Masterpiece! The ballet has got to be one of the most gorgeous things ever put on film.

Not quite what I was expecting. Much darker. Much more complex.

It is, of course, a technical wonder, right up there with Citizen Kane. Much of the plot is advanced without dialogue. The three-strip Technicolor is used to advantage, especially with Moira Shearer’s hair and the titular pointe shoes.

I was also impressed with the ballet sequence, particularly the fantasy elements of it. The stop-motion effects were believable, as was the manipulation of the camera speed to suggest longer jumps.

If you’re not one for dissecting shot length and camera angles, however, it’s still worth watching. Ultimately, it’s a story of three people destroyed by passion, something that is fascinating to watch in any context.