In an era of revisionist fairytales such as Frozen and Maleficent, it might be a surprise to find that Branagh’s take on the story of Cinders and her glass slipper is determinedly traditionalist. “I don’t find myself so exercised by a desperation to be new,” he says, pointing out that when you mix a fresh cast with costumes and production design by, respectively, triple Oscar-winners Sandy Powell and Dante Ferretti, “all of these things create a new energy”.
And while the Charles Perrault fairytale has already been immortalised on screen by Disney’s own 1950 animated feature, taking it on held no fear for Branagh, given his experience in re-interpreting Shakespeare. “I choose to be inspired by things that have been done well in the past,” he says. “So, I don’t worry about being compared, because I think that does paralyse you.”
Read it all from the Independent.
Wonderful movie. Saw it this evening with my 7-year-old granddaughter — she was captivated (and so was I).
We saw it Friday night; it was wonderful and enchanting. Though I must say that the youngest children in the theatre — and there were many — were restlessly disinterested once the “Frozen Fever” short was over.