Honeymoon

The last of Powell's ballet films, unfortunately not a patch on The Red Shoes, or even The Tales of Hoffmann. A slim story - prima ballerina Tcherina travelling on honeymoon with Steel in Spain, and being drawn into performing again by Antonio - is thankfully enlivened by a couple of beautifully shot ballet sequences (music by Theodorakis and de Falla) choreographed by Antonio and Massine. Many of Powell's customary themes are there, including that of the ambivalence of artistic creation, but delivered in fairly lifeless fashion compared to his best work. That said, Georges Périnal's Technicolor camerawork is as stunning as ever.