"Dance she did, and dance she must - between her two loves"
The Red Shoes - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
Why do you want to dance?
— Boris Lermontov
Context:
This exchange occurs during Vicky and Lermontov's first significant meeting at an after-party. Lermontov is testing her commitment, and her profound, instinctual answer convinces him of her serious dedication to her art.
Meaning:
This question, and Vicky's reply ("Why do you want to live?"), encapsulates the film's central theme. It establishes that for a true artist, the drive to create is not a hobby or a profession, but a fundamental, existential need equivalent to life itself.
A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never.
— Boris Lermontov
Context:
Lermontov says this to Vicky after the prima ballerina Irina Boronskaya announces her engagement and he dismisses her. It is a warning to Vicky about the choice he believes she will inevitably have to make.
Meaning:
This line is the clearest articulation of Lermontov's rigid philosophy and the central conflict of the film. It presents art and love as mutually exclusive forces and serves as the ultimatum that drives the narrative towards tragedy.
Take off the red shoes.
— Victoria Page
Context:
Vicky says this to Julian after she has thrown herself from a balcony in front of a train. In this moment, the symbolic ballet shoes she wears have become indistinguishable from her fate, and their removal represents her final liberation.
Meaning:
These are Vicky's dying words, a desperate plea for release from the artistic obsession that has consumed and destroyed her. It signifies her final, tragic understanding that the art she lived for has become a curse, and only in death can she be free of its demands.
It is much more disheartening to have to steal than to be stolen from.
— Boris Lermontov
Context:
Lermontov says this to Julian Craster after Julian accuses his professor of plagiarizing his music for the ballet 'Heart of Fire'. Instead of being dismissive, Lermontov shows an understanding that acknowledges Julian's talent, leading to him hiring the young composer.
Meaning:
This quote reveals Lermontov's complex character. While he appears to be offering a magnanimous perspective, it also underscores his supreme confidence and power. He positions himself as the source of genius, so secure in his own creative wellspring that he can afford to be magnanimous about theft.