The Line, the Cross & the Curve 1993

Drama

Music

Runtime

44 mins

Language

English

Made by

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The Line, the Cross & the Curve Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The Line, the Cross & the Curve (1993). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

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

Follow the complete movie timeline of The Line, the Cross & the Curve (1993) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

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.

Evening Recording Studio

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.

Night Recording Studio

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.

Night Mirror World

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.

Soon After Arrival Other World

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.

In the Other World Lily's Place

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.

Mid Journey Other World

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.

Mid Scene Other World

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.

Mid Chase Surreal Carpet of Fruits

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.

Climax Other World

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.

Ending Recording Studio

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.

Ending Ruins

The Line, the Cross & the Curve Characters

Explore all characters from The Line, the Cross & the Curve (1993). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Mysterious Woman (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

Wind Machine Man (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

Guide (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

Lily (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

Dancer (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

Angel (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

Angel (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

Angel (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

Angel (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

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

Band member (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

Band member (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

Band member (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

Band member (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

Band member (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

Band member (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

Band member (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

Band member (Steve Sidwell)

A musician whose presence enriches the soundscape during the studio scenes and the film's fantastical sequences.

🎹 Band member

Band member (Neil Sidwell)

One of the band's instrumentalists, contributing to the ensemble that accompanies the singer through both worlds.

🎶 Band member

Band member (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

The Line, the Cross & the Curve Settings

Learn where and when The Line, the Cross & the Curve (1993) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Location

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

The Line, the Cross & the Curve Themes

Discover the main themes in The Line, the Cross & the Curve (1993). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🎶

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.

🪞

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.

🗝️

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.

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The Line, the Cross & the Curve Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of The Line, the Cross & the Curve (1993). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

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.

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