“A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never.” (Boris Lermontov in The Red Shoes) What pressures and conflicts are produced by, or put upon, human intimacy in literary works set in the capital?
The 1984 film, ‘The Red Shoes’, based on the fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen, was written, produced and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. The film trails the pressures of a talented dancer, Victoria Page, played by renowned British ballet dancer Moira Shearer King, and the turmoil that followers her between two lovers and two capital cities.
Victoria Page faces multifaceted pressures and conflicts regarding human intimacy, while simultaneously struggling with the same notion travelling between London and Paris. These capital cities hold massive presence for the notoriously well-established dance company she emanates to dance for. ‘The model for the Lermontov company was clearly the Ballets Russes companies that continued to tour after Diaghilev’s death in 1929, and their style and allure is wonderfully evoked in both the film’s Covent Garden and Monte Carlo scenes’ The acclaimed company director Boris Lermontov, played by Anton Walbrook, and the orchestra’s conductor Julian Craster, played by Marius Goring, play a game of tug-of-war claiming and objectifying Victoria. Victoria ultimately has to choose between her love life and her career. Human intimacy, or lack thereof, sadly leads to Victoria manically committing suicide.
When considering London and Paris, and the pressures and conflicts produced by human intimacy, there must be a direct relationship between the characters and the capital cities. The character Victoria is British, from an aristocrat background, and privileged to be propelled to the position of prima ballerina performing ‘The Red Shoes’. However, her admittance to the certified position was not easily attainable. She is described as a professional and not an amateur. Despite these regards, during the first fifteen minutes of the film, London’s work-life as a dancer creates conflict for Victoria. Lermontov says, ‘If I accept an invitation to a party… I do not expect to find myself at an audition’. This emphasises the ruthlessness it acquires for a dancer to attain roles in London’s performing world. The pressures to find work in a capital city are endless; the abundance of candidates, affirming auditions, accepting failure and recapitulating audition processes. All of the said notions require human intimacy to prevail and persevere through each pressure and in many cases, the pressures and conflicts amplify following a successful audition. ‘The Red Shoes’ allows Victoria to fulfil her life long passion to be a dancer and achieve notoriety and love, but this came at a very high cost. The following extended dialogue illustrates the extent to which she felt she must attain the previously stated notion:
My dear Miss Page, if I accept an invitation to a party…I do not expect to find myself at an audition.
Yes, you’re quite right.
Why do you want to dance?
Why do you want to live?
WeIl, I don’t know exactly why, but… I must.
That’s my answer too.
But at what cost? Despite her success, notoriety and love, her happiness is put on the line due to the extreme stress of living two lives. Living between two of the most industrious cities in the world, being driven yet steered away from both, damages her mental health to a state of psychosis and possession. The love triangle in ‘The Red Shoes’ frontiers Victoria’s success and puts a strain on her work. Thus sequently putting a strain on her love life and human intimacy too. The pressure that Victoria faces, to whom the Impresario is accountable for, although arguably Julian, her main lover, too, is critically linked to the inhumane treatment from her associates and the standard to which she must live up to. Aforementioned, the model for Lermontov’s company was based on The Ballets Russes; plausibly the most influential ballet company of all time. Based in Paris, performing between 1909–1929, the Ballets Russes’ Impresario, ‘Serge Pavlovich Diaghilev (1872–1929), dictator, devil, charlatan, sorcerer, charmer’, has very similar characteristics to Lermontov. Both, celebrities who revolutionised early 20th-century arts, hold massive entitled egos — which suggest the character Lermontov is influenced by Serge Pavlovich Diaghilev. Lermontov’s brutal approach to attain his success, similarly to ‘The Red Shoes’, was to hold complete control over the company. ‘As the driving force of the company, Diaghilev gathered a wide range of composers, choreographers, designers and performers, but maintained ultimate control over every aspect of the productions’. This control Lermontov ascertains creates a dynamic whereby he is invincible and to be feared. There are many times during the film, due to his extreme determination and devotion to Paris, and lack of human intimacy, where there lies uncertainty for his love toward Victoria.
I — I don’t want to stop her doing anything. She can dance when and where she likes.
- Except The Red Shoes.
- What about the boy?
That’s different. Everything he’s written while under contract to me is mine. That’s in the contract. The Red Shoes and his work so far on La Belle Meuniere. I am not interested in anything else he may write.
