British director Kenneth Branagh has taken “Cinderella,” the fairy tale that Disney’s 1950 animated film made famous, and turned it into a live-action spectacle set to sweep the box office during it’s opening weekend.
Lily James, best known for her role as Lady Rose in the period drama “Downton Abbey,” stars as Cinderella, Scottish actor Richard Madden as her Prince Charming and Oscar winner Cate Blanchett as the glamorous, wicked stepmother.
The film closely follows the classic tale of the orphaned girl bullied by her stepmother and stepsisters.
“She’s called the wicked stepmother or the evil stepmother, she’s already got that pejorative word in her title, and so I think you could be quite judicious about how you reveal that. Because it’s very easy to play someone who’s just bad, but then hopefully understanding what makes someone tick, because I think an exploration of jealousy amongst women is an interesting thing to explore on screen, and in a way that it’s not the ‘all’ of the film,. But it is a part of it, there’s a lot of different female relationships,” said Blanchett about her role.
James says that while the story remains true to the original animated film, it has subtle differences that make it more contemporary.
“I think there’s subtle differences, which is why I loved the script and why I love what Ken’s done because it’s still such a classical re-telling, but there are these little subtle differences such as the princess and the prince, Ella and the prince meet not knowing who each other and you feel like they’re real equals, she’s not waiting to be rescued by a prince, and I also think that she’s not a victim, that Ella makes choices based on how she’s been brought up and lives this lifestyle, this way of life with courage and kindness that make her so strong and unique,” said James.
Branagh said he wanted to bring Cinderella into the 21st century with woman power.
“She’s a little witty and wry with the stepsisters – she ain’t a victim, she’s ain’t passive, she’s a strong woman but her generosity of spirit I think is an inspiring thing, and the movie just is determinedly, just like Cinderella, whatever the world throws at it, it’s just uncynical – it’s not unrealistic, but it’s uncynical, and it believes that things can be better,” said Branagh.
“Cinderella” is now among the classic fairy tales transformed into live action films, along with “Alice in Wonderland” and “Maleficent.”
“I think it’s about time that the amount of attention given to the world of male movies and boys films was matched by an equal amount of time and interest in what also frankly is an enormous audience which is the female audience across all ages for movies, they drive movie-going, why shouldn’t they see stuff that somehow reflects them or is more directly part of a subject matter that might concern,” said Branagh.
“Cinderella” hits theaters on Friday March 13.
(Reuters)