The film's use of color was a landmark breakthrough. It was a process different and superior to technicolor. We can do it today in say, Kodacolor, and "The Red Shoes" did indeed quite approximate it but good as that was, it did not equal SF, I wonder if Martin Scorcese, who did a commentary for "The Red Shoe" saw it. I'm sure he would have been impressed and if someone could get to him today he might even promote putting it on DVD just for gras artis gras. The film was of some importance politically too in that it was the first kind of cultural exchange gesture the Soviets made at the height of the cold war. We probably sent them "Gone With The Wind." I mean that.