Ursula Chandler
SCMLA 2013 notes
There are lots of current movies on fairy tales.
Movies = modern storytelling
fairly tales provide cultural insights
Aren’t the old tales. Movies are getting grimmer.
Propp and Ivy (cultural, social factors)
fairy tale movies:
Who are the witch hunters?
Who are the giant slayers?
Hansel and Gretel rated R 2013
Jack the Giant Slayer 2013
Mirror Mirror 2012
Snow White and the Huntsman 2012
Red Riding Hood 2010
Peter, gift of the werewolf to Peter
film story- director
assertion of female independence
Mirror Mirror; Snow White and the Huntsman
princess warriors mirror evil queens
Mirror Mirror:
dwarf becomes differently challenged
queen’s concern is about aging
epilogue shows the complete rehabilitation of the dwarves
Snow White:
sucks age from village girls
queen murders her husband
her brother rules with her. Incestuous relationship.
Escape to fairy land
Dwarves are marauding bandits.
Queen’s brother is killed by the huntsman.
Hansel and Gretel:
They are witch hunters.
bounty hunters, gun toting
good witches and bad witches
worst witch is Muriel (killed their parents)
needs heart of good witch for potion
Jack the Giant Slayer:
land of giants
Princess Isabel runs away from king (future husband)
gross giants
giants invade kingdom with magic crown
giants are winning
Jack has one more magic bean. Throws it in the giant kind’s mouth.
King Eric’s crown is melted. (Similar to St. Edward’s crown in Britain)
Robert Moore has a book on fairy tales today.
folklore reflects real life
American social conditions have changed.
Women are all beautiful.
All American women want to be young and beautiful.
They are not meek victims.
Have their own mind, independence.
All heroines can do everything.
Evil is always punished.
Good always wins.
Men are shown with insecurities.
Often they are unwilling heroes.
Werewolf “Peter changes species all together.”
Propp–hero is the one who wins
There is political correctness:
blurring of classes
white witches
ogres and giants are black or African American (That’s not politically correct. Seems like that would be racist.)