Cinderelly, Cinderelly. Any Girl Can Be A Princess.

Rating: 10/10 (27 December 2010)

a lot of people like to dismiss 'Cinderella' as a unremarkable Disney product, but those who do so obviously haven't given it enough thought or compared it to other hand animation.
not only does 'Cinderella' feature some attractive 50's style animation and lush color design, it also has some of most skillful characterizations and storywork of all the Disney classics. 'Snow White' might be a better film, but the story and script and characters are done with more complexity and dimension. Snow may be sweeter and cuter, but Cindy seems more like a real person and not so much of a cartoon caricature. she also feels older and more mature than the somewhat tweeny Snow.
the story also is scripted to elicit strong emotional responses from it's audience. to quote Disney historian Leonard Maltin, "there are more scenes calculated to traumatize a viewer in 'Cinderella' than in practically any other Disney animated feature". the scene where the stepsisters rip Cinderella's dress to shreds is probably bound to disturb some children more than the "enchanted" scares in the other films because it's a very real and human, and the sisters are human and not witches. also there is my favorite moment when the stepmother trips the Grand Duke, who is carrying the glass slipper, and the slipper falls to the floor and smashes to bits. i can remember being a child and being very taken aback by that moment.
the color styling and animated special effects are some of Disney's most beautiful and striking. the pastel hues of pink and blue really define the film's memorable look. the sequence where Cinderella and the Prince dance out into the garden boast some amazing colored animation effects. when the fairy Godmother transforms the pumpkin into a coach is some of the most breathtakingly fluid and detailed animation i've ever seen. the images literally make your eyes move in all directions while viewing.
and of course the songs and score, like most Disney classics, is charming. often music in children's films can make or break the film and turn the whole thing into a droning, sappy, sugary, kiddie mess. not with 'Cinderella'. the songs are nicely done and not a overworked hodge-podge of kiddie clichÃ©s.
feminist have always claimed a problem with the Cinderella story. we've all heard the tiresome "cinderella complex" theory. there is something to that but really, you shouldn't let your childhood stories mess you up like that. i also present this alternative outlook to the story and film. first, in the original fairy tale, Cinderella takes revenge on the mother and sisters with hot coals on their feet and has the dove peck there eyes out. eek. second, in the Disney version Cinderella does not complacently sit there and wait for her princey. Cindy attempts to make her own gown and get there herself. if you know the Disney version, you know Cindy takes a lot of initiative. with apologies to Linda Woolverton, not everything is in need of a feminist twist.
next to 'Snow white', this is my favorite Disney princess story. this cartoon has been with me all my life, and it still rings true for me to this very day.