Original subtitles

When I was a little girl, I went to see a movie called The Red Shoes.

It was a very scary film.

It was about a ballerina who couldn't stop dancing...

...once she put on the magical red shoes.

Her every move was breathtakingly beautiful...

...as long as those shoes were on her feet.

The dancing mesmerised me.

I quickly forgot how scared I was and began ballet classes that very day.

From that moment on, I was hooked on dancing for life.

I just couldn't stop.

I even got red ballet shoes and was well on my way...

...to making my mark as a dancer...

...until the Black Ghost took it all away from me.

Thank you.

Enjoy your visit. l’ll pick you up after the festivities, all right?

That’s great. Yeah.

I never expected to spend Christmas in Paris again.

But here I am.

By the way, thanks for getting me here.

Just enjoy every minute you’re here.

Thanks, I will.

I can hear the crew.

Sounds like they’re worried about me going by myself.

I still feel it's not a good idea.

She shouldn’t walk around alone.

We’re never sure where Black Ghost is going to turn up.

Let’s remember, we’re not talking about an ordinary girl.

I mean she’s no child.

How old is she really going to be this year?

That info's taboo.

Relax, she's not around here.

But she can hear every word we say just the same.

It's a sentimental journey into her past life.

I guess she still misses her home and needs to see it.

Plus it's a wonderful city to visit, especially at this time of year.

Christmas in Paris.

I'll bet she has some fond memories that she'd like to relive.

Besides, she could use a break.

Nothing seems to have changed very much.

There are sections of old neighbourhoods...

...where it looks like time is standing still.

My old apartment building hasn't changed a bit either.

Hey, Jean-Paul!

I'm off to work, Francoise!

Okay, see you later!

The people who used to live here are all long gone.

Jean!

Jean, I made it!

I got an offer to dance with a ballet company!

That's terrific, Francoise.

Bravo!

You did it!

Stop it, Jean-Paul.

Put me down, I'm not a child.

You're a prima donna, sis.

You have to dance with me. Come on.

I'm so happy.

Now that I've become a professional dancer...

...you really don't have to support me anymore.

Oh, don't be foolish.

With all the outfits you need, you now have more expenses.

You're my sister, let me give you some money.

I don't want you to.

I'll figure out a way to take care of everything.

Jean-Paul, I'd rather not see you doing acrobatic stunts anymore.

The money isn't as important as your life.

It was scary to watch you practise.

That beat up-plane isn't safe.

Hey, hey. That was Dad's plane. I can't give it up.

I don't want you to worry about anything.

I've always pictured you as a world-class ballet dancer, you know?

Our folks pictured that too.

They would want me to help.

Don't worry about anything, just dance.

Be your very best for them.

Be a great ballerina.

If there's something you need...

...I swear I'll always be there.

Poor Jean-Paul.

We're really going to have to practise hard.

No kidding. The new choreography is impossible.

But it looks fab.

And the recital's in just a few days.

I haven't gotten it together. My jeté looks funky.

Yeah, right, like I'm gonna do that.

You can't be Natalie.

Sorry about that, I guess I was mistaken.

I thought you were someone I used to know...

...so long ago.

So long ago?

That's so weird.

Maybe she's a ballet groupie.

They sure looked like my old dance friends.

And just for a moment, I believed it.

I guess because Paris hadn't changed from the time I grew up here...

...I imagined that Natalie had stayed the same too.

So many years have gone by...

...but being here makes it seem like everything...

...happened to me just yesterday.

Hey, we're in luck, 004.

Dr. Gilmore has prepared a Christmas feast for us.

The whole thing's funny when you think about it...

...because our crew isn't exactly filled with the Christmas spirit.

009 won't be joining us, because he went to pick up 003.

Well, good for him.

I'll pass too.

Every Christmas I used to have wild parties with my theatre buddies.

We'd play charades, it was really a great time.

I heard that Britain is our next destination.

I really do miss my homeland every now and then.

How about you? Do you miss yours?

001 and myself were among the first subjects to be taken...

...and frozen cryogenically.

As horrible as that sounds...

...being frozen was far better...

...than spending another second in my country.

It would bring up far too many painful memories to go back there and visit.

I'm getting a strange feeling that I'm being followed.

Who is it? Who's following me?

The guy's just a phoney!

He's close, but where?

-Hey! -Excuse me.

Are you okay, miss? Maybe you had too much to drink.

