The Packed Operahouse
The Red Shoes opens with a shot of two doormen holding back the opera house doors as students are piled on the other side, eager to get in. This image conveys how Lermontov's ballet is a spectacle like no other, leading people to compete just to get the best seats. At the front of the pack stands Julian, burning with desire to be a part of it all: this image powerfully conveys the reputation of Lermontov's company, depicting how eagerly the public celebrates his performances.
The Evil Shoemaker
In the performance of the ballet The Red Shoes, the young ballerina is gifted a pair of stunning red pointe shoes by an unhinged-looking shoemaker. The camera lingers on the shoemaker at length; his choreography exaggerates inhuman motions while his makeup draws attention to his oversized, sinister features. This image foreshadows the shoes' dark magic, as their wearer cannot stop dancing, and eventually dies of exhaustion. When one considers that Lermontov's own aims are aligned with the shoes and the shoemaker—he desires to keep his dancers working at all costs—this image becomes especially powerful, subtly likening the sinister shoemaker to Lermontov himself.
The Magic Shoes
In the ballet-within-the-film performance of The Red Shoes, the coveted red shoes magically slip onto the dancer's feet as the ribbons tie themselves around her ankles and she levitates en pointe. This image is striking thanks to some movie magic that was revolutionary for the time: the shoes work thanks to groundbreaking special effects. This image is especially stunning given the shoes' symbolic relevance to the rest of the film: they represent the force that tries to break Vicky and Julian apart, perhaps paralleling Lermontov's borderline-deranged dedication to art. Because the shoes appear to violate the laws of physics as they adhere to Vicky's feet, they stick in the viewer's mind as particularly important, which they will indeed prove to be at the end of the film.
The Hotel de Paris
When the Ballet Lermontov arrives in Monte Carlo, they stay at the Hotel de Paris, a real-life hotel renowned for its luxurious accommodations. The camera lingers on establishing shots of the hotel's glorious architecture, emphasizing its palatial beauty. The richness of this imagery underscores how successful the Ballet Lermontov is, exemplifying the glamour of performing with the company. Lermontov will leverage this sense of luxury and celebrity as he attempts to persuade Vicky to choose the company over Julian, suggesting that he can offer her a life of celebrity where, it is implied, everything will be as beautiful as the Hotel de Paris.
Lermontov's Office
At several points throughout the film, Lermontov is seen at his desk in a grand office with a two-story semicircular window behind him. The room is arranged such that he appears to rule over everything visible in the window behind him, situating him in a privileged position relative to everyone and everything in his proximity. This structure of power is precisely the kind of authority that Lermontov projects to his company, and signifies the unfettered creative control that he demands.
