“Fairy Tale Films” by P. Greenhill and S. Matrix Essay (Book Review)

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Despite the numerous efforts and achievements of the fairy tale films, their recognition in the mainstream society is inadequate. This is caused by failing to mention the Fairy Tale Films in the Oxford History of the World Cinema, which is touted as the definitive history of cinema worldwide. Furthermore, it is strange that the term fairy tale does not appear even in the animation chapter, despite the fact that the fairy tale movies have had a profound impact on the world of cinema for many years.

The publication of the Fairy Tale Films by Pauline Greenhill and Sidney Eve Matrix is timely because it seeks to reconstruct the relationship between the fairy tale movies and folklore, and the fairy tale genre. The contribution of the folklore and fairy tale genre has been derided by several things. These include the folklorists, literary historians in the Western World, and film critics (Greenhill, and Sidney, 57).

The authors of the book (Fairy Tale Films: Vision of ambiguity) are authentic in their concept. They are also insightful and credible because they have based their work on an extensive and comprehensive research. The focus of their book is mostly on the North African, Mexican, and British films. The book also covers many films that are related to fairy tales. For instance, it covers films such as the adaptations of the Harry Potter novel, which also speaks about the fairy tales. Its motifs, characters, and plots, are borrowed from the book. They fairy tale films used in this book exhibit the complication involved in the definition of “literary film or genre”.

Furthermore, they are designed to make the audience focus on the evolution of the fairy tale films. This is confirmed by the diversity of production that everyone has witnessed, since the 1980s. Additionally, the creativity of fairy tale plots and characters in films, their aesthetic practical, the combination of genres to obtain new insights into art, and the life across the changing categories and mediums of media are substantial. This is because they represent the possibilities of non-conformity to the designated roles and traditional patterns of the classic tales.

The criticisms that surround the book, Fairy Tale Films, are caused by the differences that exist between preferences for the films that are for fun and happiness, and those that are meant to compel us to engage deliberately and realistically with the societal and existential challenges. The Fairy tale films such as the Pan’s Labyrinth by Guillermo Del Toro, the Juniper Tree by Nietzchka Keene, and the Company of Wolves by Neil Jordan and Angela Carter, unnerve individuals in several ways. This is because they go against the perception of the happy-ended and predictable fairy tale. They also handle issues such as fascism, rape and infanticide.

The artistic work in the book of the book (Fairy tale films: Vision of ambiguity) includes fairy tale films, which are considered optimistic. Some of these films are the Disney’s Enchanted and Ever After. The authors have presented them in this book, in order to demand a critical reflection, regarding false and artificial gender definitions. They also require a review of the societal backlash against feminism (Greenhill, and Sidney, 65). There are films that challenge creators such as Disney Corporation and other filmmakers, to reconstruct their thoughts on the ensuing politics presented in the fairy tale films. They also challenge audiences to reconstruct their perceptions on their perceptions of beauty, and how a fairy tale film should look like.

It is shown that the piece by Ming-Hsun Lin is potentially the most post-modern and feminist, in the Fairy Tale Films collection. The piece breaks away from the traditions, which are conventionally set around the need of a young girl in distress, who is in need of a heroic rescue. This has led to a certain counter-hegemonic parallel in most of the current films. This referral in traditional perceptions is exemplified by the realization that Harry Porter, the title character in the most extant fairy tale film series, is a representation of the princess role in the traditional fairy tale films.

The book narrates that the fairy tale films have been evolving from basic retelling of the original and traditional perspectives, and narratives such as the silent films of the 19th century, to the unique post-modern narratives. This is confirmed by several films such as the Disney films. It is also evidenced by the fairy tale films such as the Ever After and the Enchanted. The Snow White, one of the fairy tale films, is used to present certain hidden pains and fears that are shadowed by the traditional narration and the subsequent expressions of magic and adventures. It is also shown that within most adventures and travails that children embark upon, they rarely come out unscathed (Zipes, 113).

It is argued by Tatar, in his Classic off with their heads! focus of most of the classic children literature is progressive socialization. It functions to enforce conformity, which is achieved through the use of violent coercion coupled with pedagogy of fear.

The Enchanted Screen is written to offer readers a comprehensive and much anticipated review of the rich history that defines fairy tales, and their impact on the world of cinema. It also includes an extensive filmography list of authors. The author, Jack Zipes, argues that fairy tales are instrumental to the emergence and growth of fairy tale films. They provide a cheap medium that comprises of huge materials that were copyright-free, and that can be leveraged-on, to engage the audiences not only through their familiarity with the materials, but also through the dazzling effects (Zipes, 129).

The book stretches beyond a look at Disney films. It explores a broad range of silent films, both English and non-English adaptations, puppetry, montage and many more. The author demonstrates an impressive breadth of knowledge with the extensive compilation of fairy tale films that range from the early cinema films to those of the 21st century, which provides interesting insights. It is also clear that the author’s analysis of certain feminism approaches is limited.

The analysis is too much opinionated, and it lacks sound scholarly analysis to provide it with credibility. The fairy tale films to a large extent have always targeted adults. They were narrated as children listened and enjoyed them. Children were primarily the targeted audience. It is worth mentioning that the special effects placed on the fairy tales provide audiences with magic, assurance and brilliance (Zipes, 121). It is also clear from the book that certain fairy tale traditions have a close relationship with literary traditions. This is because they are used to retell the evolution of societal traditions and the way of life over a long time.

Works Cited

Greenhill, Pauline, and Sidney E. Matrix. Fairy Tale Films: Visions of Ambiguity. Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, 2010. Print.

Zipes, Jack. Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales, Children, and the Culture Industry. New York: Routledge, 1997. Print.

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