No, I haven't had a drink.

I'll be all right, really. Thanks.

Have some of this.

It's water.

I feel kind of funny. What's going on?

I can't understand.

What's happening to me?

What is it?

Where is everyone?

Tonight is Christmas Eve.

I should hear people celebrating.

I wonder why Paris is so quiet.

Good evening.

You're the same girl I saw earlier.

You study ballet.

You used to be my friend, Francoise.

What? Who are you?

I thought I was your best friend...

...though sometimes you made me so mad I hated you.

Come on, best friends fight. Why are you so angry?

Natalie, tell me, I need to know if you're really who you say you are.

You're just a big quitter. That's the truth.

Francoise, what made you stop dancing?

You were easily the best and the only one of us to be chosen...

...to follow the dream we had...

...of dancing with a professional ballet company.

Did you forget our dream?

No, I couldn't do that to us.

I remember exactly what you said that day.

-Oh, Francoise. -What, Natalie?

We tried so hard. We all wanted to be picked so badly...

...but you beat us all and reached the top.

You're the one. So now you have to do this for us.

If you ever quit ballet...

-... I'll never forgive you. -Listen to me, Natalie.

It has always been my dream to dance forever.

That's all I ever wanted.

But fate changed that.

I'll never forget the day the company car arrived at the door.

I was hurried out, I said goodbye to my brother and got in that car.

Then my nightmare started.

It's going to be a long trip.

I think you should take a short little nap.

The ballet company offer was just a trap that Black Ghost had set for me.

His scientists cryogenically froze me.

I remained in this state for years, forgetting all about dancing.

But that's in the past. Why aren't you dancing now?

You must dance.

I can't. I can't.

But with your talent, you have a responsibility to dance.

Forget about your friends.

But how...? But how would you know about my friends?

-Come on, let's go. -No!

What's the matter, Francoise? Scared?

No, sir. I haven't found her yet.

And she hasn't called in.

Maybe she's having so much fun, she's lost track of time.

That's very unlikely for her. She's always been so prompt.

I wonder if she's all right.

Hey, where you been hiding?

Are you really here? Jean-Paul?

Of course I'm here.

Because I've missed you, sis.

You're acting strangely.

What's happening?

Dance, Francoise, just dance.

Don't ever stop.

No, Jean-Paul, please don't go!

You're the best, Francoise.

You have to dance. Dance for me right now!

003, where are you?

I've looked everywhere.

She's just gone.

That looks like a biplane from the '40s.

I have to dance.

My fans are here.

I must dance. I have no choice.

003!

003!

Please don't interrupt.

I'm dancing.

003.

What's the matter with you?

Go away. Don't make me stop.

No!

You must listen to me! You've gotta stop dancing, it's dangerous.

Wake up!

Do not come any closer.

You can't stop me. I wanna dance.

Just give it up for now.

You have to stop this.

I won't stop. Never.

Dancing's my life.

Joe.

Did I do this? Was it me, Joe?

I never meant to.

Merry Christmas, Francoise.

But how did you find me here?

I can't explain it...

...but I followed that biplane and that's what led me right here to you.

It's my father's.

Your father's? But....

Oh, Jean-Paul.

This little unit is a brain-wave control device.

This is what caused 003 to have all those hallucinations.

Do you think it was Black Ghost's intention...

...to permanently damage her psyche with that?

That is possible.

Or it could have been a warning of some kind.

-About what? -About him.

It may be his way of letting us know...

...that he's watching us everywhere we go...

...and can attack at any time he chooses.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have used an external unit...

-... that could be broken so easily. -What would've broken it?

It must have been jolted in some way.

Most likely, by the time you caught up with her, it was already broken.

So then why did I find her still trapped within the hallucination?

I don't know for sure. It's hard to give a precise explanation.

It's possible that nightmare and desire get mixed together in hallucinations.

Perhaps in 003's subconscious mind, there is a strong desire to dance...

...which she suppressed when those who cared for her were gone.

But when they returned in her illusion, she danced for them and loved it...

...was obsessed by it, and just couldn't stop.

Thanks for explaining things, professor.

In the story of the magical red shoes...

...the ballerina can't stop dancing while the shoes are on her feet.

That may sound scary, but I don't think she ever wanted to take them off.

I know how happy she felt while she was dancing.

I felt the same way.

I think what's really scary is having to hang up those red shoes for good.