In chains, Michael was being led along a hallway by three uniformed guards for transfer to a maximum security prison.The film, shot on location in Arizona (near Elgin) and Mexico, authentically chronicles an epic, bleak and tough journey, similar to the ones inThe Odysseyor inExodus(in he Old Testament), that is fraught with external dangers, threats, ests of strength, and internal contentious tensions between its wo strong-willed, conflicting leaders: a hard-nosed, bitter, ruthless and tough commanding father (John Wayne in one of his best performances and his first film, of five, for Hawks) and his men, defiantly led by his less harsh, surrogate, adopted son (Montgomery Clift, in his first film, after being noticed acting in the Broadway stage production of Lillian Hellman""sThe Searching Wind)." As images of her appear (including one of them making love) during his dozings, he hears her insecurely asking and affirming: "Do you love me Joe? Do you love me? Love me? You""re the only one Joe."The musical tragedy took a realistic and close look at the backstage world of a ballerina.In some ways, the characters inThe Red Shoesresembled those in Busby Berkeley""sGold Diggers of 1935 (1935), and the plot line was reminiscent of heCinderellafairy-tale of a young girl and a pair of slippers.