Cinderella (1950)

From August of 1942 until the end of the decade, Walt Disney and his animation studio were in a kind of Dark Ages. Half of their animators were being used to make pro-Allied Forces propaganda films for the US military. After the end of World War II the studio didn’t have the funds to pull off a full-length stand-alone story. Thus they were stuck with the cheap-to-make package films that modern audiences have all but forgotten entirely. Walt Disney took a chance and nearly broke the bank to produce Cinderella. The rest is history.

If you don’t know the story of Cinderella then you have either been living under a rock or led a horribly sheltered life. Just in case anyone does fall into either of those categories, I will summarize. A beautiful young woman is mistreated by her step-mother and ugly step-sisters. The prince of the kingdom seeks a wife and the poor maiden gets help from her animal friends and a fairy godmother to transform her from a servant into beautiful woman. She captures the heart of the prince but leaves her suitor before the enchantments end at midnight. The prince is left to search the countryside for the maiden who fits a glass slipper left behind at the castle.

The motto ‘go big or go home’ may seem clichéd now but you can’t help but look back at history and point to instances of this motto working in magnificent ways. Cinderella is one such event. Had the film tanked, Disney was prepared to close up shop. Can you even fathom a world without Disney films? What a sad existence that would be! It’s hard to believe that that was a possibility, but it was.

Thank goodness Disney pulled out all the stops. The animation may not be as layered and gorgeous as Snow White or Pinocchio but Cinderella has enough colors and textures to dazzle the eyes. In fact, the animation has very little to do with the success of the film. That credit belongs to the following factors: a timeless story, charming characters and unbeatable music.

While this film version now serves as an introduction for most young people to the classic fairy tale, Cinderella has been around for hundreds of years. Operas, plays and even ballets have been written and produced to tell this timeless tale of love breaking through the boundaries of class and status. Even a half-dozen incarnations of the story were committed to film before Disney had his animators ink the tale in Technicolor. Returning to popular lore was the first step toward success. Cinderella exists in the hearts and minds of everyone. It’s a tale that resonates with just about all of us. Who doesn’t want to rise above their current situation and fulfill a dream? That’s the stuff Cinderella is made of.

With all the success Disney’s animators had over the years with bringing animals to life, it makes perfect sense for them to include anthropomorphic critters to the tale. Sure, it’s only the mice that walk, talk and sing like people, but the collection of personalities enhances the story instead of distracting from it. Plus, kids are easily entertained by animals doing human-like things. The trials and tribulations of Cinderella’s mouse friends are added in the right places, providing an extra dramatic kick or a much-needed dash of humor at just the right times. The step-mother and step-sisters are also developed with the right aura of coldness and haughtiness as to prevent them from being likeable in any way.

Finally there is the music. Virtually all of the songs in this film are memorable and fun to listen to. “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” is still among the greatest Disney film songs of all time. On top of this rollicking treasure are other signature classics like “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” “Sing Sweet Nightingale,” and “The Work Song” as sung by the mice to relay Cinderella’s plight. The only Disney film to this point to feature so many songs that have stood the test of time is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Everything about this film is iconic. Along with Snow White, Cinderella helps define Disney. The stars aligned for Walt and his crew and this film gave new life to the company. This film furthered their move towards a simpler animation style but it grips you where it matters most. Sixty years after its release, Cinderella hasn’t lost an ounce of its magic.

RATING: 4 out of 5