The Red Shoes

People will tell you that you don’t have to appreciate ballet to enjoy watching The Red Shoes. These are people who love the ballet and are on the scout for new recruits to their passion. If the movie is meant to work as a serious piece of drama it fails miserably. The characters, particularly the ridiculous Lermontov, a camp old queen with delusions of grandeur. Any real ballet star would beat the crap out of him. Most (all) of the characters are paper-thin caricatures. The most unintentionally amusing is Ivan played by the Australian, Sir Robert Helpmann, who must surely be the gayest man who ever lived. If you do not enjoy ballet you should stay well clear of this movie. In fact, I’d go further and say that even if you love Ballet you should approach it with caution. It may put you off for life.