What Is The Line, the Cross & the Curve About?
The premise of The Line, the Cross & the Curve in 263 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a candle‑lit rehearsal studio, a young vocalist struggles to sync her voice with the elastic rhythm of her band’s choreography, the music echoing with the longing of an unfinished love song. The space feels both intimate and suspended, a place where the ordinary hum of instruments gives way to a quiet, almost reverent stillness that hints at something beyond the everyday grind of performance.
When the lights flicker out, she is left alone with the echo of her own humming. A cracked mirror suddenly becomes a portal, and through it steps the mysterious woman, a figure who claims to have survived a fire and who offers a pair of striking red ballet shoes. In exchange, the woman asks the singer to sketch three simple symbols—a line, a cross, and a curve—each hinted to hold a deeper meaning. The promise of the shoes, and the enigmatic task attached to them, pulls the vocalist toward a decision that feels both artistic and otherworldly.
Accepting the gift, she finds herself drawn into a luminous, fey‑like realm where music and movement intertwine with mythic symbolism. The atmosphere is dream‑like, lit by unseen sources, and populated by whispers of forgotten memories that seem to hum in time with her breath. Here, the three symbols become the key to unraveling a lingering curse, and the red shoes compel her to dance on the edge of danger and wonder. The film balances a hauntingly beautiful aesthetic with an undercurrent of suspense, inviting viewers to wonder how far art will carry someone when the line between performance and reality blurs.
What Happens in The Line, the Cross & the Curve?
The complete story of The Line, the Cross & the Curve, from the first scene to the last, in 649 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 4 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
In a dim, candlelit studio, a singer rehearses with her band while a dancer, Kate Bush, known as Rubberband Girl, moves with a hypnotic, elastic rhythm. After everyone else leaves, she lingers in the glow, softly singing to herself as the room settles around her, a quiet moment that echoes the ache and beauty of the track And So Is Love.
Suddenly, a Mysterious Woman, Miranda Richardson, crashes through the studio’s mirror, claiming she has survived a fire and begging for help to return home. To earn her passage, she asks the singer to draw three symbols on three pieces of paper: a line, a cross, and a curve. In exchange, the woman offers the singer her prized red ballet shoes. The curve is said to stand for a smile, the cross for a heart, and the line for a path, a triad of meanings that will guide or trap depending on who wields them.
Bandages that once wrapped the mysterious woman’s hands suddenly peel away, signaling trouble, but before the singer can react, the shoes themselves snap to the singer’s feet. The villain—an unseen force—revisits through the mirror, and a faint man appears and gestures toward the singer. The journey pushes the singer across the mirror into the other world of The Red Shoes, a place where power can be both liberating and deadly.
The Wind Machine Man arrives as the guide’s counterpart, and the two figures begin to shape the risk and the route ahead. The Wind Machine Man, Peter Richardson, helps calm the enchanted shoes, yet he also emphasizes a crucial rule: to escape the villain’s grip, the singer must “sing back the symbols.” The rule is spoken aloud, but the weight of it lands in the space between fear and resolve.
To deepen her safeguards, the guide introduces the singer to Lily, the mystic, Lily, who offers protection and counsel. Lily helps her recover the Line by guiding her through a memory-laden ritual, a pivotal step in regaining control of her destiny.
On the guide’s careful nudge, the singer begins to reach back for her past—loved ones, some of whom have died—until she claims the Cross, a symbol tied to memory and tenderness, a moment she designates as Moments of Pleasure. The ritual makes the cross feel tangible again, giving her a deeper sense of who she is and what she stands to lose should she fail.
The villain returns with taunts that cut through the hallmarks of courage, but the singer grows more determined, realizing that her fear isn’t loss of power itself, but of losing the power she has found within this struggle. She chases the villain, determined to reclaim the three papers and their power.
A tableau unfolds as a joyful crowd dances on a carpet of fruit, a surreal moment that beckons the singer to join. The sequence, titled Eat the Music, sees her slip into the celebration while the villain continues to flee, a vivid contrast of exuberance and danger. The moment of re-connection culminates as the papers slip from the villain’s grasp and drift into the singer’s hands, while the shoes fall back to the villain’s feet.
