I spent last Friday afternoon luxuriating in the glow of the Criterion Blu-ray of The Red Shoes (20 July). Shoes happens to be one of my favorite films, so take my bias into account when I say that this is one of the few 2010 Blu-rays that really shows the format off handsomely.
Image swiped from DVD Beaver's review of the BFI disc
Ever since I was introduced to Shoes a decade ago, I've re-watched it at least twice a year. Last December, I had the great luck to watch the new digitally-restored version theatrically at Butt-Numb-a-Thon 11. The new Criterion Blu perfectly reproduces that theatrical experience from six months ago for me. As a (relatively) longstanding admirer of the film, the restored picture is still breathtaking after a third viewing.
The new-to-this-edition, four to five minute "restoration intro" with Martin Scorsese does an excellent job of showing off how much work had to be done to save the movie. It made me miss the days when a "restoration demonstration" featurette was common on vintage Criterion releases. When I talk to other people my age who have no track record with this movie, they don't appreciate how much work was done to save the technicolor vibrancy of the movie. Some have seen the restoration and said to me, "yeah, it looks good, so what?" and I kick right back with, "So what? Everyone had strawberry milkshake-colored skin before, this is a miracle."
The other newly-added supplements include a Cannes 2009 interview with Thelma Schoonmaker-Powell and the 25-minute Profile of "The Red Shoes" (2000) documentary. I'm more used to seeing Thelma credited as Scorsese's longtime editor and Powell's widow, but I've never seen her interviewed until now. The chat breezes by and left me wanting more. Profile, I should note, features generous bits of interview time with the legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff (African Queen and Black Narcissus, among others). Cardiff passed away after a long life just last April. The new stuff perfectly compliments all of the previous edition's extras, which are all left intact. All around, this is a perfect example of how to improve an already-solid release.
If you've seen Red Shoes and have any appreciation for the power and glory of cinema, there's no reason to hesitate ordering this new edition. Even as a blind buy, don't we all owe ourselves something that's equally indulgent and satisfying now and then? At the time of this writing, Amazon has the Criterion Store beat by a dollar, listing the Red Shoes Blu at $30.99.