The Red Shoes Page #5

Elle est si nerveuse.

Oh! ?a alors!

Boris, look here.

- Elephants. Clumsy elephants.

- Shh.

- They have ruined my decor.

- Calm youeself, Sergei.

But the door, the door.

It won't shut.

- Then somebody must hold it.

- Who? But who?

The call boy will have

nothing to do then anyway.

- Dimitri, get the call boy.

- Give it to me. Hold the door.

- Best of luck, Miss Page.

- I can't even remember my first entrance.

Oh, you mean you think

you can't remember it.

What about this?

[ Humming ]

Yes, that's it.

It's all right when I hear the music.

Since you are undoubtedly

going to hear the music...

it's undoubtedly going to be all right.

The music is all that matters

and nothing but the music.

If I had any doubts about you at all,

I should be nervous.

- Am I nervous?

- No.

You're not dancing for an audience.

You are dancing for Ljubov, Ratov, myself -

people for whom you've been

dancing many times before.

I believed in you

from the very beginning.

But now everybody does.

I want you to dance tonight

with the same ecstasy...

I've seen in you only once before.

At the Mercury Theatre?

Yes, at the Mercury Theatre in London...

on a wet Saturday afternoon.

- Forty seconds.

- Coming.

Good luck, my dear.

You're a magician, Boris, to have produced

all this in three weeks, and from nothing.

Not even the best magician in the world

can produce a rabbit out of a hat...

if there isn't aIready

a rabbit in the hat.

- [ Ends ]

- [ Audience Applauding ]

It's a pity the theater only holds 300.

We could have filled

the Albert Hall tonight.

But what we are creating tonight, the whole

world will be talking of tomorrow morning.

Good boy.

Rideaut.

[ Orchestra ]

[ Audience Applauding ]

[ Audience Cheering ]

[ Bells Chiming ]

[ Audience Applauding ]

[ Applause Continues, Cheering ]

[ Whistling ]

[ Stops ]

[ Whistling Resumes ]

[ Holds Note ]

?a va? Any swelling?

I mean the head.

All that clapping, bravos, roses.

Poof! All that's nothing.

But when I, who have seen

Pavlova, Karsarvina dance...

tell you that last night

you were not bad -

not good, but not bad -

that's something.

Now I tell you truth.

It was... good.

- Thank you, Mr. Ljubov.

- My name is Grischa.

- Mine is Vicky.

- How do you do?

Arm straighter. So.

Boris Lermontov wants to see you.

Why in class time? Why?

[ Chattering ]

[ Snaps Fingers ]

Silence!

E - Bras.

- More cables, Boris Lermontov.

- Hello, hello?

- Yes. Who is it? Oh, it's you!

- Monsieur Lermontov -

Une seconde. Je vous en prie.

No, no, no. It's fine.

Thank you so much for ringing me.

You are not disturbing me at all.

- I always have time for congratulations.

- Monsieur Lermontov -

[ Speaking French ]

- Oh, yes, I agree. The music -

- [ Snaps Fingers ]

- [ French ]

- Monsieur Lermontov -

- A most distinguished score.

- [ French ]

[ French ]

- Monsieur Craster?

- Oui.

- [ Indistinct ]

- Yes. Of course he's under contract to me.

Yes. He's going to.

He's starting on a new ballet.

Right away.

Full of gaiety and charm.

La Belle Meuniere,

book by Marcel Lucien.

Go away.

Yes. Oh, yes.

It's a wonderful role for her.

- Au revoir, Lermontov.

- Au revoir, chere madame.

- Not this season. Next season.

- [ French ]

Au revoir, Monsieur.

Merci beaucoup. Merci beaucoup.

Yes, it was very kind of you to ring me.

Thank you so much again. Thank you very much.

No more calls.

Not even congratulations.

[ French ]

Where are the Paris papers?

Thank you very much. Here.

[ French ]

WeIl, Mr. Craster, that's all.