She returns through the mirror to her own world, the room behind her now different for having faced the trial. The villain is buried beneath rubble, but the shoes’ influence lingers, and the dancer’s feet—still bound by the magic—push through the ruin to keep moving, to keep dancing, to keep insisting that art, like love, can endure even after the darkness has pressed close.
The story winds on a thread of ritual and performance, where music, symbol, and memory collide in a sequence that feels both dreamlike and dangerously real. It is a journey about temptation, power, and the fierce, fragile will to reclaim one’s own path—and the way art, even when it demands sacrifice, can offer a path back to light.
The Line, the Cross & the Curve Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
11 key events in the order they happen, from “Studio rehearsal and candlelit solo” to “Final image of the villain and the lasting rhythm”. 11 events name a place, across 6 locations.
- 1
Studio rehearsal and candlelit solo
In the recording studio, a singer practices with her band while a dancer named Rubberband Girl adds flair. After everyone else leaves, she stays behind and sings to herself by candlelight, performing And So Is Love. The moment blends performance with isolation, hinting at a world where music and ritual intertwine.
When:Evening Where:Recording Studio
- 2
Mirror intrusion and an offer of help
A mysterious woman crashes through the studio mirror, claiming she survived a fire and pleading for help to return home. She offers the singer her red ballet shoes if the singer draws three symbols on papers: a line, a cross, and a curve. The symbols are said to represent the singer's path, heart, and smile.
When:Night Where:Recording Studio
- 3
The binding moment and crossing into another world
The bandages around the woman's hands spin off, signaling danger, and before the singer can react the shoes tie themselves to her feet. The villain returns through the mirror, and a pale man gestures to the singer as if guiding her. The singer slips through the mirror into the other world where the shoes exert control.
When:Night Where:Mirror World
- 4
A guiding presence and a meeting with Lily
A quiet guide appears in the other world and takes the singer under his wing, first calming the dancing shoes and then warning that escape depends on singing back the symbols. He leads her to Lily, a mystic who offers protection and advice. Lily helps the singer begin to recover the line symbol.
When:Soon After Arrival Where:Other World
- 5
Recovering the line with Lily's aid
Following the guide's advice, the singer concentrates on the line with Lily's help and focuses on its meaning. Lily's guidance strengthens her resolve and prepares her for the trials ahead. The process marks a turning point in her struggle against the villain.
When:In the Other World Where:Lily's Place
- 6
Remembering loved ones and the cross is restored
On the guide's advice, the singer recalls loved ones, including some who have died, and this memory helps her recover the cross symbol. The cross becomes a conduit for emotional power and personal loss, tying her to those she misses. The singer feels ready to confront the villain with renewed inner strength.
When:Mid Journey Where:Other World
- 7
Villain taunts and resolve to reclaim power
The villain reappears and taunts the singer, who realizes she is not just fearless but afraid of losing her power. She resolves to reclaim all three pieces of paper and regain control. The chase ignites as the two move toward a confrontation.
When:Mid Scene Where:Other World
- 8
Dance on the fruit carpet and pursuit
They reach a surreal scene where a group of people dances joyfully on a carpet of fruits, and the singer briefly joins them while the villain continues to flee with the papers. The sense of release and danger deepens as the chase continues. The moment marks a key turning point in reclaiming the symbols.
When:Mid Chase Where:Surreal Carpet of Fruits
- 9
Papers return and the shoes shift back
The singer collapses in happy exhaustion as the papers fly from the villain's hand into hers. The shoes, however, return to the villain's feet, signaling a setback in the power struggle. Yet her own inner strength remains, and the moment seeds renewed resolve.
When:Climax Where:Other World
- 10
Return to the studio and reveal of the villain
The singer returns through the mirror to her own world, stepping back into the studio with the echo of the other realm guiding her. The villain is buried in a pile of rubble, defeated for now. But the final image hints that the shoes still hold sway, as the villain's feet emerge to dance.
When:Ending Where:Recording Studio
- 11
Final image of the villain and the lasting rhythm
Although buried in rubble, the villain's feet, still bound to the red shoes, manage a last haunting movement and continue to dance. This shows the song's power sustaining even in defeat, suggesting a haunting continuation of her influence. The film ends with the paradox of power held by the shoes and a dance that cannot be stopped.
