Three Nuts For Cinderella

This version of Cinderella might be one of the lesser known (outside of Europe at least), but it has been my very favourite Cinderella story ever since my parents recorded it 20 years ago.

                             

As this adaption gives the story a bit of a twist, and I think that twist is one of the main reasons I love it so much, I think a summary is needed (it will contain lots of spoilers, but I think we all know the fundamental Cinderella plot):

The mansion/farm where Cinderella (or Popelka as she is called in Czech) lives is in a hurry before the royal family's upcoming visit. Her evil stepmother and stepsister forbids Cinderella to be there when they come, so she uses all the activity as a cover to slip away and visit her pet owl (Rosalie) and go for a ride on her horse in the forest.
Who should she meet there but the prince and 2 of his friends who have slipped away from their duties to go hunting instead. When she disrupts his aim by throwing snow at him, it results in quite a game of tag where they manage to corner her, but she eventually gets away by "borrowing" his horse.

When the prince returns home, the king announces that the prince has to grow up, and therefore he has decided he must marry (to the prince's big dismay). Invitations to a grand ball are sent out and the stepmother and sister is all aflutter when they receive it, so they immediately send a servant to town after fabric. When he returns, he also brings Cinderella a gift of 3 nuts he accidentally came upon on the road. 

When Cinderella later mourns the fact that she cannot see the prince again to Rosalie, she suddenly discover cloth poking out of one of the nuts! And what does she find inside it but a hunter's outfit!

She then shows up at the yearly royal hunt, where she shows that she is by far the better shot among all the contestants.

When the night of the ball arrives Cinderella is forbidden to come and is very sad. To seek consolation she goes to visit Rosalie where she recalls the magic nuts she has. When she makes a wish one of the nuts transforms into a beautiful ballgown and she rides off to the ball on her horse.
When she arrives she meets and greets the prince who was just about to burst from the room, exhausted by the many dance partners. He is, however, drawn into conversation with Cinderella and asks her to dance. During the dance he very quickly falls in love with her and keeps asking who she is (she has put a veil in front of her face so no one will recognise her). He ends up proposing to her at last and in reply she gives him a riddle:

                                 Soot on the cheek but not a chimney sweep

                                 Feathered hat and crossbow but not a hunter

                                 A dress with train and silver thread but not a princess

He doesn't know the answer and she replies that until he knows the answer to the riddle she will not answer his proposal, where after she bolts from the room.

A  hunt after her ensues, during which she (of course) drops a shoe. The prince keeps following her and sees her enter the mansion, so he of course wakes up the entire household asking about for the beautiful princess. After a lot of laughter he comes with the obligatory "whoever this shoe fits will become my wife" speech, and starts trying the shoe on all the women. The stepmother and sister arrive home at the same moment, and catching a glimpse of Cinderella, they realise the truth. They then set a cunning plan in motion which involves dressing the step sister in Cinderella's dress and trying to get the prince to propose to her without seeing her face, but it is foiled.

At the same time Cinderella uses the last magic nut and it reveals a wedding gown to her. 

When the prince is standing disillusioned in the court yard, who happens to come riding in, wearing her new gown but Cinderella? She repeats the riddle to him, and he suddenly realises that she was both the girl he met in the forest and the hunter that impressed him so. 

And then they announce the wedding!

There, that became quite a lenghty summary. But don't think you can skip watching the movie just because you read this, for I didn't include all the funny little moments it is full of and makes it even more worthwhile.

Well, onto why i love this movie.
Firstly, Cinderella is just perfect! She is so sweet and beautiful but still determined and independent, and not so overbearing as in many other movies. I mean; she rides (even when she's not allowed to), she is a skilled hunter and she takes most of the initiative to meet the prince (quite a difference from most other adaptions).
And another thing I like about her; she doesn't accept the prince's proposal at first. She wants him to know that she is more than just the girl in the pretty dress before she agrees to marry him, which is a detail I really like!

 

The other characters are lovely done as well!
The prince is very entertaining with him trying to avoid growing up and running around having fun with his friends, but he is still very sweet.
The step mother and sister are evil but don't have much depth.
The king and queen, however, is the definite highlight among the characters. They have a wonderful relationship and a lot of playful banter. Most of my favourite funny moments from this movie involves the king and queen!

