Musicals aren't always sure things in terms of box office or Oscar success, but with Disney behind the film, and a team that impressive, it will at least garner some attention.
But it sounds as if there might be a snafu already. Though the film isn't being released until Christmas Day, Soundheim has gone on the record saying that there have been some changes made to the story.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the original play, the story focuses on a Baker (played by Corden in the film) and his wife (Blunt) who are cursed childless by a witch (Streep). In order to the reverse the curse, the 2 must travel and collect special items to bring back to the witch, including Red Riding Hood's red hood and Cinderella's slipper (among other things). The moral to the story ends up being a sort of satirical take on fairy tales, and how no one is inherently just good or evil, but rather, both.
(Spoilers ahead)
Though the framework of the film is supposedly the same, Soundheim reports that much of Red Riding Hood's story has been cut, due to sexual undertones (her interactions with the wolf are a metaphor for sexual awakening in the original play) while Rapunzel's death is cut entirely from the film, and set to be glossed over with a song. "... Disney said 'We don't want Rapunzel to die, so we replotted it."
In addition, the sub-plot of the Baker's wife sleeping with Cinderella's prince has been cut as well. These cuts are vital to the story, and ultimately the message of morality. After the disappointment that was "Maleficent", it's disappointing that Disney is continuing their journey down the non-offensive middle ground, rather than be risky and take chances with characters that aren't just black and white.
I'm hoping that against all odds, Into the Woods manages to be as entertaining and thought provoking as its original source material, given the talent involved... long story short, I hope Disney doesn't butcher another classic.
No comments:
Post a Comment