In this interpretive dance-filled silent film, the girl in the red dress (Dominique Miranda) and the man in the suit (Louis J. Parker) play a game of cat-and-mouse in the woods, with ever-changing power dynamics. At first, the girl in red seems to be the one controlling the situation, drawing the man ever deeper into the forest with her dance. At some point, however, the dance turns less playful and the girl finds herself being the one chased deeper and deeper into the woods.
Just as Red Riding is full of interpretative dance, what the short means is open to your interpretation. You can take it as its title suggests, that this is another variation on the Red Riding Hood tale, you can go about trying to decipher what the different facial expressions, movements and other situations in the short film suggest or you can combine everything into one big artistic gumbo. However you look at it, it seems to work beautifully.
Visually, the short is a spectacular work. Believe me, you could have folks dancing in front of a camera and it could be the most boring, ridiculous thing ever seen, so credit is due when someone knows not just where to put the camera, but how to integrate the camera into the dance itself. Likewise the editing flow must keep with the rhythm, which is established by a strong music score by Icelandic composer Biggi Hilmars.
Red Riding is a stunning short film to experience. Even if you see it as nothing more than two people dancing, at least they’re two people dancing well. There’s artistic craft in every corner of this film, and massive compliments to Louis J. Parker and Dominique Miranda for not just performing in the short, but being the filmmakers behind it as well.
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