When:Ending Where:Ruins
Who Are the Main Characters in The Line, the Cross & the Curve?
20 characters, among them Mysterious Woman (Miranda Richardson), Wind Machine Man (Peter Richardson) and Guide (Lindsay Kemp): who each one is and the part they play in the story. 19 of them link to the actor’s page.
-
Mysterious Woman (Miranda Richardson)
Played by Miranda Richardson
A cryptic figure who crashes through the studio mirror, claiming to have survived a fire. She manipulates the singer by offering her red ballet shoes in exchange for help drawing the line, cross, and curve. Her presence introduces the central conflict and she exerts a seductive, ambiguous influence over the events that follow.
- 🎭 Enigmatic
- 🔥 Fire survivor
- 🪄 Manipulative
- WM
Wind Machine Man (Peter Richardson)
Played by Peter Richardson
A wind-driven guide who accompanies the singer on her journey between worlds. He can calm the shoes yet warns that escape requires singing back the symbols. He acts as a stabilizing intermediary, bridging the studio and the mirror realm while maintaining an air of mystery.
- 🌀 Guide
- 💨 Wind
- 🪄 Surreal
- G(
Guide (Lindsay Kemp)
Played by Lindsay Kemp
A seasoned mentor who leads the singer through the perilous journey. He offers direction, helps interpret the symbolic tasks, and serves as a steady presence amid shifting realities. His guidance is crucial for reconnecting with the singer's memories and powers.
- 🎯 Guide
- 🧭 Mentor
- L(
Lily (Lily)
Played by Lily
A mystic who provides protection and practical counsel. She helps the singer recover the symbolic line and offers reassurance as the journey deepens. Lily functions as a nurturing force within the magical sequence.
- 🌿 Mystic
- 🛡 Protector
- D(
Dancer (Kate Bush)
Played by Kate Bush
A dancer who embodies the film's surreal, performative energy. She appears in the dreamlike sequences and interacts with the singer as a living embodiment of rhythm and desire. The Dancer connects physical movement with the symbolic journey the singer must undertake.
- 💃 Dancer
- 🪩 Iconic
- A(
Angel (Robert Smith)
Played by Robert Smith
An ethereal angelic presence in the mirror-world scenes, offering flashes of guidance and hope. This figure surfaces during pivotal moments, providing a luminous counterpoint to the danger below. The angel embodies memory, protection, and transcendence.
- 👼 Angel
- ✨ Guardian
- A(
Angel (Christopher Banaman)
Played by Christopher Banaman
An otherworldly angel figure who appears in the dream sequences, contributing to the sense of a larger, unseen order at work. The presence emphasizes themes of mercy and vigilance as the singer navigates perilous choices.
- 👼 Angel
- ✨ Guardian
- A(
Angel (John Chesworth)
Played by John Chesworth
A luminous guide in the mirror realm, offering subtle encouragement and protection. This angel reinforces the idea that the journey is watched over by benevolent forces even as danger intensifies.
- 👼 Angel
- 🕊 Protector
- A(
Angel (Vernon Nurse)
Played by Vernon Nurse
An angelic figure who hovers at the fringes of the action, suggesting moral support and restraint for the protagonist. The presence adds weight to the film's spiritual undertones and the stakes of the journey.
- 👼 Angel
- 🌟 Guardian
- S
Singer
The central protagonist, a singer who practices with her band and becomes entangled in a surreal quest after a mysterious intrusion. She must reclaim her power by using the symbols and reclaim control over the red ballet shoes. Her journey blends vulnerability with resilience as she navigates both the studio and the mirrored world.
- 🎤 Protagonist
- 🎶 Musician
- BM
Band member (Colin Browne)
Played by Colin Browne
A member of the singer's band who participates in the studio performances. He contributes to the musical energy and the rhythmic backdrop as the surreal events unfold. His presence grounds the scene in shared rehearsal space.
- 🎸 Band member
- BM
Band member (Peter Bradley)
Played by Peter Bradley
One of the musicians supporting the singer during rehearsals and on stage-like sequences. He helps maintain the ensemble's pace as the narrative shifts between reality and fantasy.
