As a child, I was born and raised on Disney movies. I dreamed of becoming a princess like the ones on the screen, and like most kids, I had a favorite princess. Mine was Cinderella. I used pretend to be Cinderella all the time and I would run around my house dressed in my most worn pieces of clothing with an apron on pretending to clean everything in sight and singing.
Eventually, I grew out of this, but I will always have a special place in my heart for Cinderella. There was a great lesson in the original Disney version that I connected to: no matter how bad your life is, there is always hope that tomorrow all your dreams will come true. When I found out that they were making a live action version of the story, I was so excited. My sister and I went to see it a few days after it came out, and both of us fell in love with the new retelling of the classic. Here are 10 reasons why I love the new Cinderella (probably more than the 1950s one):
1. The costumes and set design are GORGEOUS. Kenneth Branagh has a beautiful eye for detail and knows how to make his movies very pleasing to the eye.
2. It reminds you of the power of a name. Cinderella was originally just called Ella, but her stepsisters gave her the name Cinderella because she slept next to the embers to keep warm and got covered in cinders. This was almost the final straw for Cinderella, as it was the power behind this name that drove her to the forest where she happened upon Kit. It reminds me about how the names that our friends or those who make fun of us stick with us forever. Names can both be empowering, but, also, destructive, which is why in fiction they are usually associated with magic.
3. The message of the story is to "have courage and be kind." What better message could you ask for? Instead of living in your dreams and hoping that one day they will all come true like the animated movie tells you to do, this movie encourages you to try and make the best out of what you have and to just spread some kindness with the world. I've made it my motto now and I strive to live by it.
4. At the end, she forgives her stepmother for everything she did. Imagine being treated like a slave in your own house, and finally you become free from the person ruling your life. Would you have enough kindness in your heart to still forgive them?
5. The family relationships: In the new movie, you actually get to see how wonderful her parents are before they die, as opposed to the animated movie where you just find out in the introduction that they are dead. You also get to see Kit (the prince's) relationship with his father. I think this adds to the likability Cinderella and Kit's characters and gives the viewer more of an insight into how their parental influence shaped their lives.
6. Happiness can come from grief. It's okay to be sad if someone has passed, but the important thing is to treasure the memory of them and the times you had together.
7. Cinderella and Kit meet each other once before the ball and have a real conversation. It's still the concept of "love at first sight", but the love is not solely based on their appearances. They have a real conversation and each have time to be charmed by the interesting things the other has to say.
8. THE DRESS. I know I already mentioned the costumes but I just want to take a moment to acknowledge Cinderella's beautiful ball gown. I can only dream of owning that dress and getting to twirl around in it and feel like a princess.
9. The movie makes me cry. Every time.
10. "Perhaps the greatest risk any of us will ever take is to be seen for who we truly are." I think these are some of the truest words ever spoken. We all put up fronts to the world, and many of us find it hard to let our guard down and show who we truly are, even hiding it from ourselves. One of the hardest things to do in life is to show people the real you.
Is this movie as progressive as some of the other newer Disney movies like Frozen and Maleficent? Not really, but it is still a step up from the 1950s version. Is her waistline in her ball gown as unrealistic looking as in the original movie? Yes, but it is a fairy tale after all. In another article defending this newest version of Cinderella, the author reminds us that "fairy tales are not meant to be taken literally, but are a distillation of the human experience," so it is okay if it doesn't make sense that a fairy godmother can turn a pumpkin into a gilded coach or that the glass slipper can only fit one person in the kingdom. The make-believe aspect of it doesn't change the messages that the movie shares with the audience. I highly recommend this movie to everyone who loves a good fairytale and a happily ever after.
