Director: Wilfred Jackson Clyde Geronimi
Release Date: 1950
Running Time: 1hr 11 minutes
Genre: Animation
Rating: U
Seen On: Sky Movies
Synopsis:
When Cinderella's cruel stepmother prevents her from attending the Royal Ball, she gets some unexpected help from the lovable mice Gus and Jaq, and her fairy godmother.
Originally an European folktale, it's no surprise that Walt Disney wanted to put his own fingerprint on it. It is said that Walt Disney's young daughters loved the story of "Mary Poppins", begging him, until he finally gave in to making a live action adaptation. Is it thought that perhaps his young daughters were also big fan of this classic folktale? Cinderella has touched the hearts of millions. The story of a beautiful young woman who has been ridiculed and abused after the death of her father by her insidious stepmother Lady Tremaine, forcing her to be a servant in her own home. One thing I truly love about Walt Disney's first few animations was the idea to open each film with a gold plated book, always beautifully narrated.
One of the best things about the storyline is the beautiful friendship that Cinderella shares with the mice. The stunning animation of Gus is extremely impressive, here you have this animated mouse, that speaks no words but his own cute little language and yet he has more characterisation than The Looney Tunes did in Space Jam. It goes to show just how clever animation is, when it comes to touching audiences. The animation really is spectacular, considering this was one of Walt Disney's earliest films. One scene in particular stands out, where Cinderella is cleaning a gorgeous marble floor in which Lucifer the cat comes along with his dirty paws, making a mess everywhere. Cinderella's reflection is shown in the iridescent bubbles descending from her bucket. Although the animation is simple, it's effect is still clever.
When we hear the name Lucifer we primarily think of Satan or the devil. It's no surprise that Lady Tremaine's cat has an insidious name, very much like her personality. Lady Tremaine is performed brilliantly by Eleanor Audley. Eleanor has a very distinct voice. You may recognise her as the voice of Maleficent in Walt Disney's "Sleeping Beauty", cruel and haunting, it's no doubt that Audley was a little bit typecast when it came to Walt Disney's films. The character of Lady Tremaine is your typical gold digger. The morals behind the story are simple, but yet very powerful too. Those who treat others badly will have their karma, those who are treated badly but remain beautiful inside, will find their dreams do come true. Fairy Godmothers, glass slippers and a soundtrack that will touch your heart, a truly spectacular animation.
5/5
