Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's 'The Red Shoes' (1948)

In this episode, I talk about Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1948 film, "The Red Shoes." It centers on Vicky Page, a young ballet dancer whose extraordinary talent brings her into a world where art demands total devotion and where love and ambition collide. I discuss "The Red Shoes" as a meditation on artistic calling, female ambition, and the desire for greatness. I’m interested in how the film portrays a woman who refuses to live a small life, and what happens when her boundless creative drive cannot be contained by the world around her. If you’d like to support my work and get access to bonus episodes and exclusive posts, you can join me on Patreon : patreon.com/herheadinfilmspodcast . You can follow me on Letterboxd . My email is herheadinfilms@gmail.com. My Sources: The Red Shoes (BFI Classics) by Pamela Hutchinson Original fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson Ian Christie on The Red Shoes The Red Shoes: Dancing for Your Life by David Ehrenstein Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

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Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's 'The Red Shoes' (1948) is an episode from Her Head in Films by Caitlin.

This episode is 01:20:03 long.

This episode was published on Feb 3, 2026.

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