Disney’s remake of the story, Cinderella, has proven to be a surprisingly in-depth version of one of the oldest stories ever told. The romantic-fantasy provided nearly every side of the story including Prince Charming’s.
The story of Cinderella is a tale that has been recreated and retold for hundreds of years, but the most well-known version is Disney’s cartoon remake that was released in 1950. The 2015 live-action remake, starring Lily James (Ella/Cinderella), was released on March 13, 2015. It was overall accurate to the original tale and had beautiful costume designs. The film made approximately $70.1 million during its’ opening weekend and gained the most attention from viewers. Cinderella earned the number one spot that weekend and number two, Run All Night had a weekend total of only about $11 million.
Ella, or Cinderella, is kind, as she was taught by her parents to be throughout nearly every single remake. One thing noticeably different in this version is that we get to see Ella’s mother in the beginning as well as much of her father. We see them interact together during her childhood, allowing us to better understand Ella’s youth and her relationship with her parents, who ultimately made her the person she became throughout the film. Often throughout the movie she repeated a phrase her mother taught to her during her childhood, “Have courage and be kind,” which emphasizes both her optimism and naivety, which later leads to her step-sisters cruelty towards her. The one thing that stays consistent throughout the nearly forty remakes that have been made is Ella’s kindness towards even the harshest of people.
After both of her parents fall ill and she is forced to live with her new step-family (who she is practically a worker for), Ella finds herself wandering in the forest where she stumbles upon deer hunters, one of which she clearly admires and he tells her that his name is Kit. The audience soon finds out that Kit is actually the Prince (Richard Madden). They then show how Kit has become noticeably taken with this girl that has not even told him her name, and once he reaches home he begs his father for permission to do anything in order to find her. Despite the King’s disapproval, the royal family holds a ball, inviting every women in the kingdom so they can find a wife for the Prince. Ella shares the news with her “family” and automatically tries anything in order to convince her step-mother (Cate Blanchett, main antagonist) to allow her to attend the ball, claiming that she wants to meet her friend, which the audience can assume is Kit. At this time Ella is still completely oblivious to the fact that Kit is the Prince, and seems to genuinely care for him as a person, unlike her step-sisters who simple chase after him for his status and wealth.
After her step-sisters and step-mother forbid her from attending the ball, and ruin her dress, Ella is visibly upset and goes into the backyard where she finds an old woman hiding. Ella is extremely and surprisingly kind to this woman who has seemingly trespassed on her home. The woman, after Ella brings her something to drink, transforms into Ella’s Fairy Godmother (Helena Bonham Carter). Ella’s mother was a big believer in Fairy Godmothers, and as a child Ella promised to believe in them as well, so when Ella denied her true identity, Carter’s character reminded her of her promise to her mother, ultimately making Ella believe her. Her character was a light to Ella’s sad situation and ultimately turned it around for her. Carter overall played the role of the eccentric and kind Fairy Godmother extremely well. She brought her many years of acting experience into this old character and reinvented it while still keeping in touch with the classic story. Her performance will be compared to new and past Fairy Godmothers for years to come.
The set design and special effects for James and Carter’s scene was altogether magnificent, specifically the beautiful golden pumpkin coach and the animals turning into people. This scene was one of the most entertaining scenes throughout the film and the one that probably required the most time and effort, and it shows. The gorgeous coach was designed by Linsay Harris, Stuart Heath, Toby Hawkes, Stuart Leach, and BGI Supplies and is also now on display and used in shows at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
The costume design, which was done by three-time Oscar-winning designer, Sandy Powell, proved to be remarkably accurate for the overall feel for the culture of the film. The look of each character seemed ultimately true to the plot and the setting. “I wanted the costumes to be bold and have an explosion of color as if it were a picture book. But at the same time, I wanted the clothes to be true to each character and believable,” Powell told Vanity Fair.
It was refreshing to see an old favorite come alive in a somewhat different way. The actors and actresses were able to bring this tale in a great direction and were able to accurately portray their character. Having a live-action remake allowed for much more plot and entertainment. It also allowed for it to be longer, overall making it much more in depth than the 1950 animated version. The feedback received from critics for Cinderella has overall been mostly positive. This film will be a favorite for every child and child-at-heart.
