The Wizard of Oz may be Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM)'s only iconic fairy-tale musical, but the company made a few more. An example is their 1980s adaptation of the Grimm Brothers' Rumpelstiltskin.
Regarding Grimms' fairy tales, "The Frog Prince," "Snow White," and "Rapunzel" all have iconic film adaptations. Despite the tale being fairly well known, "Rumpelstiltskin" has yet to receive one (particularly from Disney). Yet, I feel as if the MGM film is underrated and awaiting discovery.
MGM did not adapt "Rumpelstiltskin" the way Disney would; the film is faithful to the original tale, maintaining even the repetition (the elf spins the wheel three times). The most significant changes occur at the end of the film. For instance, in the original tale, the messenger (an animatronic black bird in the film) watches the dwarf (Billy Barty) dance inside his house while in the movie, he lives in a cave.
As any feature-length fairy tale should, Rumpelstiltskin added depth to the characters. For instance, the miller's daughter, named Katie (Amy Irving), tends the garden while singing about becoming queen. She additionally identified constellations, even though it would have been better to show her pointing them out. The prince, named Henry (John Moulder-Brown), also meets Katie before she goes to the castle, and even after her first test from King Mezzer (Clive Revill).
In addition, the film added a villain to the story: Queen Grizelda (Priscilla Pointer). Unlike the queen in "Snow White," she constantly insults without planning to kill Katie. Besides, Queen Grizelda does not die in the end. MGM also added a castle servant girl as a side character, Emily (Yael Uziely), who does not speak for much of the film (no explanation).
If I were to criticize the storyline of Rumpelstiltskin, it would be the scene in which the clerk's children yell and throw food at the dinner table. I don't find this scene necessary.
Another problem I have with Rumpelstiltskin is the lighting getting a bit too dim. Even then, it is still better than in many modern live-action films. Besides, its faithfulness would technically make the film much more forgettable than Disney films. However, the actors' performances, especially Amy Irving as Katie, and the songs make up for it.
As with Disney's fairy tale films, Rumpelstiltskin is a musical. It is more like pre-Renaissance Disney films, though; it is a "jolly musical" (how Walt Disney described Mary Poppins) rather than a Broadway-style show. The songs, though not better than Disney music, are fairly engaging and memorable.
One more compliment I have for Rumpelstiltskin regards how it keeps the ending involving Katie's newborn child. MGM could have skipped the newborn part and, instead, have Katie guess Rumpelstiltskin's name before marrying the prince. Too many popular fairy tales involving princesses have the wedding as the last event, which sends the message that life ends after marriage. Because of its ending, "Rumpelstiltskin" stands out among other Grimms' fairy tales.
Not only is Rumpelstiltskin underrated, but as a faithful adaptation, it encourages readers to check out the original tale more than even Disney tales.
SCORE: Good (8.5/10)
AGE RATING: 7+
Have you seen Rumpelstiltskin? What do you think about it?
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