Cinderella or The Glass Slipper

Plot

Georges Méliès's 1912 adaptation of the classic Cinderella fairy tale follows the familiar story of a virtuous young woman who suffers under the cruel tyranny of her stepmother and stepsisters. When a royal ball is announced, Cinderella is forbidden to attend, but her fairy godmother appears magically, transforming mice into horses, a pumpkin into a coach, and rags into a magnificent gown. At the ball, she captivates the prince but must flee at midnight, losing one of her glass slippers in her haste. The prince searches the kingdom for the mysterious beauty whose foot fits the slipper, ultimately finding Cinderella and restoring her to her rightful place as his bride.

Historical Background

The year 1912 marked a pivotal moment in cinema history, representing the transition from short theatrical films to longer narrative features. When Méliès released this Cinderella, the film world was undergoing dramatic changes that would ultimately leave him behind. D.W. Griffith in America was pioneering new narrative techniques and longer story structures, while European filmmakers were moving toward more realistic styles. Méliès, who had essentially invented cinematic special effects and fantasy filmmaking, found his theatrical, stage-bound approach increasingly outdated. The French film industry, once dominant, was facing growing competition from American studios that were developing more sophisticated production methods. This period also saw the rise of feature-length films, with Italian epics like 'Quo Vadis' (1913) and 'Cabiria' (1914) setting new standards for cinematic ambition. Méliès's 1912 Cinderella emerged in this transitional landscape as both a continuation of his fantasy tradition and an attempt to adapt to newer cinematic languages. The film's release came just a year before Méliès would lose his studio to bankruptcy, marking the end of an era in early cinema.

Making Of

The production of this 1912 Cinderella reveals a filmmaker at a crossroads, desperately trying to adapt to a rapidly changing industry. Georges Méliès, once the undisputed king of cinematic fantasy, found himself struggling against new narrative styles and techniques that had made his theatrical approach seem quaint. During filming, Méliès reportedly experimented with techniques he had previously avoided, including direct cuts and continuity editing that were becoming standard in American and European cinema. The casting of Jacques Feyder, who would later become a major director, suggests Méliès was still connected to the French film community despite his declining influence. Production took place at Méliès's elaborate glass studio in Montreuil, which had been the birthplace of countless cinematic fantasies but was now showing signs of financial strain. The film's special effects, while still employing Méliès's expertise in substitution splices and multiple exposures, were simplified compared to his earlier masterpieces, possibly due to budget constraints or the pressure to produce more quickly. Behind the scenes, this production represented both Méliès's dedication to his craft and his inability to fully embrace the cinematic revolution that was rendering his style obsolete.

Visual Style

The cinematography of Méliès's 1912 Cinderella represents a hybrid of his signature theatrical style and newer cinematic techniques he was reluctantly adopting. Unlike his earlier works which relied heavily on dissolves between scenes, this film incorporates direct cuts, reflecting Méliès's attempt to modernize his approach. The camera work maintains Méliès's characteristic static, proscenium-style framing, treating the film frame as a theatrical stage with action occurring within a fixed perspective. The glass slipper effects were likely achieved through Méliès's mastery of substitution splices and multiple exposure techniques, though possibly simplified compared to his earlier masterpieces. The match-on-action shot during the slipper-fitting scene demonstrates Méliès's adaptation of continuity editing principles that were becoming standard in narrative cinema. Visual composition still follows Méliès's theatrical principles with careful staging of actors within the frame, creating tableaux that emphasize clarity and spectacle over naturalism.

Innovations

While not as technically innovative as Méliès's earlier masterpieces, this 1912 Cinderella contains several notable technical achievements that reflect both his expertise and his adaptation to newer cinematic techniques. The film's match-on-action shot during the slipper-fitting scene represents one of cinema's early examples of this editing technique, demonstrating Méliès's willingness to incorporate methods from other filmmakers. The glass slipper effects likely employed Méliès's refined substitution splices and multiple exposure techniques, though possibly simplified from his earlier works. The production maintained Méliès's elaborate set designs and theatrical staging, which had always been technical strengths of his films. The incorporation of direct cuts instead of dissolves shows technical adaptation to changing cinematic conventions. If hand-colored versions existed, they would have utilized Méliès's sophisticated stencil coloring process, which was among the most advanced color techniques of the period.

Music

Like all films of 1912, Méliès's Cinderella was originally silent and would have been accompanied by live music during theatrical screenings. The musical accompaniment would typically have been provided by a pianist, organist, or small orchestra in the theater, playing selections that matched the mood and action of each scene. For a fairy tale like Cinderella, the musical program would likely have included classical pieces appropriate to the romantic and magical elements of the story, possibly including works by composers like Tchaikovsky, whose ballet scores were popular for film accompaniment. Theaters might have used cue sheets provided by the distributor or created their own musical programs based on the film's content. During the fairy godmother's appearance and magical transformations, the music would have been more fantastical and wondrous, while the ballroom scenes would have featured dance-appropriate pieces.

Memorable Scenes

• The magical transformation of the pumpkin into a coach using Méliès's special effects techniques
• The fairy godmother's appearance and magical intervention
• The royal ball scene with Cinderella's entrance
• The midnight escape with the lost glass slipper
• The innovative match-on-action shot during the slipper-fitting sequence
• Cinderella's mistreatment by her stepfamily
• The final recognition scene and transformation back to ball attire

What Critics Said

Contemporary critical reception of Méliès's 1912 Cinderella was likely muted, reflecting the film industry's recognition that Méliès's style had become dated compared to newer cinematic approaches. Trade publications of the era probably noted the film's technical competence while questioning its relevance in a rapidly evolving medium. Modern critics and film historians view the film primarily as a historical artifact, valuable for what it reveals about Méliès's late career and the transitional state of cinema in 1912. Scholars often analyze it in comparison to Méliès's groundbreaking 1899 version, noting both the technical advancements and the sad irony of the filmmaker's declining influence. Some critics appreciate the film's attempt to incorporate newer techniques like match-on-action editing, seeing it as evidence of Méliès's adaptability despite his eventual commercial failure. The film is generally regarded as a lesser work in Méliès's oeuvre, lacking the magical inventiveness of his masterpieces like 'A Trip to the Moon' (1902) but still containing traces of his visual imagination.

What Audiences Thought

Audience reception to Méliès's 1912 Cinderella was likely disappointing, contributing to the financial difficulties that would soon force the pioneering filmmaker out of business. By 1912, moviegoers had become accustomed to more sophisticated narrative techniques and longer films, making Méliès's theatrical style seem quaint and outdated. Contemporary audiences, who had been captivated by Méliès's earlier magical fantasies, probably found this version less innovative and engaging compared to newer offerings from American and European studios. The film's poor reception reflected broader shifts in public taste toward more realistic storytelling and away from the stage-bound fantasies that had characterized early cinema. Modern audiences encountering the film through archives and screenings view it primarily as a historical curiosity, appreciating it more for its place in film history than for its entertainment value. The contrast between audience enthusiasm for Méliès's 1899 Cinderella and the likely indifference to this 1912 version perfectly illustrates how rapidly cinematic tastes and technologies evolved in the medium's first two decades.

You Might Also Like