Thank you very much. I am proud of you.

- Mr. Lermontov, I would like to tell you -

- Some other time, Mr. Craster, I beg of you.

- Ah,yes. La Belle Meuniere.

Do you read French?

- Yes.

- Read it, and we'll have a talk

about it some other time.

- Good-bye.

[ Woman ]

Mademoiselle Page.

Come in, Miss Page.

Come in. Sit down.

I want to talk to you

about your future.

When we first met

at Lady Neston's...

you asked me a question

to which I gave a stupid answer.

You asked me whether I wanted

to live, and Isaid yes.

Actually, Miss Page,

I want more, much more.

I want to create - to make something big

out of something littIe -

to make a great dancer... out of you.

But first, I must ask you

the same question.

What do you want from life?

- To live?

- To dance.

We have two months Ieft

of the season in Monte Carlo.

Not much time, but enough -

two months.

Then we go on tour.

Rome, Vienna, Copenhagen...

Stockholm, then America.

Then next year, London again.

All the big parts for you.

Coppelia, Lac des Cygnes, Giselle...

The Sleeping Princess,

Les Sylphides, La Boutique.

We will create them all afresh with you.

You shall dance.

And the world shall follow.

You shall - [ Shushes ]

Not a word.

I will do the talking.

You... will do the dancing.

[ Orchestra ]

[ Exclaims, Speaking French ]

Ah! Victoria Page.

[ French ]

- Good night, Boris.

- Good night, Grischa.

- She was not bad tonight.

- She'll be all right.

AIl right? Not bad?

But she's a flame, a spirit!

Une coryphee!

- [ Whistling ]

- StiIl not enough, Grischa?

- Good night, Boris.

- Good night, Sergei.

Vicky was wonderful in Boutique.

Just a little Dresden shepherdess.

[ Man ]

We should reconstruct the theater.

- What's wrong with the theater?

- It's too small.

- Good night, Lermontov.

- Good night, Livy.

- Her timing's a miracle.

- Keep her up to it.

[ Orchestra ]

- Good night, Boris.

- Good night, Grischa.

- Good night, Boris.

- Good night, Sergei.

- Good night, Mr. Lermontov.

- Good night, Vicky.

[ Orchestra ]

- [ Door Opens ]

- Good night, Boris.

- Good night, Sergei.

- [ Door Closes ]

Eh, thank you, Monsieur Boudin.

That's all.

- Good night, Boris.

- Good night, Grischa.

- Boudin.

- Oui?

Tell me, which is esteemed to be the very

best restaurant this year on the coast?

- La Reserve.

- Oui, oui. La Reserve.

- Good night, Lermontov.

- Good night, Livy.

Book me a table.

- For... two?

- Yes.

[ Speaking French ]

- Julian.

- Yes?

I never said good night

to Lermontov.

Monsieur Dimitri?

No, Miss Page has still not come in.

[ French ]

Monsieur Ratov?

Uh, not here either.

Monsieur Ljubov? 31 7 - no.

[ Speaking French ]

Ah, Monsieur Dimitri,

I have just heard.

They've all gone to supper at the old port

at Villefranche with Monsieur Ljubov.

C'est son anniversaire!

His birthday.

- [ Accordion ]

- [ People Chattering, Laughing ]

[ Woman ]

Formidable!

- [ Grischa Speaking French ]

- [ Cork Pops ]

- Voila!

- [ All Cheering ]

[ Laughing ]

Mes cheris!

[ Man ]

Just pour the wine.

[ French ]

- Voici le gateau!

- Voila!

[ Speaking French ]

[ VehicIe Approaching ]

- [ Engine Stops ]

- Boris Lermontov!

[ All Exclaiming ]

Good evening, Grischa.

Am I permitted to join your party?

Get me a chair!

What a pleasure, Boris! Quellejoie!

A chair for Boris Lermontov!

Two chairs for Boris Lermontov!

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