Cinderella (Rated A)
Cast: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Helena Bonham Carter
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Dwight's Rating: 3 stars
Cinderella? Again?
If that was your reaction to the news that there'd be yet another version of this well-worn fairy tale, then you probably weren't alone. There have been scores of film, television and stage adaptations in numerous languages. And there are even more iterations if you include the productions only loosely based on this story. But there's no doubt that "Cinderella" is one of the world's best known and most-beloved fairy tales. And whether it's previously been your favorite or not, this latest edition from Director Kenneth Branagh is fresh and invigorating, and a more politically correct take on this classic.
You are no doubt familiar with the tale: After her father unexpectedly dies, young Ella (Lily James) finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett) and stepsisters. Ella is reduced to a maid in her own home, and for warmth, Ella sleeps near the fireplace, which results in her being covered in cinders -- earning her the "cinder-Ella" nickname. Yet through it all, she remains unbelievably positive and optimistic.
When the message goes out that the palace is hosting a ball to be attended by all the maidens in the kingdom, Cinderella is excited to be part of it, until those plans are shot down by her stepfamily. But Cinderella secretly attends the ball anyway, with a little help from her Fairy Godmother and some animal friends, and causes quite a stir.
You more than likely know what happens next. But along the way, this new "Cinderella" takes some interesting turns that greatly enhance a story that has always left more questions than answers.
The screenplay by Chris Weitz takes elements from the three best known versions of the story: "Cendrillon" by Charles Perrault in 1697 in French, the Brothers Grimm version in German in the 1800s called "Aschenputtel" (which translates to 'Cinderella'), and Disney's classic 1950 animated musical. It's interesting to note that the concepts of the "Fairy Godmother", the pumpkin chariot, the glass slippers and other animal elements originate from "Cendrillon".
The Disney version which was released almost exactly 65 years to the day of the new version's release last week in the U.S. and The Bahamas, gets credit for all the supplemental character names -- from Lady Tremaine straight down to the names for the rats. The new version is also a Disney release, and uses those names as well. Nevertheless, these older versions -- no matter which one -- make this fairy tale arguably one of the most chauvinistic and sexist ones extant (although they all pretty much can be described this way). All of the women in the story are just waiting for a man to save them from their circumstances.
This new version seeks to present a much more 21st century outlook. Yes, it's still set in an undetermined "once upon a time" era, but it is decidedly more modern and progressive in its thinking. And again, it seeks to answer questions that many of us have had over the years. Like, why would Cinderella put up with the bad treatment from her stepfamily? The answer proffered here is quite interesting. Also, why is the stepmother so wicked and mean?
Cate Blanchett plays the not-very-nice Lady Tremaine as not just a bad-tempered wretch, and not just evil for the sake of being evil. Rather, she's bitter, as life has dealt her some unlucky hands. And she's annoyed (as was I, at times) with just how positive Ella remains despite all the horrible things that happen.
Blanchett's is the most outstanding performance in the movie. She is cold, and oh-so mean and calculating. But the new insight into Lady Tremaine's motivations, and the fact that she looks so good every time she's on the screen -- with spectacularly glamorous and elegant costumes -- make watching her fun and campy.
There are other laudable changes of note. In some versions, the stepfamily is portrayed as physically unattractive, in contrast to the fair Ella. But here, the stepsisters are reasonably good-looking. It's made very clear that they are rotten to the core, and that it's their personalities that are ugly. This isn't a shallow remake!
Most impressive of all, though, is the way Ella meets the Prince. It doesn't happen at the ball, when she's all dressed up as someone else. They meet under much more humble circumstances, and neither knows anything about each other or whether they are rich or poor. It's incredibly refreshing, and much more realistic -- or at least as realistic as a story can get when it involves pumpkins being transformed into chariots drawn by rats and lizards.
It's these storyline updates that really make this "Cinderella" stand out. Some have always seen this as an uplifting and inspirational tale. But the wrong messages seem to have prevailed. We have more than a few people in the world believing the themes espoused in Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", that "someday my prince will come" and rescue them from a hard life.
Rather, the new "Cinderella" loudly proclaims what might have originally been the intended message here -- that beauty within: positivity, optimism, kindness and love -- will always prevail over material possessions and one's station in life.
Messages like that cannot be repeated enough!
o Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of " Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
