goes on a vacation to Monte Carlo, and whilst travelling is approached by Lermontov, who begs her to return to the company just to perform in a revival of The Red Shoes. She agrees, but on opening night, while Vicky and Lermontov are backstage, Julian appears wanting to take her home, because he wants to keep her safe from the destructive lifestyle of Lermontov. Julian and Lermontov go head to head, and Vicky, emotionally torn between her love for her husband and her love of dance, does not know what to do. Yet since she did not automatically choose to go with Julian instead of stay and dance with Lermontov, Julian believes he has lost her, so he leaves them to go to the railway station.

While standing in her costume backstage, Vicky realizes that she can dance anywhere and under any circumstances to get enjoyment out of it, but she will never be happy without Julian so she runs out of the theater and to the railway station to stop him from leaving. Julian is on the platform, waiting to board his train when he sees Vicky running. Desperate to reach him, she climbs over a balcony, but falls out onto the track in front of the oncoming train. Vicky dies, and Lermontov is shocked to hear the news almost instantaneously back at the theater. He goes out in front of the audience and tells them of the tragic accident. But the show must go on, so The Red Shoes is performed as scheduled, but where Vicky would be dancing on stage, there is only an empty spotlight.

The musical drama The Red Shoes was released on September 6, 1948, making it our first movie to help us get in gear and go back in time to the fall of 1948. The film was a success, grossing five million dollars at the box office. Moira Shearer, the star of the film who plays Vicky, made her film debut in The Red Shoes. She was an internationally famous ballet dancer from Scotland, and (in case you were wondering) was of no relation to Canadian actress Norma Shearer.

That is all of the first post of Fall of '48.

We'll see you next week, but in the mean time,

don't forget to:

Follow us on Twitter: @Think_Classic

Like our official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Think-Classic/143647305750809

"Lermontov: Why do you want to dance?

Vicky: Why do you want to live?

Lermontov: Well, I don't know exactly why but...I must.

Vicky: That's my answer too."