The story of Cinderella is, at it’s core, a horrifyingly sad story about a young girl who early in life is stripped of the joys and comforts of her parents, home, and dignity. She is subsequently subjected to the ridicule and degradation of her cruel stepmother and stepsisters who treat her as nothing short of a servant. Yet, somehow, director Kenneth Branagh and the creative minds at Disney, have managed to once again cast an enchantment on viewers across the world with the story of Cinderella, preaching that if you “have courage and be kind,” anything could be possible.
The 2015 live adaption of Disney’s original animated feature (1950) may in fact be the most magically captivating live version of Ella’s story we’ve ever seen. The story of Cinderella, her animal friends, wicked stepmother, and powerful fairy godmother could be considered a tired tale by some, remade over and over again with minimal plot changes, the most notable recent adaptations including Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1997) starring Brandy and Whitney Houston, Ever After (1998) starring Drew Barrymore, Ella Enchanted (2004) starring Anne Hathaway, A Cinderella Story (2004) starring Hilary Duff, and Into the Woods (2014) starring Anna Kendrick. Countless leading ladies all dawning variations of the same famous blue gown and glass slippers, some merely following the general storyline of Ella’s life, others staying true to either the Grimm Brothers' tale or that of Charles Perrault.
People have long mistakenly believed that Disney’s version of Cinderella merely cut out some of the more graphic details of the Grimm story of “Aschenputtel.” Details like the stepsisters cutting off their toes and heels to fit into the glass slipper before ultimately having their eyes gauged out by crows (a storyline Into the Woods stuck to), for example. However, both the 1950 and 2015 Disney films are in fact based off the story of "Cendrillon," written by Charles Perrault in 1697, which brought details like the fairy godmother and pumpkin coach to life.
But don’t be fooled by the flowing gowns, royal garments and beautiful faces of both Lily James, who stars as Ella, and Richard Madden, rightfully Prince Charming with his paralyzing blue eyes, Cinderella is not without heartbreak and tragedy. More than once I shed tears as first Ella’s kind-hearted mother, then cherished father, and ultimately the King himself all perish before their own children’s eyes. However, the masses of 6-year-olds in the theatre and I were entranced by the bedazzling world created on screen.
They storyline follows true to the original animation in nearly every way, right down to Gus-Gus the mouse and Lucifer the cat, though they can’t speak with Ella, despite her best efforts, as they did in the animated feature. James even hums the song, “Sing, Sweet Nightingale,” while doing her chores on the farm as Cinderella does in the 1950 version of the film.
Many of the leading actors in the movie are no strangers to playing royalty or bringing to life adored fictitious tales. Madden made the happy transition from the Stark line of royalty in HBO’s Game of Thrones to that of the royal lineage of Prince Charming, while James transformed from aristocrat Lady Rose in Downtown Abbey to that of a lowly housemaid turned Queen. Blanchett played Galadriel in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies and is currently filming Jungle Book: Origins, in which she will star as Kaa, the deceitful snake intent on devouring Mowgli. Helena Bonham Carter, who we have come to associate with her infamous Harry Potter character, Bellatrix Lestrange, stuns in a shimmering white gown as Ella’s quirky godmother, singing her own version of “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo.” Tying them all together, Branagh directed Disney’s box office smash, Thor.
As we have come to expect, Disney sneaks in many different “Hidden Mickeys” into the background of Cinderella. In the glass panels of the front door of Cinderella’s quaint home, a number of Mickeys are visible and in the scene where Cinderella is sobbing after her stepmother refuses to allow her to attend the ball, you can see a circle and two smaller ones forming the famous Mickey Mouse with ears symbol as the glassworks in the door windows. Disney - those deceptive geniuses we’ve come to love.
James is completely captivating, seamlessly bringing to life a beloved Disney princess and breathing substance and believability into a rather unfathomable storyline. Madden, as he has been cast before and will surely be cast again, is the perfect Prince, dazzling maidens and viewers alike with his charm and nearly blinding smile. For once, the stepsisters, played by Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger, weren’t as nauseatingly heartless and cruel and were mostly used as supplementary characters to enhance Blanchett’s portrayal of the evil stepmom.
Everything about the world Branagh helped bring to life is enchanting, from the butterflies that help in the transformation of Ella before the ball, ultimately becoming a part of her gown, the magnificent carriage that escorts the fair maiden to her true love, to the detailed braids Ella wears in her everyday life. Her gown and glass slippers are by far the most astounding of any of the Cinderella films. Every detail of the castle was better than a young girl’s best dream, making the film enjoyable for both children and adults alike. It's nearly impossible to stop smiling throughout.
Cinderella is one of the first of many classic Disney tales to be brought to life in live action over the next couple of years. It was recently announced that Emma Watson, who coincidentally was offered but turned down the role of Cinderella, will soon bring to life Princess Belle, in Disney’s live action version of Beauty and the Beast following the success of last year’s Maleficent, which spun the original story of Sleeping Beauty. As Cinderella is currently the #1 movie in the world, it seems Disney is off to a good start with their remakings. Cinderella has finally been perfected, let's hope it remains untouched in the future.
Also, as an added bonus, a short of Disney’s Frozen featuring a small storyline about Anna’s birthday kicks off the film.
Image courtesy of ACE/INF Photo
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