With it came a whole lot of criticism about whether Cinderella is outdated, how it goes against feminism because the main character is too passive and waits around for a Prince to rescue her. I ask the question, have they been watching the same footage I have?
If I gained anything from watching the trailers and reading the new book which is based on the script for the movie, it's that this new Cinderella takes a classic tale and turns it on its head, keeping its otherworldly charm and magic whilst providing a suitably welcome modern update.
Before you read any further I want to first make it clear. I have not seen the new Cinderella movie. My opinions are based off the trailers and the book which was developed from the new films script alone.
Let's get to first issue. Cinderella's waist. And if you don't know what I'm talking about a quick Google search will bring it up.
First Disney were accused of photo shopping images and editing video footage of Lily James to create her small waist in the famous blue ball gown. According to many this damaging to children giving them unrealistic expectations.
First this is a fantasy movie, any view your child adopts about needing as small a waist as Cinderella will come from the unnecessary media attention it gained, I don't know about you but the size of her waist had not registered to me until others became 'outraged' by it online not to mention that that could even be perceived as skinny shaming.
Lily James as any one can see has a naturally thin waist to begin with. The movie is set in a time when corsets were the norm, so it's neither surprising nor shocking that Cinderella's dress was corseted and appeared slightly smaller. Her stepsisters are corseted at the ball too, in fact you see Drizella demanding it be tied tighter and tighter, so why is the focus solely on Cinderella? Publicity.
This is a very popular and successful movie, jumping onto its coattails to promote your opinion of what makes a real woman or how women should behave is shameful and unwarranted. Skinny shaming is just as wrong as fat shaming, which is exactly what happened when Disney were accused of photo shopping Miss James waist, because she couldn't possibly be naturally thin to begin with could she.
Costume designer Sandy Powell created Cinderella's ball gown using a 19th century corset, with a skirt built on top of a crinoline which is a collapse-able cage giving the skirt it's main volume, then there are three or four layers around the waist and frills on the edges of the petticoats and crinoline cage. Her dress is an optical illusion, the width of shoulder straps, the corseted waisted and the large full skirt is the reason her waist looks small, not Photoshop.
The core message of this new Cinderella is Have Courage and Be Kind. I would hardly call those claiming Lily was photo shopped kind, would you? What's so wrong with spreading this message, perhaps if those criticising her appearance actually focused on the story for a second they would see that this new Cinderella is a fantastic role model. They saw her tiny waist and dismissed her out of hand. Which I would personally see as far more damaging, in fact young Cinderella in the book says to her father, "Beauty without intelligence is like a hook without bait." I see nothing harmful about this statement in fact it's promoting the recognition and importance of intelligence in women.
Ella whilst quiet and accepting of her plight is no victim, she is not passive, in fact she sacrifices herself, she is intelligent as proved by her mastering fluency in multiple languages, she remains kind and courageous as the promise she made to her mother through her horrific loss and the adversity of her situation, yet her spirit is not broken, her step family never breaks that kind and courageous spirit instilled in her by her mother. I don't see anything wrong with this.
This coming from me, a 20 year old girl, who refused to take off her Cinderella dress costume, played with bake with me Barbie and has grown up to be a football season ticket holder, practiced rugby at school whilst remaining a Disney princess at heart. Dreaming of magic and charming Princes and Princess has done me no harm, because I was raised to understand that in order to live my dream I had to work for it. It is not the Walt Disney Company who are required to instil this value in your children, they learn far more from the example their parents set than they do from a 90 minute princess fairytale.
Frozen a couple years ago was praised and adored for its fresh Disney princess outlook as Queen Elsa says "You can't marry a man you just met", well it's pretty clear that Cinderella and her prince do not marry just after meeting the first time in fact, Cinderella isn't even aware he is a Prince to her, he is Mr Kit the apprentice, these two talk and get to know each other there is nothing sudden or unrealistic about their relationship. Cinderella, wants to see Kit again at the Ball not because he is a Prince but because he appeared a hard working, kind man who appeared to share similar values to her, a very realistic and modern relationship in my opinion.
When threatened by her stepmother, Ella sacrifices herself. To be with Kit she need only succumb to her wishes and make her stepmother the head of the royal household, but Cinderella refuses, to protect Kit and the Kingdom, She gives herself up to a life time of cruel treatment at her step families hands to benefit the needs of the many rather than her own.
Kit: Prince Charming later reinforces young Ella's sentiment (when talking about Ella)"She was a pretty girl, but there was so much more to her."
In a time were people are demanding that female celebrities be asked more than what are they wearing on the red carpet, why are we so focused on the size of Cinders waist over the more positive messages this updated version has to offer.
At its heart this is tale of inner strength, kindness and courage. It would be so much easier for Cinderella to take the easy road, to wallow in her sadness and feel as though the whole world is against her, she is orphaned and her step family mistreats her yet she takes it in her stride treating them with kindness when they give her very little reason to do so. Should we not be teaching our children to be kind and strong and intelligent above all else. Cinderella's inner strength is proved again at the end of this tale "Turning around, she told her stepmother the kindest words she knew: "I forgive you."" Would you in her situation be able to do the same, forgive the woman who was supposed to care for you but instead treated you as a servant, an annoyance, a burden, whose every word was to belittle and sadden you, when she tried to ruin your happiness would you be so easy to forgive? I believe it takes real courage and strength to forgive someone of that qualities 2015 Cinderella whole heartedly embodies.
A few more quotes to demonstrate my point "She had done what was best for Kit and the entire kingdom. She'd had the courage to do the hardest thing, to refuse the new life she desperately wanted to save others."
"If she'd learned anything from her stepmother - that cold unhappy woman - it was that a person was the master of her own fate and of her own happiness."
It was Cinderella's inherent kindness and goodness that turned the Prince's head, not her beauty alone.
Yes she had help from her fairy godmother, and yes the prince 'rescued' her in the end but this is after all a fairytale, Walt Disney himself said "all our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them" Cinderella may not have gone to the ball without her fairy godmothers help but in this story Ella and Kit met before the ball, they married many months (as pointed out in the book) after he arrives at her stepmothers home with the glass slipper. Cinderella and Kit are very much equals in the relationship despite him being a Prince and she being an "honest country girl."
To take offence to a fairytale you could argue is pointless, it isn't real, it's a dream world. Yet there are some in this world that would argue this is damaging, I want to tell you that there is nothing wrong with dreaming, with being kind, it doesn't make you weak. It takes courage to follow your dreams, to step outside of your comfort zone, dreams should be celebrated not ridiculed, and Cinderella should be taken for what it is, a story about a girl who lived through great tragedy and hardships, a girl who never gave up on the hope of better times, who repeated and followed her mothers dying wish for her to have courage and be kind, a girl who puts others needs before her own. It's charming it's magical, it has a few great messages to share that should not be ignored simply because of the size of Cinderella's waist line.
Only when we stop focusing on our outside attributes will others stop also, so I implore you, look past Cinderella's beautiful cast and glittering sets to see the core message within.
Have Courage and Be Kind.
A lesson perhaps we could all do to take cues from.
xoxo
Becca
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