Why Cinderella is actually a radical feminist statement
Share This Article:
- Article continues below...
- More stories you may like...
- The release of La La Land is just the beginning of a new era of musicals
- Apple's new 'theatre mode' is an embarrassment to us as a society
- Why the Tom Hardy Venom movie is going to suck
.jpg)
For example, Branagh goes to considerable lengths to make sure that Ella is never once portrayed as a victim in spite of all the terrible events she has endured. Her simple, careful reply to Kit in their initial meeting when he asks if she is treated well by her family is merely, "They treat me as well as they are able" and she then neglects to provide more detail. Her stoicism is once again demonstrated at the film's climax; even as it seems that all hope is lost for her as she is locked in the attic by her ruthless stepmother, she sits at the window and sings her mother's favourite lullaby. Unwittingly, this stroke of optimism gives away her presence and allows the Prince to find her at last. Branagh also highlights here that the Prince essentially pursues her; Ella is content to let their encounter become a hopeful, "beautiful memory" like that of her parents and is not relying on him to save her, nor is she defined by his affections.
Finally, Ella's speech to Prince Kit before she agrees to try on the famous glass slipper encompasses the nature of this story and its feminist implications as she implores him to accept her for exactly who she is. And the Prince without hesitation does exactly that. Disney's 2015 reimagining of Cinderella may not necessarily appear modern at face value, but its philosophy that having courage, being kind and completely true to yourself does more for the advance of feminism than anyone could ever have expected.