Cinderella (1950)
After a disastrous previous decade of releases due to the limitations put on the studio during World War II and a general lack of reception to their work being produced, Disney was desperately in need of a change in pace going into the 1950s. As part of a last ditch effort to bring the studio a success, Disney decided to return to their roots and create a more traditional Princess narrative with Cinderella. Based on Charles Perrault's version of the Cinderella folk tale, Cinderella successfully turned the tide for Disney becoming both a box office and critical hit. Over 70-years later, the film still holds an undeniable charm, even if it remains a rather simple viewing experience.
Naturally, it is hard not to consider Cinderella, voiced by Ilene Woods, to be one of the most effective Disney protagonists. Set up with an emotional backstory and constant barrage of ongoing trauma due to her continued forced service to her step-mother and sisters, it is hard to see Cinderella as anything but a tragic and compelling figure. Within this, however, she also is a figure that consistently takes agency. She uses her mind and body to overcome obstacles and continue to push to achieve her dreams. When so many of the Disney princesses ultimately feel underwhelming either within their perspective or efforts, Cinderella feels like a rare accomplishment in both.
Undoubtedly, much of Cinderella's effectiveness comes from her relationship to those around her. Leading the wicked charge against her is Lady Tremaine, her stepmother who wants to give the world to her biological daughters while making Cinderella complete all the chores for them. Perhaps the most underrated of the Disney villains, there is a real venom and cruelty found within Tremaine that commands every frame she is present in. From the incredible performance behind her from Eleanor Audley to the way the animation builds a physical presence to the character from the introduction alone that sees her hide in a shadow like a monster waiting to lunge, she is easily one of the more grounded Disney villains but is absolutely one of the most haunting. It also helps that in the narrative, her plan and schemes are equally controlled. Rather than looking to take over the world leading to some forced final act action scene as seen in many of the Disney Renaissance features, her intentions are selfish and yet grounded which reinforces her deeper lack of empathy or care for anything other than finding her own financial success and power.
In this dichotomy between the selfless Cinderella and the wicked Lady Tremaine is a naturally compelling battle between what is right and what is wrong. However, it is hard to say this narrative is anything but simple. At only 74-minutes, the film has no intentions of fleshing out this story or its characters with every action and ever motivation being the most basic version of what it represents to the story. While is nothing inherently wrong for a kids film, especially one from 1950, it can make the film feel somewhat forgettable under a modern lens and did set up the film wonderfully as one of the best contenders for a modern remake as seen in Kenneth Branagh's 2015 adaptation.
Narratively, these problems are only increased by the plot itself. While Cinderella puts an incredible effort towards achieving her goals, the ultimate resolution within the film comes from nowhere with the only influence by the actual main character being her purity of heart. While this is far from a terrible message and the iconography that follows is rather memorable and fun, it does feel quite underwhelming. Even if this was the narrative pathway the film had to take considering the story it was adapting, it feels like even a quick prelude that introduced the concepts involved could have made the experience feel more justified.
The final criticism is a common one for Disney, the romance is absolutely shallow. While the actual moments of shared connection between Cinderella and The Prince, voiced by William Edward Phipps, at the ball when they finally meet are effective, there is such little character and development that it is hard to actually feel any passion or deeper romance bloom between the two. This is yet another Disney romance built entirely off of physical attraction with no care given to the souls and hearts of those involved. While this is a talking point that has been discussed to death in the analyzing of classic Disney features, its presence remains true.
What the film does succeed surprisingly well with is comedy. Naturally, the concept of Cinderella's story being constantly interrupted by talking animals is a frightening prospect as there are multiple examples of this idea leading to more annoyance than joy. Luckily, the animals in Cinderella are never annoying and their antics rarely feel like they are actually taking away from the main story. The mice have their unique characteristics and never feel overly repetitive in their gimmicks with James MacDonald's performance helping give them entertaining personalities and a surprising amount of heart. When they do directly cross paths with Cinderella's story, it is done tastefully with a certain amount of charm being found in these moments of warmth which is a rare thing for both Cinderella and the audience to experience during the film. The stepmother's cat, Lucifer (June Foray), is also a really fun addition as a lovable villain that is both entertaining and threatening. In terms of Disney's filmography, these has to be some of the best sidekick characters and their presence within the film actually adds to the viewing experience instead of ever distracting or taking away from it.
The animation is also a noticeable highlight. As the animation quality and staff lessened throughout the 1940s, Disney was forced to experiment with new styles and concepts for how animation could look. While Cinderella is far from experimental, there are noticeable choices in backgrounds and framing that feel fresh and largely is due to this time of experimentation within the company. The colors are all gorgeous and special praise must be given to the costume animation that creates some truly lovely pieces that remain iconic to this day for a reason.
