Cinderella

Plot

In this pioneering fairy tale adaptation, a young Cinderella is mistreated by her cruel stepmother and stepsisters while she performs household chores in rags. When a royal ball is announced, Cinderella weeps at her inability to attend until her fairy godmother appears and magically transforms a pumpkin into a magnificent coach, mice into horses, and her rags into a beautiful gown. At the ball, Cinderella captures the heart of the Prince with her beauty and grace, dancing the night away until the clock begins striking midnight, forcing her to flee and losing her glass slipper in her haste. The Prince, determined to find his mysterious love, searches the kingdom for the maiden whose foot fits the glass slipper, ultimately finding Cinderella and confirming her identity when the slipper fits perfectly. The film concludes with their joyous reunion and marriage, bringing Cinderella from servitude to royalty through the power of magic and true love.

Historical Background

This film was created during the birth of cinema, just four years after the Lumière brothers' first public film screening in 1895. The late 1890s saw cinema transitioning from a technological novelty to a storytelling medium, with filmmakers like Méliès pioneering narrative techniques. France was the center of early film production, with Méliès's Star Film Company competing with the Lumière company and Pathé. The Belle Époque period in France saw tremendous artistic and technological innovation, creating an environment where magical and fantastical stories resonated with audiences experiencing rapid modernization. The film industry was still establishing its language and techniques, with each new film potentially contributing fundamental innovations to the medium. Méliès's background as a magician positioned him perfectly to explore cinema's potential for illusion and wonder, reflecting the public's fascination with both technological progress and traditional fairy tales.

Making Of

Georges Méliès, a former magician and theater owner, applied his theatrical expertise to this groundbreaking film production. He constructed elaborate sets in his Montreuil studio, including a detailed ballroom scene with painted backdrops and theatrical props. The magical transformations were achieved through Méliès's innovative use of multiple exposure photography, where he would film part of a scene, then rewind the film and film additional elements to create the illusion of magical appearances. The pumpkin-to-coach transformation required precise timing and mechanical stage effects, with actors carefully choreographed to appear and disappear at exact moments. Méliès employed his famous substitution splice technique throughout the film, creating instantaneous transformations that would become his trademark. The costumes were designed to match Gustave Doré's engravings, requiring extensive research and custom fabrication. As was common in early cinema, Méliès and his small team performed all aspects of production, from set construction to camera operation to developing the film negatives in his on-site laboratory.

Visual Style

The cinematography, executed by Méliès himself, utilized the stationary camera typical of early cinema but employed innovative techniques within this constraint. The film features carefully composed theatrical tableaux, with actors and props arranged for maximum visual impact within the static frame. Méliès used multiple exposure photography to create magical effects, filming portions of scenes separately and combining them in the camera or during printing. The substitution splice technique allowed for instantaneous transformations, creating the illusion of magical appearances and disappearances. The lighting was controlled through Méliès's glass studio design, allowing for consistent illumination crucial for the multiple exposure effects. The cinematography emphasized visual clarity and spectacle, with each scene designed as a complete theatrical presentation within the camera's view. The use of dissolves between scenes was revolutionary, creating smooth transitions that enhanced narrative flow and visual continuity.

Innovations

This film pioneered the use of dissolves as scene transitions, a fundamental technique that would become standard in cinema. Méliès perfected the substitution splice technique, allowing for magical transformations that appeared seamless to contemporary audiences. The multiple exposure photography used for the magical sequences was technically advanced for its time, requiring precise timing and exposure control. The film demonstrated early cinema's ability to handle complex narratives through visual storytelling, establishing techniques for temporal and spatial transitions. The hand-coloring process used in some versions represented an early form of color film technology, with each frame individually painted by hand. The mechanical stage effects designed for the transformation scenes showed innovative use of theatrical technology adapted for film. The film's six-minute length demonstrated early cinema's capacity for longer-form storytelling beyond simple actualities or trick films.

Music

As a silent film from 1899, 'Cinderella' had no synchronized soundtrack. In typical theatrical presentations of the era, the film would have been accompanied by live music, often performed by a pianist or small orchestra using popular classical pieces or improvised melodies. Some venues might have used phonograph recordings of music, though synchronized sound was still decades away. The musical accompaniment would have been chosen to match the mood of each scene - romantic music for the ball, mysterious music for the magical transformations, and dramatic music for the climactic moments. The lack of intertitles in this early film meant that the visual storytelling and musical accompaniment had to carry the entire narrative. Modern screenings of the film are typically accompanied by newly composed scores or period-appropriate classical music to recreate the authentic silent film experience.

Memorable Scenes

• The magical transformation sequence where the pumpkin becomes a coach using multiple exposure techniques
• Cinderella's appearance at the ball in her magnificent gown, captivating all attendees
• The midnight escape scene with Cinderella fleeing as the magic expires
• The glass slipper fitting scene confirming Cinderella's identity
• The fairy godmother's dramatic entrance with wand raised to perform magic

What Critics Said

Contemporary reception in 1899 was extremely positive, with film trade publications praising Méliès's magical effects and storytelling innovation. Critics of the era marveled at the seamless transformations and the film's ability to bring fairy tale magic to life through the new medium of cinema. The film was particularly noted for its length and narrative complexity, which set it apart from the simple actualities and trick films common at the time. Modern film historians and critics recognize 'Cinderella' as a landmark achievement in early cinema, often citing it as evidence of Méliès's genius and his crucial role in developing narrative film techniques. The film is frequently studied in film history courses as an example of early cinematic storytelling and the development of special effects techniques. Contemporary critics often praise the film's ambitious scope and its successful translation of theatrical magic to the cinematic medium.

What Audiences Thought

Audiences in 1899 were captivated by the film's magical effects and familiar story, making it one of Méliès's most commercially successful early productions. The film's six-minute runtime was considered substantial for the time, giving audiences more narrative content than typical films of the era. Viewers were particularly amazed by the transformation sequences, which seemed like genuine magic to audiences unfamiliar with film techniques. The film's success led to strong international sales, with audiences across Europe and America responding enthusiastically to its visual spectacle. The familiar Cinderella story made the film accessible to diverse audiences, helping establish cinema as family entertainment. The hand-colored versions of the film were especially popular with audiences, representing an early example of color film's appeal to viewers. The film's reception helped establish Méliès's reputation as a master of cinematic magic and fantasy.

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