- 🎸 Band member
- BM
Band member (Stewart Avon-Arnold)
Played by Stewart Avon-Arnold
A performer in the band who participates in the fabric of the studio scenes. His role reinforces the musical environment amid the dreamlike events.
- 🎺 Band member
- BM
Band member (Kevin McAlea)
Played by Kevin McAlea
A guitarist/ensemble player in the singer's group, contributing to the sonic texture as the story shifts between dream and performance.
- 🎷 Band member
- BM
Band member (Colin Lloyd Tucker)
Played by Colin Lloyd Tucker
A musician in the band whose presence emphasizes the collaborative nature of the performance dreamscape. He participates in both the studio and symbolic sequences.
- 🥁 Band member
- BM
Band member (Stewart Elliott)
Played by Stewart Elliott
A member of the ensemble providing rhythm and texture to the musical scenes. He contributes to the energy that sustains the journey through the mirror world.
- 🎤 Band member
- BM
Band member (Danny McIntosh)
Played by Danny McIntosh
Part of the band's core, performing alongside the singer as the surreal events unfold. His role anchors the music within the narrative.
- 🎺 Band member
- BM
Band member (Steve Sidwell)
Played by Steve Sidwell
A musician whose presence enriches the soundscape during the studio scenes and the film's fantastical sequences.
- 🎹 Band member
- BM
Band member (Neil Sidwell)
Played by Neil Sidwell
One of the band's instrumentalists, contributing to the ensemble that accompanies the singer through both worlds.
- 🎶 Band member
- BM
Band member (Nigel Hitchcock)
Played by Nigel Hitchcock
A wind- and horn-instrument player in the group, adding to the musical richness of the performances inside and outside the mirror.
- 🎷 Band member
Where and When Is The Line, the Cross & the Curve Set?
The Line, the Cross & the Curve is set in Music Studio and Mirror World. Here is why the place matters to the story.
Where
Music Studio, Mirror World
The story unfolds primarily in a dimly lit recording studio where the singer practices with her band. A mirror in the studio serves as a portal to a surreal, dreamlike realm populated by mystics and performers. The setting shifts between the intimate rehearsal space and the fantastical world beyond the glass, blending music with dreamlike imagery. This dual space creates a constant tension between reality and illusion.
- 🎛️ Recording Studio
- 🪞 Mirror World
- 🎭 Surreal Setting
What Are the Themes of The Line, the Cross & the Curve?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Power through Music, Mirrors & Realities and Symbols & Destiny.
-
01
Power through Music
Music becomes the singer's source of agency and resilience. She must reclaim control over the symbol-embroidered papers and the red ballet shoes to push back the villain's influence. The act of singing and performing in both the studio and the mirror world acts as a negotiation with power itself. Through performance, fear is transformed into creative force, turning the stage into both battleground and sanctuary.
-
02
Mirrors & Realities
Mirrors function as gateways between two worlds, blurring the line between art and danger. The film uses the reflective surface to pull the audience into a parallel realm where symbols become tangible. The protagonist learns to navigate this double reality by singing back the symbols, turning contemplation into action. The mirror world both reveals hidden facets of identity and tests the limits of control.
-
03
Symbols & Destiny
Three symbols—Line, Cross, and Curve—drive the narrative and anchor the journey. Each symbol represents a facet of the singer's life: path, heart, and memory, and they must be drawn, recited, and reclaimed to break the villain's hold. The act of unlocking meaning through art becomes a mechanism for autonomy and self-definition. Ultimately, the story suggests that personal destiny can be shaped through music and ritual.
What Kind of Film Is The Line, the Cross & the Curve?
Melancholic in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Melancholic
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Bittersweet
A melancholic and symbolic journey through a magical realm, this music-driven drama explores the price of artistic power with a dreamlike, reflective, and slightly dangerous atmosphere.
- dreamlike
- melancholic
- introspective
- mysterious
- atmospheric
- symbolic
- artistic struggle
- self-discovery
- temptation and power
- magical realism
Quiz
How well do you remember The Line, the Cross & the Curve? Test yourself on the story.