In many ways, Cinderella is a breath of fresh air for Disney. Coming out of the roughest period in the studio's history, Cinderella might be a simple feature but remains an effective return to the princess narrative. The characters are charming, the comedy is funny, and the moments of emotion do genuinely hit. While there is room for improvement, this is exactly the feature that Disney needed at the time and the film still holds up as an enjoyable watch to this day!
Naturally, it is hard not to consider Cinderella, voiced by Ilene Woods, to be one of the most effective Disney protagonists. Set up with an emotional backstory and constant barrage of ongoing trauma due to her continued forced service to her step-mother and sisters, it is hard to see Cinderella as anything but a tragic and compelling figure. Within this, however, she also is a figure that consistently takes agency. She uses her mind and body to overcome obstacles and continue to push to achieve her dreams. When so many of the Disney princesses ultimately feel underwhelming either within their perspective or efforts, Cinderella feels like a rare accomplishment in both.
Undoubtedly, much of Cinderella's effectiveness comes from her relationship to those around her. Leading the wicked charge against her is Lady Tremaine, her stepmother who wants to give the world to her biological daughters while making Cinderella complete all the chores for them. Perhaps the most underrated of the Disney villains, there is a real venom and cruelty found within Tremaine that commands every frame she is present in. From the incredible performance behind her from Eleanor Audley to the way the animation builds a physical presence to the character from the introduction alone that sees her hide in a shadow like a monster waiting to lunge, she is easily one of the more grounded Disney villains but is absolutely one of the most haunting. It also helps that in the narrative, her plan and schemes are equally controlled. Rather than looking to take over the world leading to some forced final act action scene as seen in many of the Disney Renaissance features, her intentions are selfish and yet grounded which reinforces her deeper lack of empathy or care for anything other than finding her own financial success and power.
In this dichotomy between the selfless Cinderella and the wicked Lady Tremaine is a naturally compelling battle between what is right and what is wrong. However, it is hard to say this narrative is anything but simple. At only 74-minutes, the film has no intentions of fleshing out this story or its characters with every action and ever motivation being the most basic version of what it represents to the story. While is nothing inherently wrong for a kids film, especially one from 1950, it can make the film feel somewhat forgettable under a modern lens and did set up the film wonderfully as one of the best contenders for a modern remake as seen in Kenneth Branagh's 2015 adaptation.
Narratively, these problems are only increased by the plot itself. While Cinderella puts an incredible effort towards achieving her goals, the ultimate resolution within the film comes from nowhere with the only influence by the actual main character being her purity of heart. While this is far from a terrible message and the iconography that follows is rather memorable and fun, it does feel quite underwhelming. Even if this was the narrative pathway the film had to take considering the story it was adapting, it feels like even a quick prelude that introduced the concepts involved could have made the experience feel more justified.
The final criticism is a common one for Disney, the romance is absolutely shallow. While the actual moments of shared connection between Cinderella and The Prince, voiced by William Edward Phipps, at the ball when they finally meet are effective, there is such little character and development that it is hard to actually feel any passion or deeper romance bloom between the two. This is yet another Disney romance built entirely off of physical attraction with no care given to the souls and hearts of those involved. While this is a talking point that has been discussed to death in the analyzing of classic Disney features, its presence remains true.
What the film does succeed surprisingly well with is comedy. Naturally, the concept of Cinderella's story being constantly interrupted by talking animals is a frightening prospect as there are multiple examples of this idea leading to more annoyance than joy. Luckily, the animals in Cinderella are never annoying and their antics rarely feel like they are actually taking away from the main story. The mice have their unique characteristics and never feel overly repetitive in their gimmicks with James MacDonald's performance helping give them entertaining personalities and a surprising amount of heart. When they do directly cross paths with Cinderella's story, it is done tastefully with a certain amount of charm being found in these moments of warmth which is a rare thing for both Cinderella and the audience to experience during the film. The stepmother's cat, Lucifer (June Foray), is also a really fun addition as a lovable villain that is both entertaining and threatening. In terms of Disney's filmography, these has to be some of the best sidekick characters and their presence within the film actually adds to the viewing experience instead of ever distracting or taking away from it.
The animation is also a noticeable highlight. As the animation quality and staff lessened throughout the 1940s, Disney was forced to experiment with new styles and concepts for how animation could look. While Cinderella is far from experimental, there are noticeable choices in backgrounds and framing that feel fresh and largely is due to this time of experimentation within the company. The colors are all gorgeous and special praise must be given to the costume animation that creates some truly lovely pieces that remain iconic to this day for a reason.
In many ways, Cinderella is a breath of fresh air for Disney. Coming out of the roughest period in the studio's history, Cinderella might be a simple feature but remains an effective return to the princess narrative. The characters are charming, the comedy is funny, and the moments of emotion do genuinely hit. While there is room for improvement, this is exactly the feature that Disney needed at the time and the film still holds up as an enjoyable watch to this day!