Don't even get me started on the scenery! It all takes place in a gorgeous winter wonderland filled with snow!
Also, Cinderellas costumes are really something! Her costume for the ball is a favourite of mine (especially the hair do), but I also just love the simple dress she wears around the house.

I nearly forgot to talk about the music!!! That is the most beautiful thing ever! Try and listen to the main themes here and here and then tell me it doesn't beautifully describe the essence of a Cinderella fairy tale.

So  for the conclusion (if my exaggerated use of the words "love" and "beautiful" hasn't made it clear): I love this movie and i really wish more people knew about it.
You should definitely watch it if you love Cinderella or fairy tales or just beautiful movies..or even if you don't. Just watch it is all I can say to you!!

It's available here with english subtitles!

Cinderella Tag Answers

The long awaited Cinderella party has finally started!! This far it is looking just splendid!
As always a good party has a tag, and here are my answers to it:

1. In the vast array of fairytale heroines, what particular character qualities most define Cinderella? 

I think the most important quality of Cinderella is her kindness! That is what defines her whole character. Apart from that she must have a loving disposition towards all kinds of people (and creatures). There are many other great aspects of her character shown in different adaptions, but I think those two are the most important.

                                    

2. What are some of the deeper, big picture differences you see between retellings where both stepsisters are nasty and others where one is nasty and one is kind? How do you think the two takes differently develop/illuminate/affect Cinderella’s character and also the overarching story itself?

That is quite a deep question! I personally like it a lot when one of the step sisters is kind, mostly because I find it hard to believe that one wouldn't grow to like or at least pity Cinderella when they've grown up together, and Cinderella really needs a friend.

But maybe that is what is mostly illuminated when both sisters are nasty: how utterly alone Cinderella is in her home life and how much she must rely on herself and her inner strength to get through it all.

On the other hand, what I love about the take where one of the sisters is nice, is that it gives more depth to the characters. Sometimes I find fairy tales awfully black and white when defining who is good and who is evil. So I love when it is shown that just because your family is evil, you don't necessarily have to be. 

3. Are you an animal lover? Would you eagerly count mice, lizards, cows, and geese as friends? Dogs and cats? 

I do love animals, and I would count dogs and cats as friends in a heartbeat. Mice and lizards though...If I had grown up on a farm I probably would. But as a city person the idea of it might give me pause. 

                        

4. After asking question #3, I realized how remarkably many of the adaptations I’ve seen have Cinderella either horseback riding or involved with horses. Have you ever ridden? If so, have you ever ridden sidesaddle or bareback? 

I took riding lessons for a while when I was 10 and loved it (I was never any good at it though).

I think I tried bareback riding once at at pony ride at a fair, and it was surprisingly comfortable.

                          

5. Your favorite Cinderella dress/s? 

With so many adaptions to choose from that is next to impossible. Oh you said dresses? No problem then:

                                 

                                               

6. Do you ever think of Cinderella while doing your household chores? :)

Not particularly, no. But I do occasionally sing the songs from Cinderella when I'm at home, so chance will have it some of it will be during chores..

                      

7. What major character traits do you think are essential in a faithful prince? 

Well, besides the obvious faithful, already mentioned, he should be kind,  someone who is willing to listen and change opinion if necessary, someone who is real.. 

Those are the ones I can think of right now. 

8. Your top THREE favorite fairy tales (as in the original folk tales, not adaptations). 

The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen

The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen

All-Kinds-Of-Fur by The Grimm Brothers

                                      

 

9. Your top FIVE current favorite fairy tale/legend type films (BESIDES any Cinderella adaptations). 

Only five?? Well, these are my favourites at the moment:

Tangled

Frozen

Beauty And The Beast

Enchanted

Maleficent

10. If you could play Cinderella and the story could be set in any region of the world and any time period, what would you pick? And what would your dream ‘ball gown’ for it be like? 

I have always wanted a version where the ball was an elaborate masquerade ball! Apparently they were very popular in Venice during the Renaissance so wouldn't that be a perfect setting?

I think the ball gown (or costume) should be something like this:

 

I would make the cut more modest, but the pattern is perfect!

                             

                                 

11. And (purely for fun :))… what colour/s do you immediately associate with Cinderella?

Blue! I blame the new Cinderella move..


That was it for now, but for a lot more of Cinderella related goodness and a great give away don't forget to pop over at Heidi's blog at Along The Brandywine where the fun continues for the rest of the week.