All right, before getting into the actual post, I'll be upfront and admit that this was one of my first blog posts. It was originally published roughly a year after Disney released its live-action version of Cinderella. Just to help with the time-frame.
For this week’s post, I decided to write up on a popular fairytale. A fairytale that recently had a film put out nearly a year ago now: Cinderella.
Now, if you haven’t heard, seen, or read at least one version of Cinderella at some point in your life, I would be shocked. The more familiar version of the tale has been around since 1697 while an Egyptian variant is said to have been around since 7 BC. In modern times, the story of Cinderella has thousands of versions around the world, with at least hundreds of them being told or retold in the English language. This may or may not include the modern retellings.
The basic plot of the story tends to go like this. A young girl who is kind and thoughtful must endure the persecutions of a stepparent and stepsisters. A grand event is announced by the royals and all maidens, rich or poor, are allowed to attend. After her stepfamily leaves, the girl finds a way to go to the event, meets the prince, and then steals away into the night before her stepfamily discovers she’s gone. By accident, the girl drops something and leaves it behind and the prince uses it to find the girl again and makes her his bride.
Most old retellings I have found feature up to three balls, with Cinderella dressed up more gloriously than the last one. I have seen Cinderella wearing glass slippers and golden slippers. Sometimes, she is merely told to finish her chores and have a dress ready, other times she is given impossible tasks that she must complete. Some tales have magic trees or fairy godmothers provide the ball finery, while others have non-magical means such as friends or her mother’s old things. I have found a version from Persia with a maiden with a star birthmark on her cheek and a jinn in a little jar. There is a tale from Egypt of a slave maid with rose-gold slippers. Even the Native Americans have a tale telling of a horribly scarred maiden becoming a beautiful bride for some great warrior/spirit.
One of the more famous versions of this favorite tale is Walt Disney’s 1950 Cinderella with such musical gems as “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” and “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo.” For many, this has set the norm for the cherished fairytale: fairy godmother, pumpkin and mice transformed into coach and horses, glass slippers, the need to leave by midnight, and the (rather iconic) blue ballgown.
A modern retelling that I grew up with was called Ashpet. This tale was set during World War II and had “Cinderella” meeting and marrying a soldier. No fairy godmother or glass slippers, instead an old African-American woman and silver-tone shoes.
One of my favorites for the modern retellings that I found recently was Elle, a young girl who dreamed of being a recording artist. No stepfamily, but rivals in the group Sensation and a pop-star named Kandi Kane. No prince charming, but a kind, considerate teen singer who falls in love first with Elle’s singing and then Elle herself.
One of the, if not the, most recent additions to the retellings is Disney’s live-action Cinderella, released March 13, 2015. Although it mostly follows the 1950 classic, we get to see Ella and Prince Kit meet before the ball and witness some political intrigue. I have only gotten an opportunity to see it once, but I thought it was beautiful. The transformation sequence was especially magical in my humble opinion.
This tale has always fascinated me with its magic and even its “rags to riches” theme. I have read and watched various versions and couldn’t possibly give you a clear answer as to which is my favorite. I have seen Cinderella dressed in simple gowns and in gowns with so much detailing it is impossible to see all the details after looking at the picture a dozen times. I have watched her glide on ice and perform on stage. I have heard her sing sweet ballads and bouncing country tunes. She has lost an anklet and a cellphone. She’s been without human comfort and has gained the sympathy of a stepsister.
I’ll even now confess that I have written my tale which I hope to one day publish to add to this collection of amazing magic. So, if one day you pick up a Cinderella retelling that tells you Cinderella had a brother and slippers made of emeralds, you have found my little contribution to this fairytale’s legacy.
And now, I shall leave for another week. Goodbye and God bless.
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