Cinderella given a modern remake
Print Edition
EVERYONE knows the tale of Cinderella. The story of the beautiful girl who is forced into servitude by a wicked step family, transformed for a night by magic, and saved by a nameless prince has been around for centuries.
But while “Cinderella” is ingrained in the world’s consciousness, it’s also as outdated as a fairy tale can be.
So why are audiences now getting an expensive retelling of the passe bedtime story, 65 years after Disney released its animated classic?
“I wanted Cinderella, without being entirely a dreamer, to see life not as it is but what it could be,?says director Kenneth Branagh, who was excited to get the heroine out of a “time warp.?
To cast his leads, Branagh applied the same theory as he did when helping to pick Chris Hemsworth for “Thor? Choose relative unknowns. He landed on Lily James of the British show “Downton Abbey?which airs on PBS, and Richard Madden, a vet of “Game of Thrones.?
Instead of making “Cinderella?dark and gritty or dystopian, which Branagh believes have become cliched, he and screenwriter Chris Weitz imagined a world where she’s guided by a steadfast belief in kindness.
It’s a message Ella learns as a child and holds dear as things worsen under the rule of her spiteful stepmother and vain, doltish stepsisters. The film succeeds because of its sincerity.
Branagh encouraged James to read Mohandas Gandhi’s works and other writings on spiritual journeys to prepare for her role, hoping that she could incorporate the idea of nonviolent resistance into the character.
“We present this world where we see the grown-up Cinderella for the first time reading a book. There’ a curious mind in the house. It’s legit for her to have a sophisticated response to her position,?Branagh said.
Madden added: “The old fashioned view of a damsel in distress who needs a man to come and save her from her life is irrelevant and not a message we should be telling children these days.?
But Cinderella isn’t the only one given depth. All the characters are crafted with complexities, including the prince.
“I just wanted to make a man who was worthy of Cinderellas affections and love. She is this amazing, strong, brave woman. She doesn’t need the prince,”Madden said with a wink.
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