Directed by: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske
Starring: Ilene Woods, Eleanor Audley
Cinderella is the first of an epic trilogy of animated feature films where a teenager whose abuse and neglect at the hands of her stepmother and sisters forms the basis of her chronic schizophrenia. The girl gets on with her life by doing various chores around their Gilded-Age mansion while talking to and sewing clothes for a bunch of freeloading rodents. When it is decreed that the Prince of the Realm wants to get laid and is throwing a ball to do just that, Cinderella’s dreams of escape are realized and she summons an impish old biddy to transform her and her furry friends into an enchanted entourage in a manic display of ultimate power.
The film focuses on the stepmother and sisters’ attempts to stop her from usurping the Prince’s mind, taking his throne, and leading the Kingdom down its darkest timeline of gloom and doom. It’s a pretty tragic story, actually, and typical of Disney’s early works where they took risks by using some wonderful visuals juxtaposed with heavy themes. It’s a work that holds up well even today, with lavish details and attentions paid to the set-up and pay-off made in its various acts. It’s a demonstration so masterful that I wouldn’t be surprised if it was found in academic circles as some kind of golden standard.
I’m disappointed in the over-use of the animals. But I guess if you really think about it, Cinderella as a story doesn’t have much going for it. It’s a story about how dreams, no matter how lofty they seem, can come true if you just wish hard enough. Girl dreams of guy. Guy dreams of banging 150 girls. Guy throws ostentatious ball. Guy gets girl. Game, set, match; that sort of thing. So a little embellishment is needed to get from point A to point B I guess. Regardless, Cinderella serves as a fine example of the work and the passion that put Disney on the map of greatness. It really is a work of art to be proud of; and it’s so great to see them continue to shamelessly plunder it today.
ThomFiles 