Upon reflecting on this exchange, acknowledging context during the final scenes of the film, I was confused as to why Lermontov was behaving in this manner (considering that afterwards he vehemently urges her to dance ‘The Red Shoes’). Although Lermontov had absolute power of the production, he didn’t have absolute power of Victoria. Their relationship is very turbulent throughout. Lermontov’s hierarchical professional status is shifted nearing the end of the film, as you can interpret his overt passion for Victoria’s ability to his overt passion for herself as a lover. Victoria’s hectic work life and fantasy love life cannot align together, especially in two different capital cities. Her decision is life changing. When reflecting on her work life I looked to Nikolas Rose ‘Governing the Soul: Shaping of the Private Self’. Rose states:
The path to business success lies in engaging the employee with the goals of the company at the level of his or her subjectivity, aligning the wishes, needs and aspirations of each individual who works for the organization with the successful pursuit of its objectives
Lermontov adheres to part of the said statement. Victoria’s ability to perform, as the leading role, her advanced technique subjectivity, definitely engaged successive business success. However, according to Rose, ‘needs and aspirations of each individual’ need to be aligned. Lermontov disregarded the fact that love and work can operate succinctly. Victoria wanted both London and Paris, Julian and ‘The Red Shoes’, to merge. Sequentially this unmerciful decision she made caused many conflicts. In reference to Julian Craster, throughout the film, many conflicts arise as an artist in London. Initially, his relationship with Lermontov is turbulent due to the plagiarism of his work. However, this is soon mitigated with Lermontov’s offer to orchestrate his production. Lermontov says, ‘it is worth remembering that it is much more disheartening to have to steal than to be stolen from’. This statement illustrates his power to subvert any accusation which he may be accountable for, denote his dominance, and win. Lermontov’s human intimacy does not play any part in his role as impresario, in fact, his lack of human intimacy highlights his superiority. The prestigiousness of the company in Covent Garden, and then touring in Monte Carlo, holds éclat, surpassing demand, and produces mass pressure for working artists. Soon after Julian is confronted with yet more ambivalence from the capital city. Firstly, upon arrival at his meeting with Lermontov, Julian has met the issue of actually getting into the institution. ‘Not on the list’ yet again emphasising the difficulty in working in London. And secondly, after fortuitously getting in, Julian receives a great scarcity of empathy by everyone inside the institution. Julian politely asks, ‘excuse me can you tell me who’s in charge here’, followed by ‘no idea mate, there’s about five or six of them that thinks they are’ and ‘oh don’t ask me anything young man, I’m just some bodies mother and that doesn’t mean much around here I can tell you’ .
In addition to Julain Craster’s conflicts stemming from living in London’s face-paced work culture, Victoria Page also struggles to attain work likewise as Julian and with additional pressures as a woman. The Guardian states, ‘ [The Red Shoes exhibits] a portrait of an age in which the marriage contract instantly nullified a woman’s professional identity’. This statement is coherent with Lermontov’s psychological relations with women throughout the film. Lermontov rejects the concept that women can work when they are in love. This is first majorly apparent when Irina Boronskaja, played by Ludmilla Tchérina, leaves the ballet to get married. Lermontov is completely blindsided with her decision and removes her completely from his cognisance. Therefore, Irina working as a ballerina, in Lermontov’s regard, is invalidated as her professional status has been removed and her domestic status as a wife has been admitted. Moreover, this considers a deeper psychological issue whereby Lermontov’s lack of human intimacy may originate. His profound actions seem to act as a coping mechanism to keep himself, or his ballet, from being hurt. This motif is repeated with Victoria Page, however, Lermontov offers an endearing authenticity toward Victoria and his love for her.
The New York Times states, ‘[The Red Shoes] is a symbolic realization of the theme of the principal ballet, which is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fable of the little girl who is bewitched by her red dancing shoes’. In addition, the fable and ballet is an allegory of Victoria’s life. Her passion to dance ultimately kills her. Lermontov states, ‘“A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never.” and perhaps he was right, or perhaps he aligned this ruthless destiny for her. Conclusively it was Lermontov’s lack of human intimacy that led to her death. For Victoria’s work life, the pressures and conflicts produced by working in the capital were linear; her passion to dance against her passion for love. Although working in the capital brought her countless treasures: she loved to dance, she loved ‘The Red Shoes’, she loved achieving her life long goals. Were these the constraints that killed her? Perhaps it was Julian’s selfish demands, aiming to claim her and steal her back, away from her passion, that caused greater conflicts in the capitals. Both of their careers are prospering, in Monte Carlo and Covent Garden, and their love life seemed subordinate in comparison. Despite the conflict that their capital cities held, they both chose to work over their human intimacy.
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Jack Groves
@jkgroovin
