Finally a movie some people give a shit about.
Cinderella - 8.8/10
Now this is a feckin' Disney movie. Another childhood favorite, I
have watched this one more recently that many of the others, but I'd
say it has to have been at least 10 years since I saw it last, and
several things occurred to me that never did before, one of which being
that the majority of the movie (up through the ball) takes place over
the course of a single day, and the rest of it (minus the final wedding
scene) the following morning. Interesting.
Secondly, I was struck by the brilliant contrast between Cinderella's
step-family and Cinderella herself. She waits on them hand and foot
because she has no choice, whereas her animal friends do the same for
her because they want to. It really helps to establish her character and
shows just how well she treats people, despite how she herself is
treated.
That leads me into another observation, which is my admiration for her
as a character. She is a very strong person and endures more than anyone
should really have to in terms of verbal and emotional abuse from those
who should be her family, and she does it all while maintaining her
good nature. That said, she goes on about dreaming and wishing, but
never actually takes any steps to improve her lot (though to be fair,
I'm not sure what steps she could take anyway). So all told, she is a
very strong character, if not a very proactive one. And infinitely more
interesting than the likes of Snow White.
Lady Tremaine is at once one of the most imposing and frightening
villains in all of Disneydom, and she does it all simply by reigning
over her own house with a cold fist and taking complete control over
someone else's life. Her voice actress captured this domineering
personality perfectly, in my opinion. The cat Lucifer also makes for a
very menacing villain and his fall from the tower at the end is kind of
this film's version of the usual dramatic villain death. The side
characters of the King and the Grand Duke are a lot of fun, and they
were taking pot-shots at fairy tale conventions fifty years before Shrek
ever did.
Like Pinocchio, there seems to be a message here that all you
have to do is wish and you'll get whatever you want, and while I
disagree with that philosophy greatly (see my character analysis of
Cinderella), I like it much better here than in the aforementioned film.
This one is more of an uplifting story in that while it acknowledges
that bad things can happen to good people who don't deserve it, it gives
us a taste of justice as such a good person is finally rewarded for her
perseverance through such unfair circumstances. Unrealistic or not, it
sure makes you feel good watching it.
In before "Want a man, want a man, want a man, want a mighty good man. (A mighty mighty good man.)"
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched Cinderella too recently so, this comment is brought to you by 11 year old Ashley. I like the little animal characters and always felt so anxious (and actually remember feeling the anxiety during this movie as a child) about the whole "clock strikes 12" thing. I couldn't help always comparing Cinderella to Aurora and I always liked Aurora more. I think maybe because I thought she was prettier?? I told you not to expect a lot of maturity from this response.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I think is interesting is your analysis of her being a strong character despite not being a person of action. I disagree. I think that dreaming instead of doing is a sign of weakness, not strength. But as you pointed out, what was she going to do??
I agree with you in dreaming being a weakness and said as much, but her main source of strength I think is her ability to endure. Lots of people would have been broken in her situation long before the events of the movie took place.
DeleteDid you have any thoughts on the 2015 live action remake?
ReplyDeleteNo doubt I will; I haven't actually seen it yet, if you can believe it.
DeleteFor what it's worth, I think it's very much the movie I wish they'd made the first time. I'm not really a fan of the animated one, mostly because it disappoints as a romance story, what with the prince's lack of a personality and the lack of meaningful interaction between him and Cinderella. The remake addresses both issues pretty well, and it does it without needing to go the dark and revisionist route. I think you'll like it.
DeleteThat's good to hear.
Delete