A Wish Your Heart Makes: From the Grimm Brothers' Aschenputtel to Disney's Cinderella

Image citation: Amazon. (n.d.). [A Wish Your Heart Makes: From the Grimm Brothers' Aschenputtel to Disney's Cinderella (Disney Editions Deluxe (Film))]. Retrieved June 12, 2024, from https://www.amazon.com/Wish-Your-Heart-Makes-Aschenputtel/dp/1484713265/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&sr=1-1. 

When one thinks of Disney classics, Cinderella easily comes to mind. As he did for Beauty and the Beast, animation historian Charles Solomon wrote an entire single book about the film. 

Solomon divided A Wish Your Heart Makes: From the Grimm Brothers' Aschenputtel to Disney's Cinderella into much fewer chapters than he did for Tale as Old as Time: The Art and Making of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. The exact number is three: there's a chapter on the original fairy tale, one on the production of the 1950 animated film, and one more on the making of the 2015 live-action adaptation.

Each chapter offers detailed facts about the Cinderella story I never thought about before. For instance, the first chapter quoted child psychologist Bruno Bettelheim on his belief that Cinderella appealed because it spoke to children's sibling rivalries. 

The first chapter not only describes the origin of the fairy tale, but it also lists several non-Disney stage, film, and television adaptations; the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, of course, is one example. Not surprising for a film made in 1950, the second chapter features quotes from several modern Disney artists on its impact and quality alongside describing Walt Disney's approach to it. Yet, the last chapter on the remake features quotes from people who actually worked on the film. 

Of course, there are several illustrations throughout the book. These include illustrations for literary versions, sketches for and scenes from the animated film; and preliminary paintings, sketches, and scenes from the live-action film. It is a bonus that the cover features images from the literary versions, animation, and remake. Throughout the book, just one image in the last chapter has a caption that is slightly off.

If I could make one critique about the book, it would be for the title; it lists the iconic literary source as "the Grimm Brothers' Aschenputtel" when it was really Charles Perrault's Cendrillon. People rarely seem to realize how different the Grimm Brothers' version is from the iconic version we hear most. 

Otherwise, A Wish Your Heart Makes: From the Grimm Brothers' Aschenputtel to Disney's Cinderella is a well-written documentation on the Cinderella's story progression from literature to film. It is a must-read for fans of the Disney films and/or the original fairy tale. 

Have you read A Wish Your Heart Makes: From the Grimm Brother's Aschenputtel to Disney's Cinderella? What do you think about it?

The Secret of Kells

Most animated fairy tale movies come from Walt Disney Animation Studios. However, there are other studios that produce fairy tales: the Irish Cartoon Saloon is an example.

The Secret of Kells is the studio's first film. It follows Brendan, a boy living at the abbey, as he protects the "book of Kells" (which represents the Bible). Brendan clearly wanted to leave the abbey walls, but the opening scene could establish the goal better. 

The film has impressive cartoony animation that works on a scroll. However, I found the story somewhat dull; Brendan leaves and returns to the abbey trying to find a secret to a book that is already revealed to be sacred. The dull colors of the abbey and of the ocean and prison at night do not help. Maybe the film uses an accurate color palette for Ireland's towers and churches, but it's not the best to look at. 

One thing that would make the story more interesting is establishing Brendan's backstory more; if the film explains how he ended up at the abbey and going more into his desire to leave, I would not have gotten tired as much. 

A character who makes the film more interesting is white girl Aisling; I especially enjoyed the scene in which she and Brendan climbed trees together. Visual-wise, the trees looked more artsy than anything else in the film. The Secret of Kells also establishes Aisling as a wolf-girl, but a clear connection of the curse to the book of Kells would strengthen it. 

Of course, there is plenty of adventure and action. It was fun to see Brendan swimming amongst eels, as well as leaving the abbey for a better life. Tension was also present through the storms and the crowd struggling around the tower. 

The best thing about The Secret of Kells has to be the Christian message; it reveals how, like the Bible, the Book of Kells is necessary because it provides sacred guidance to people. 

I did not enjoy The Secret of Kells as much as I wanted it to, but I appreciated how it was a short film with a positive message. The creative animation also stood out to me. I recommend this film for Christians and other people who take an interest in Irish folklore and/or animation. 

Have you seen The Secret of Kells? What do you think about it?

Darby O'Gill and the Little People

Walt Disney became known for his animated fairy tales, such as Cinderella. However, the studio has also produced live-action fairy tales.

Darby O'Gill and the Little People, released in 1959 and adapted from the Darby O'Gill stories of Herminie Templeton Kavanagh, is one example. It is an Irish fairy tale with humorous leprechauns, an old-fashioned village, and, unfortunately, disturbing spirits (the banshee is especially frightening). 

The spirits are the main thing that can offend Christians; thankfully, they do not appear until the climax. However, there are some relationship red flags; Michael MacBride's physical treatment towards Katie O'Gill (Darby's daughter) and desire for marriage calls back to Gaston's harassment of Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Thankfully, Michael is nowhere near as mean as Gaston; besides, their love was partly the leprechaun King Brian's idea. 

The characters, as in many old Disney movies, lack depth. Yet, their personalities make them still enjoyable to watch. Darby O'Gill's intelligence and can-do attitude, for instance, makes him feel somewhat like a friend. Katie may spend a lot of time keeping house, but she also speaks up multiple times. It was especially fun watching her run with Michael down a green hill. 

Nonetheless, the most memorable character has to be the leprechaun King Brian. He dances around and grants Darby three wishes; I appreciate how Darby uses one wish as a sacrifice of his life for Katie's. It was also funny how King Brian pokes around in a sack and turns into a rabbit a few times. 

Interestingly, besides Michael, there is at least one more man who spends time with Katie. Guess what his name is: Pony. I have never heard of a man with that name before and am unsure how common it was during the film's set time period. Name and face aside, Pony is nowhere near as memorable as Michael, who plays a fiddle alongside his social encounters. 

The video quality equals that of your typical 1950s live-action film. It makes the backgrounds look more painted and ensures contrast in even the darkest scenes; most modern live-action films fail the test.

The set has a bland color pallette that evokes Irish barley or potatoes; there are stone cottages with hay roofs and a beige-colored paved road. Darby, Katie, and the other characters also wear brown, white, and other muted tones. Yet, the contrast keeps it all interesting to look at.

However, the best part of Darby O'Gill and the Little People has to be the music. The score has a joyful Celtic vibe. There are also a few entertaining Irish songs, including one that Michael sings around Katie; That song got into my head after the film ended.

Darby O'Gill and the Little People is nowhere near perfect, but it is an engaging watch for Disney fans who want to branch out from the animated classics.  

The image I used for this review is generated using AI, not pulled from the movie. I could not find any copyright-free images from the film, so I generated an image with a leprechaun. It is not the best representation of King Brian, but it was the closest one I got.

Have you seen Darby O'Gill and the Little People? What do you think about it?