With so many adaptations and remakes of the beloved, but sometimes overdone, Cinderella, I couldn’t help but think, “What did I get myself into?” when I sat down to watch Disney’s newest take on the classic.
Disney created the famous 1950 animated version, and later remakes or adaptation are usually based off that original. The recent film Into the Woods, also by Disney, used more of the Grimm Brother’s take on the story and made Anna Kendrick’s character into a darker and less cheerful Cinderella. But don’t worry, this 2015 version of Cinderella does not disappoint. There is the beautiful and courageous heroine, the dashing and heroic Prince Charming and the evil and sinister stepmother and stepsisters. With so many similarities to the original, you might think it’s not worth seeing the same movie, except this time with live actors. But to my pleasant surprise, not only was Cinderella a visually pleasing film, it made the old tale that everyone knows so well current and applicable for a new generation of women.
The film’s two main stars are up-and-coming actors and who both portrayed their parts as well as they could, knowing they had big shoes to fill for such iconic roles. Lily James plays the downtrodden yet hopeful Cinderella who keeps her mother’s promise to “be kind and have courage” with her as she faces constant abuse by her stepmother and stepsisters. James gives personality to Cinderella and brings her far from the character’s wishful and naïve portrayal in the animated film. Instead at times she is even spunky and tough, like when she confronts her stepmother for treating her so cruelly and when meeting Prince Charming in the forest for the first time.
Richard Madden’s physical appearance looks the part of the prince, with his sea-blue eyes and Crest-white commercial smile. He makes his prince into someone that is not only looking for beauty in his princess but brains and kindness as well. But besides the two protagonists, it is Cate Blanchett who steals the show with her fantastic portrayal of Lady Tremaine, Cinderella’s wicked stepmother. She is just as evil and conniving as the stepmother in the animated version, but Blanchett adds unique aspects to her character, memorably her sickening laugh that she frequently uses around Cinderella.
To top off the cast, Helena Bonham Carter plays a small yet significant role as Cinderella’s fairy godmother. Carter transforms the fairy godmother from the sweet grandmotherly figure to a no-nonsense fashionista, complete with a white and poofy dress. Carter also voices the narrator, a nice touch for those who were anticipating to hear the classic narrator found in most Disney fairy tales.
One of the film’s highlights is the gorgeous cinematography. From the movie’s start when Cinderella and her family are in the meadow to Cinderella’s country estate and then off to the ball, the scenery and colors transition beautifully from the screen to the audience.
The costumes set the tone of the time period very well, and Cinderella’s blue ball gown looks like she is walking on air. For those who want to see the costume in person, Saks Fifth Avenue is displaying the gown and the fairy godmother’s dress in their windows. While beautiful, Cinderella’s dress received some unwanted attention when the media pointed to CGI technology for the size of James’ extremely tiny waist. A spokesperson for the film has said there was no computer alteration involved – in the waist that is, although they admitted to its use in her feet – and that James wore a corset. Even with a 2015 release, Disney still has trouble navigating their princesses away from this outdated garment.
One aspect of the film I greatly appreciated was its theme. Before Cinderella’s mother dies, she tells Cinderella to “be kind and have courage” to help her through life’s challenges. Throughout the film, Cinderella keeps the mantra in mind while living with her horrible stepmother and stepsisters and when she becomes their slave. She never leaves them because of this promise and believes that her job is to stay in the house that her parents raised her in. When Cinderella finally does get her “happily ever after,” the viewer can feel that she deserves it, because of this promise. In the animated film, Cinderella believes that if she keeps on dreaming and believing her prince will save her, then it will happen. Yet she does not work for it in a way like this version’s Cinderella, who teaches a better lesson to young girls in its audience.
Another nice twist to the story was Cinderella and Prince Charming’s meeting before the ball. In the animated film, Cinderella and the Prince see each other for the first time at the ball, fall immediately in love, and spend the rest of the night dancing together. In this version, they meet in the forest while the two are on their horses. The Prince is immediately drawn to Cinderella because she speaks her mind and is not like any of the other fawning girls he meets. Cinderella does not even recognize that he is a prince, which makes him like her even more. It is not love at first sight, and the Prince likes Cinderella for her mind, not solely for her beauty.
As a Disney fan, I was excited to see how they would redo such a beloved and sometimes controversial film. Everything one would come to expect from a Disney fairytale was there. Yet it is clear that Disney is trying to change the classic theme of fairy tales, with most notably last year’s Frozen. Women see themselves very differently in 2015 than they did in 1950, when the original animated version was released. With this version, Disney did a nice job making a classic film current, while still keeping the magic we all know and love.