Hansel and Gretel

Plot synopsis:
Hansel and Gretel are the young children of a poor woodcutter. When a great famine settles over the land, the woodcutter's second, abusive wife decides to take the children into the woods and leave them there to fend for themselves, so that she and her husband do not starve to death, because the kids eat too much. The woodcutter opposes the plan but finally, and reluctantly, submits to his wife's scheme. They were unaware that in the children's bedroom, Hansel and Gretel have overheard them. After the parents have gone to bed, Hansel sneaks out of the house and gathers as many white pebbles as he can, then returns to his room, reassuring Gretel that God will not forsake them.
The next day, the family walk deep into the woods and Hansel lays a trail of white pebbles. After their parents abandon them, the children wait for the moon to rise and then they followed the pebbles back home. They return home safely, much to their stepmother's rage. Once again provisions become scarce and the stepmother angrily orders her husband to take the children further into the woods and leave them there to die. Hansel and Gretel attempt to gather more pebbles, but find the doors locked and find it impossible to escape.
The following morning, the family treks into the woods. Hansel takes a slice of bread and leaves a trail of bread crumbs for them to follow home. However, after they are once again abandoned, they find that the birds have eaten the crumbs and they are lost in the woods. After days of wandering, they follow a beautiful white bird to a clearing in the woods, and discover a large cottage built of gingerbread, cakes, candy and with window panes of clear sugar. Hungry and tired, the children begin to eat the rooftop of the house, when the door opens and a "very old woman" emerges and lures the children inside, with the promise of soft beds and delicious food and a hot bath. They do this without knowing the fact that their hostess is a bloodthirsty Hag who waylays children to cook and eat them.
The next morning, the hag cleans the cage in the garden out from her previous captive. Then she throws Hansel into the cage and forces Gretel into becoming her slave. The hag feeds Hansel regularly to fatten him up, after three weeks Hansel gets nice and fat. On the final night she mutters to her self that he will be good to eat. The next day the witch prepares the oven for Hansel, but decides she is hungry enough to eat Gretel, too. She coaxes Gretel to the open oven and prods her to lean over in front of it to see if the fire is hot enough. Gretel, sensing the hag's intent, pretends she does not understand what she means. Infuriated, the hag demonstrates, and Gretel instantly shoves the hag into the oven, slams and bolts the door shut, leaving "The ungodly creature to be burned to ashes", screaming in pain until she dies. Gretel frees Hansel from the cage and the pair discover a vase full of treasure and precious stones. Putting the jewels into their clothing, the children set off for home. A duck ferries them across an expanse of water and at home they find only their father; his wife died from an unknown cause. Their father had spent all his days lamenting the loss of his children, and is delighted to see them safe and sound. With the hag's wealth, they all live happily ever after.

Tags: fantasy

Review:
Best Fairytale Brought To Screen.
I first saw this movie in 1988 and recently in 2002 I wished I could watch it again.
Fourteen years on, I still remember this film.Everyone plays their part well.
It is a fantastic story which can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.
The songs are great, the scenery is lovely and when you see the witch's house and garden, I think you'll agree that they are excellent.I don't need to go into detail about the story.
We all know it unless we've been living in a cave for years.
Even though you know what the film's conclusion is going to be before you see it, it doesn't detract from the enjoyment.Check this movie out.
However, you'll have a hard time doing that because I haven't spotted it on TV, cable or at a video store since I first saw it.
Perhaps someone will release it onto DVD one day..
"Hansel And Gretel" is the best 'movie tale' Cannon Films produced.
This version of the story is taken from the Hunperdinck opera, but its's still a recognizable rendition.
The cast is fine, Hugh Pollard as Hansel, Nicola Stapleton as Gretel, David Warner and Emily Richard as the parents.
But the REAL treat here is Cloris Leachman, as Grizelda, the Witch.
This veteran actress is simply terrific, whether coaxing the children inside her gingerbread house, or threatening them with death.
She also sings well, something she has rarely done in films.
The production is tasteful, as are the new songs, adapted from the opera.
A bit tense at times for young kids, "Hansel And Gretel" is nevertheless, a classic!.
A Good Version!.
Ok, I own 300 movies of my own and I am 14!
So what does that tell you?
I have seen a lot of versions of Hansel and Gretel, but I must say that I like this one a lot.
It is different from the everyday story that you hear.
That is what makes it interesting.
I like this a lot.
I think that the actors/actresses did their parts very well!!
This is a movie that is good for the whole family to see!!
A Great Adaption of the Classic Tale!.
This is another of the beautiful Cannon Movie Tales,that aired on the Disney Channel starting in the late 80's and on ito mid-90's.This one is beautifully photographed.The songs are adapted from the opera so they are not new but are still beautiful.I saw this at about 7:00 on a Friday night on The Disney Channel.I fell in love with it and could not find it anywhere.Luckely,Amazon had a copy.It has not lost its charm.Cloris Leachman is the most evil witch ever filmed.She gave me the creeps.This film is ideal for family viewing.Little children will be frightened so make shure you are there for a person to lean on..
