#17 – Cinderella (1950)
Best Character: Lucifer
Worst Character: The Wicked Stepsisters
Cinderella is one of those films that captures the Disney magic perfectly. Even after all these years there’s still something about it that evokes a sense of fascination in magic and dreams. I love the art direction for the film. The theme of the film is essentially to keep on dreaming and eventually your dreams will come true. While perhaps not the greatest of Disney messages to young children, the art direction nevertheless fits it wonderfully. The entire film, especially the scene with the fairy godmother, just has this dreamlike atmosphere built into it that I love.
Apparently many little girls grow up dreaming to be just like Cinderella. While kindness is certainly a good virtue to strive for, her story isn’t exactly the most inspirational. She’s kind and generous, but she doesn’t pull herself out of her miserable situation on her own. Instead she relies on luck to get her through. I’m glad it worked out for Cinderella, as she’s certainly deserving of the lifestyle she received at the end of the film, but it’s not a great message to send to little girls. The character herself is fairly flat. I suppose most of the classic era Disney females all fit this mold, and most suffer because of it. I’m able to empathize with her situation, but I really don’t connect with her character in any real, meaningful way as I do some of the others. Prince Charming is basically a non-entity in the film, only to really appear during the ballroom sequence. While I can get behind the whole love at first sight shtick Disney loves to use, it would be nice to see a little more development between the two. Both of the lead characters lack an identifiable personality. Thankfully the side characters have some.
The side characters in this film are actually more entertaining than the main characters. The mice are fantastic side characters that are very capable of carrying the film for the portions not focused on Cinderella. I will admit that some of the segments with the mice really aren’t crucial to the plotline of Cinderella. They’re nevertheless entertaining enough for me not to consider it a weakness in the film. Jack and Gus are definitely the stars of the side characters. Their antics are great fun to watch, especially whenever Lucifer is involved. The two of them develop a great friendship over the course of the film, culminating in their joint effort to help Cinderella escape and achieve her dream. These two are great sidekicks, filled with bravery and humor enough to carry the film in some of its duller spots. I love the way they speak to one another, especially how Jack always repeats everything he says. “Gus gus, zut zut, etc.” The other star of the film is Lucifer, and admittedly it’s probably not a traditional choice for best character. Nevertheless I loved his antics enough to put him there in the coveted best character position. He is deliciously evil, picking on poor Cinderella whenever the opportunity presents itself. Lucifer is the only character in the film that openly and directly partakes in evil actions. He is the primary antagonist to the mice and really the only villain that receives and kind of comeuppance. One of my main problems with the film is simply how none of the other villains had much of a comeuppance. Nothing happens to Lady Tremaine or the Wicked Stepsisters. At least in the original edition the Wicked Stepsisters cut off their own toes in an effort to fit their feet inside the glass slipper. Here in the Disney version nothing much happens to them. It’s too bad since they’re such obnoxious characters. They’re just bullies. Lame. Their mother is a much more interesting character.