Having not watched many of the well-known Disney movies as a child, I am currently on a quest to continue my cultural education and amuse myself by watching them now. I started with Cinderella.
First of all, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. But, watching it as an adult, I thought it was pretty, sweet, and funny but also thought about what it represented as being good and worthy of a reward (ie, what the differences between Cinderella and her stepfamily were).
Cinderella was kind and thoughtful, in general, and patient with her stepfamily. Specifically, though, what I noticed most was that she was kind and considerate towards those around her who could be considered less important or inferior (such as the mice). To throw in a Harry Potter reference (sorry to any who are not fans), Sirius Black once said to Harry that the best way to get the real measure of a man is to see how he treats those he considers his inferiors. For instance, if Cinderella had only been kind and gentle with her stepfamily, who were more powerful than she, it could have been because she hoped to get something for it. Feeding and clothing and befriending the little creatures around her is something that means she was willing to be kind and generous even if she had no reason to expect a reward. Of course she did end up being rewarded for it, but the point is that that wasn't the reason she was being kind.
On a more aesthetic level, it was interesting to me to see the artwork, hear the music, and hear Cinderella's singing voice, it really made it clear to me just how old the movie is and how much tastes in things change over time (something that's going to be quite interesting to me as I keep watching these).
My one complaint? The prince got zero characterization. Romance is a lot more interesting when both of the people seem like people. Girls, be sure to marry the first guy you meet who immediately starts singing a duet with you and has a lovely voice! (kidding) (though the prince did have a lovely voice)
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Are you planning on watching them in chronological order (with respect to when they were made)? I vote you watch Princess and the Frog soon!
ReplyDelete[Also, know that you inspired me to watch Mulan while doing homework yesterday.]
Yay, it's always nice to know I inspired some fun :)
ReplyDeleteNo, not chronological order, but older things are taking precedence in the priorities, because the main purpose is to watch what other people my age grew up with. So I may eventually get to the Princess and the Frog, but it's not that high on my list.