"It's an EVIL forest.".
Being a lover of '80s cinema, as well as an appreciator of all things Cannon and Golan-Globus, I was happily surprised to discover that Cannon had made a series of movies about fairy tales that I was unaware of.
I managed to get my hands on this one, my first of hopefully many Cannon Movie Tales.
The story is the simple one of Hansel and Gretel, padded out enough to make a movie.It starts with the worst family ever.
The mom sits at home bitching while the wussy dad (David Warner) lets himself be pushed around and underpaid for the wood he cuts without putting up a fight.
The two kids are deeply stupid, singing and dancing around like morons who have no understanding of how messed up their situation is.
Maybe this is some subtle propaganda for helping the underprivileged and mentally challenged.
The mom gets mad at the kids and sends them off into the woods.
Soon the dad returns home having finally sacked up and gotten his money.
But now the kids are lost and come upon the candy house of a witch named Griselda (a barely recognizable Cloris Leachman in a nice makeup job).
Once the kids get lost, the story gets good.
There are spooky woods, creepy gingerbread statues, and a scary witch.
It's quite a bit of fun and a nice change of pace from today's over-polished kids films.Despite this being from Cannon, there are no guns anywhere.
Nor is there any machismo or heaving bosoms.
There are some terrible songs and an often sad story told in the most upbeat manner possible.
Also, the most unsettling happy ending ever.
It's a good time, though.
I will definitely seek out more Cannon Movie Tales and recommend you do the same..
Brilliant film.
I watched this film when I was about 6 or 7 and absolutely loved it.
I used to rent it along with two other films from the same company, Puss in Boots and Snow White.
When I was about 11 the video shop closed down and since then I have been searching for this film.
I can still remember the words to the songs and I am now 21!
Finally I have found a copy of it and cannot wait til I get it.
I'm sure my son will enjoy it as much now as I did then.
It is well recommended for children of all ages, although some children may find the witch a little frightening, it just depends on the child.
It is a hard film to find but I would recommend looking for it and the other titles I mentioned earlier, it will be a well loved film for children and for adults!.
Great Movie.
I think this is a great movie from the Cannon Theatre...
but you might want to keep it away from extremely young kids.
it scared me so badly that even today, at 19, I have to fast forward through scenes.
There are things that just scar you ...
ya know?
Grizelda the Witch was more terrifying than the Witch of the West in "Wizard of Oz".
All around, a very good farie tale, but not my favorite out of the series..
Creepy!.
I remember this being on the Disney Channel in the late 80's and mid 90's.
It is the most terrifying version of the story that you will ever see.
Based on the Brothers Grimm story, it follows two children named Hansel(Hugh Pollard) and Gretel(Nicola Stapelton).
Theyb are sent out into the forest to pick berries and they stray from the "safe" woods and enter the forbidden North Woods were they meet a witch named Griselda (Cloris Leachman).
They think they have found shelter, but have really landed in the liar of an evil witch who likes to eat children.The opening is not faithful to the Brothers Grimm story, but it is forgivable, because of the terrifying last half, Cloris Leachman's performance, Nicola and Hugh as the two children, and some nice sets and music numbers.Keep this one away from children under age 7..
The best Cannon Movie Tale?
The best Cannon Movie Tale?
Yes. The Cannon Movie Tales adaptations of famous fairy tales is an interesting little series, and while there are some faring better than others and a few that are less than brilliant, others are well done and charming.
Hansel and Gretel is one of the finer examples of the latter, and gets my vote as the best of the series.It's not without its flaws, all of the films in the series do, some bigger and more serious than others.
The low-budget does show in the less than inspiring and too-fancy-dress-like costumes and the witch's death underwhelms, instead of being nail-biting like in the story the way it's done here causes some unintentional humour.Visually, however, on the most part Hansel and Gretel is actually one of the better-looking Cannon Movie Tales films.
It's lovingly photographed and has charming, colourful settings and a fantastically realised Witch's House, its delicious to look at, but at the same time quite nightmarish, design being one of the standout set designs of the Cannon Movie Tales films.
The songs, adapted from Humperdinck's wonderful opera, are simply lovely and are beautifully adapted, with the best performed being Sugar and Spice and the most effective melodically being A Fairy Song.
The script is filled with fun and charm, and also with a real sense of dread in the second half, while the story adaptation-wise follows the Grimm story fairly closely while expanding on some parts, though actually it's closer to the story of the opera.The storytelling is whimsical and charming, while also witty and poignant, the Witch and her scenes also effectively induces nightmares without distorting the tone (the Witch scenes are quite dark) and are pretty tastefully handled.
The film's nicely directed, and the performances are solid with the standout being Cloris Leachman as the Witch.
