Cinderella - The live action Disney movie

The story of the film Cinderella

Ella (Lily James) is a beautiful young girl, daughter of a merchant (Ben Chaplin), whose idyllic life collapses when her mother (Golden Globe nominee Hayley Atwell) dies and her father remarries. Determined to support her beloved father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother (two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett) and her daughters, Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Genoveffa (Sophie McShera) into her home. But when her father suddenly dies, Ella finds herself at the mercy of three jealous and evil women. Soon, she will be forced to become their servant, covered in ashes and cruelly nicknamed Cinderella.But despite the cruelties she is a victim of, she does not intend to give in to despair or despise those who mistreat her and remain optimistic, eager to honor the words spoken. by her mother on her deathbed, who advised her to `` have courage and be kind ''. When Ella meets a charming stranger in the woods, unaware that he is the Prince (Richard Madden) and not just a mere apprentice of the Royal Palace, she feels she has finally found her soulmate. The girl's fate seems on the verge of changing. When the King (Derek Jacobi) summons all the maidens of the kingdom to attend a royal ball at the palace, Ella hopes that her fate is finally about to change and that she will be able to meet the charming boy again. Unfortunately her stepmother forbids her to go to the ball, mercilessly tearing off the dress she should have worn.

Meanwhile, the cunning Grand Duke (Stellan Skarsg rd) devises a plan to prevent the Prince from finding Ella by allying himself with his evil stepmother. But as in all respectable fairy tales, someone comes to help: a kind beggar (the two-time Oscar nominee Helena Bonham Carter) steps forward and, with a pumpkin and a few mice, will forever change the life of Cinderella..

The film project

Walt Disney Studios have been interested for years in bringing Cinderella back to the big screen, to reintroduce this timeless fairytale to XNUMXst century audiences and awaken the nostalgia and memories of millions of people around the world. First of all, the film had to be capable of both entertaining and giving humanity to the characters of the story, while preserving the unforgettable characteristics of the animated classic. Director Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet, Thor) had never thought about directing a fairy tale, but after reading Chris Weitz's script (About a Boy) he unexpectedly empathized with the story. In order to adapt the story to the modern audience, it was essential to preserve the message of kindness and compassion of the original classic. The filmmakers were convinced that the power of the story, combined with an extraordinarily talented cast and strong script with more complex and realistic characters, could create a highly entertaining cinematic experience.

Bringing a fairytale character like Cinderella to a movie market dominated by male heroes was a challenge, but the filmmakers were determined not to compromise or change the heart of the story. Like any classic, Cinderella can count on a loyal and affectionate group of fans, who know all too well the mother scenes of the Disney masterpiece. First of all, the filmmakers had to find the perfect actress to embody Ella, someone who emanated goodness and innocence, and who could make audiences overcome the character's outward beauty to focus on her inner journey. Lily James, known to the public thanks to her role as Lady Rose in Downton Abbey, was chosen to play the loving and kind Ella, a young woman with an indestructible soul.

Filming on Cinderella began in the summer of 2013, both in the soundstages of Pinewood Studios and in various locations around London. Since it is a timeless fairytale, the filmmakers immediately decided not to stick to a specific historical period. This allowed the production team to think outside the box and unleash their imagination, creating magical places and atmospheres with a unique style.

The royal costumes

The presence of elaborate costumes was equally fundamental to the production, and costume designer Sandy Powell was hired to create them, more than qualified for a job of this type. In addition to her impressive filmography, Powell has spent many years designing men's costumes in men's films, so she was very excited about the prospect of working on a film full of strong female characters. It was essential that there was a similar look between the costumes and the sets, so Powell worked closely with production designer Dante Ferretti. Fortunately, the two shared the same studio during pre-production, and could meet every day to make sure everything was coordinated. Powell, who began working on the sketches of each character nearly two years before shooting, opted for a style in the mid-40th century and the XNUMXs. He approached the film as if it were a children's storybook: very lively and colorful, with colors that immediately distinguished the good from the bad.

The classic of animation

The animated fairy tale Cinderella, the magical love story of a battered heroine whose dreams come true, represented a fundamental turning point in Disney's rich cinematic history. With a production budget of nearly $ 3 million, Cinderella was a huge financial risk for the studio at the time, but upon its theatrical release on February 15, 1950, it was critically acclaimed and grossed more than $ 34 million. , confirming Disney as one of the largest companies in the film industry. Today, 65 years later, Cinderella has become one of the studio's most loved titles. The film is included in the American Film Institute's list of the 10 best animated films of all time, and has a firm place in American popular culture.