"""“It was in the reign of George III that the aforesaid personages lived and quarreled; good or bad, handsome or ugly, rich or poor, they are all equal now.” – William Makepeace Thackeray, ‘The Luck of Barry Lyndon” A recurring motif in fable and parable is that of the man that loses, trades or sells his shadow in his earthly pursuits. The motif can be seemingly benign as in “Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up,” or rather more troubling as in Von Chamisso’s “Peter Schlemihl,” or Hans Christian Andersen, but it is invariably loaded with existential and symbolic consequence…"""

"Freely adapted from a story by Hans Christian Andersen. It’s a must for anyone interested in the art of
 film. It always seems to me a work of true madness about a descent into madness. Original and timeless, it’s also a glorious celebration of classical
 ballet and the pain and effort it takes to make it. The matchless beauty of 
Moira Shearer is captured by the cinematography of Jack Cardiff, and Anton
 Walbrook (as the impresario of the ballet company) gives an unforgettable 
performance, one that alone is worth the price of admission. The film is a
 transcendent experience, and the Criterion Blu-ray gives new luster to
 the imagery and sound. You need to see this, unless, like me, you’ve
 already watched it endlessly."