Her make-up is excellent, and Leachman clearly has a ball without over-compensating too much and is genuinely frightening.
Hugh Pollard and Nicola Stapleton are appealing as Hansel and Gretel and David Warner does bring a touching degree to a character who could easily have been portrayed as an idiot going by how he was written.Overall, a winner from the Cannon Movie Tales series and my vote for their best.
9/10 Bethany Cox. The best fairy tale movie ever!.
okay, this movie is freaking awesome!
It's like the best movie ever.
I watched it everyday for a week.
The story-line is captivating, I laughed and cried.
My favorite character was the father, he was funny and smart.
I especially liked the song "raise your hands" and I even sing along with my little brother.
I like the scene in the town because it was very realistic, the bakers son and the guy who dances with the children made me smile.
It made me wish I was in the fairy tale.
The witch was also a very good actress, she was scary and very angry sometimes.
People should make more movies as exciting as this one!
If you want to see the best movie in the world, you will watch Hansel and Gretel!.
This is a wonderful adaptation.
I have not seen all of the Cannon Movie Tales but so far I like this one best.
This fairy tale was always interesting as a kid because of the house made of cookies and candy.
Which kid would not love to find that!
The candy house really came across as real so well done on the makers there.
The story is pretty true adaptation but more elaborated.
I'm glad they didn't make the mother so cold as in the original tale where she didn't seem to care about them.
Nicola Stapleton was a nice little Snow White and plays the role of Gretl eagerly well but so does Hansel.
But the real star is the evil witch, she is so ugly and scary, really I wouldn't want to be trapped in that house with her even not as adult.
And all that sugary food shown it makes you want to have pie and cake for real!
I think the movie found the perfect balance between scary (the witch) and sweet (thanks to the songs)..
Who's nibbling at my little house?.
When I was a child,"Hansel And Gretel" used to scare me to death,particularly the bone the unfortunate boy showed to the witch.The Grimm brothers ' widely known fairy tale has undergone some changes and,as far as the parents are concerned ,for the best.David Warner portrays a meek woodcutter who seems a little under her wife 's (Emily Richard)thumb who has sometimes cruel words -but the fairy tales are often cruel- when she tells her children going to bed that they should not awake .The fairy tale revolves round a familiar topic: the fear of starving ,which was not only in fairy tales ("Tom Thumb " is another example ,which shows analogies with "H and G" :the candies ,cannibalism).In this food shortage ,all is temptation:on a small scale ,the baker's shop,and on a larger one,the witch's house.But too much pastry and sweets makes you sick.The second part is ,IMHO,less successful: the children remain true to form ,but I do think that Cloris Leachman overacts and makes her character more ludicrous than really scary .Enough is enough!The same can be said of the final "fireworks".All and all ,it is an enjoyable show for the whole family.Two very interesting variations on the same theme (strictly for adults and teenagers): "Whoever slew Auntie Roo?"(1971) Curtis Harrington."Les Amants Criminels " (1999) François Ozon..
Hansel-H, And-A, Gretel-G.
Kinda Creepy Huh?.
we used to make that analogy of the Hansel and Gretel name when we were kids.
for some reason that really scared my female cousin and she seemed to particularly hate that fairy tale always after hearing that.
i kind of understood because the analogy gave me the creeps too.
although not as much as it seemed to give her.the whole Hasel and Gretel tale really is a whole lot of jeepers creepers.
it's pretty morbid stuff.
after all it has a very vengeful sense of morality.
personally i don't support capital punishment or revenge, the Testament does advise turning the other cheek, but i suppose the witch here is pretty homicidal and carnivorous and doesn't elicit much sympathy.
especially the manicky, greedy way she is portrayed at the hands of Cloris Leachman who does it so fiendishly well.everything about this delightful Cannon MovieTale is, shall we say, (ahem),well done.
although nothing is ever overdone or over-baked.
it's all cooked to delicious perfection.Englebert Humperdink's children's opera has been done successfully, but not in live action movie form.
even though Cannon films made their MovieTales on humble budgets, the films looked good and felt like movies, not filmed stage plays like many other fairy tale theaters.
fans of Cannon MovieTales also know that their fairy tales are also largely underrated and not often given the attention or credit they so richly deserve.this particular version of the fairy tale opera is worth something just for Cloris Leachman's outstanding performance as the witch.
she is very amusing but she is also rather frightening too.
it's also nice to see MovieTale star Nicola Stapleton (Snow White) here as well.aside from the obviously politically incorrect message of "witch burning", which is pretty morbid, but a inherent problem in the original telling if you want to be accurate, this film is probably more cultured and refined than a lot of the mindless junk that is usually tossed at kids these days in the movies and on television.this is a good film for kids on a whole but there actually might be some risk of scaring really small children.
heck, the movie scared me when i first saw it in the late 80's and i was like, almost thirty.