Why so Popular? The Rise of Fairy Tales in Film and TV

What is with the  popularity of fairy tale adaptations in films and TV shows?  2012 saw the release of two “Snow White” movies within weeks of each other. Mirror Mirror came out on March 30^th, while Snow White and the Huntsman came out on June 1^st.  Despite this, these two films couldn’t be more different: Mirror Mirror was marketed for children and had a sillier tone, while Snow White and the Huntsman was marketed to adults, was darker in tone, and was more serious. In 2011, Once Upon a Time premiered on ABC, while  Grimm premiered on NBC. Once Upon a Time and Grimm are very different from each other. Once Upon a Time deals with fairy tale characters stuck in a land without magic (Storybrooke, Maine). The first season started with the characters unable to remember their former identities in the enchanted land; in the end of the first season the curse was broken and the characters were able to remember who they were in the other land. Once Upon a Time is now in its second season. Grimm, meanwhile, is about a cop named Nick Burkhardt who discovers that he is the last Grimm in his family. (A Grimm is someone who hunts fairy tale characters and kills them.)  In Grimm, the fairy tale characters are the perpetrators. Grimm takes place in Portland, Oregon. It is also in its second season.

Mirror Mirror, starring Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, and Armie Hammer

Mirror Mirror:

In his review of Mirror Mirror, Roger Ebert explains that, “Mirror Mirror” is a sumptuous fantasy for the eyes and a pinball game for the mind, as story elements collide and roll around bumping into each other. This is not a faithful retelling of the versions by the Brothers Grimm or Walt Disney, but neither is it a satire, nor much of a story in its own right.” I agree with Ebert that the film is visually stunning. I also agree that it is not faithful to the other versions of “Snow White”. In this version, the evil Queen is a gold digger who is having financial problems. This film is told from the evil Queen’s point of view, whereas in other versions, it’s not. We don’t get a real sense of who Snow White is in this film. Screen Rant’s Ben Kendrick insists that “Despite some over-indulgent story moments and, at times, hammy performances, Mirror Mirror offers a mostly fun riff on the Snow White story and succeeds as a film that, despite somewhat uninspired marketing, should be entertaining for moviegoers regardless of age.” As I recall, Mirror Mirror was barely promoted on TV before its release. At times, Mirror Mirror was over the top.

Snow White and the Huntsman, starring Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, and Chris Hemsworth

Snow White and the Huntsman:

In his review of Snow White and the Huntsman, Roger Ebert writes, “Snow White and the Huntsman” reinvents the legendary story in a film of astonishing beauty and imagination. It’s the last thing you would expect from a picture with this title. It falters in its storytelling, because Snow White must be entirely good, the Queen must be entirely bad, and there’s no room for nuance. The end is therefore predetermined.” I agree that the film is beautiful. You don’t expect beauty and imagination in a film with this title because  you assume that there is nothing original about it since it is adapted from a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Snow White and the Huntsman is also more faithful to the Grimms Brothers’ tale. The evil Queen wants to literally consume Snow White’s heart. Kristen Stewart is good as Snow White and Charlize Theron is convincingly evil as Ravenna. However, Theron has the tendency to yell her lines, which I did not like. I didn’t have a problem with good triumphing evil because that’s the way it’s supposed to be in fairy tales. Screen Rant’s Kofi Outlaw writes that:

 Snow White and the Huntsman re-imagines the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale as a Medieval fantasy epic, which starts off on a familiar note: A noble queen sees three drops of blood fall on fresh snow and wishes for a daughter who is just as fair. That daughter is born, but when the mother dies, the King, in his grief, takes on a new wife who proves to be his undoing. In this version, that evil queen is a man-hating sorceress named Ravenna (Charlize Theron), whose dark magic plunges the entire kingdom into despair and horror.

Snow White and the Huntsman is a fantasy because there are all sorts of magical creatures and there is a ton of special effects. After the King marries Ravenna, Ravenna kills him. Snow White witnesses her father’s dead body and Ravenna kneeling over him. I agree that Ravenna is a man-hater because she says that men are a woman’s ruin. Peter Travers writes in Rolling Stone, “You don’t need a voice in a mirror to tell you which recent Snow White movie is the fairest of them all. Snow White and the Huntsman has Mirror Mirror beat by a mile.” I agree that Snow White and the Huntsman is a better film than Mirror Mirror. Mirror Mirror was too silly to be taken seriously. Snow White and the Huntsman is completely serious. It has more action. I liked how Snow White does not end up with either the huntsman or Prince William, her childhood friend.  This is an example of how Hollywood has glamorized the independent woman; Snow White is strong enough by herself that she doesn’t need a man by her side. I liked Kristen Stewart’s Snow White more than I liked Lily Collins’ Snow White. Kristen Stewart’s Snow White was more of a take-charge kind of girl, whereas Lily Collins’ Snow White had to learn how to fight.  While women are often referred to as the weaker sex, Snow White and the Huntsman shows women that they can be tough. I preferred Julia Roberts’ evil Queen to Charlize Theron’s Ravenna. I thought the dwarves were great in both films.

Once Upon a Time, starring Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Dallas, and Lana Parilla

Once Upon a Time:

            Gerri Mahn, in “Once Upon a Time Season One Lookback / Review,” writes, “The writing is clever, the ladies frequently wear pants and kick butt and the bad guys have actual motive.” I agree that the writing is clever, although I don’t like that Snow White is often called “Snow” instead of Snow White. It just seems like the writers of the show are being lazy when they do this. Rumplestiltskin is called “Rumple” but this doesn’t bother me much. I agree that the female characters are strong, particularly Emma, Regina, and Snow White. Captain Hook / Killian Jones wants revenge on Rumplestiltskin / Mr. Gold because he lost his hand to him. Killian Jones is Captain Hook. Regina / the evil Queen wants revenge on Snow White because Snow White ‘s truthfulness led to the demise of Regina’s lover Daniel. Mahn explains that, “The plot is layered, character backgrounds overlap and everything is much more deeply entwined than you could imagine at first glance.” The show flips between life in Storybrooke, Maine, and life in the Enchanted Forest before the curse. This can sometimes be confusing. From the beginning, I found Once Upon a Time to be extremely addicting. In a review of season 1, the writer states:

A delectable show about the sometimes ambiguous battle between good and evil, Once Upon a Time is a retelling of classic fairy tales woven into one beautiful tapestry. At the centre of this retelling is the concept of true love explored in a slightly more layered way one would expect of the genre, as love is not only a romantic feeling between a man and a woman, but also a loyal friendship or a strong family connection. And of course, the fact that the true love of a mother for her child played such a central role in breaking a curse really helped expand the definition of what true love can be.

I agree that Once Upon a Time deals with the topic of true love. True love is charming to us, although it is hard to find in real life. Some people say that true love is a myth. Snow White and Prince Charming love each other, as do Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan. (Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan are Snow White and Prince Charming in Storybrooke, Maine.) However, David is married and must choose between his wife and Mary Margaret. Snow White and Prince Charming must give up their daughter Emma to save her from the curse. Regina loves her adopted son Henry, even though he’s Emma’s biological son. Therefore, Henry is Snow White and Prince Charming’s grandson. We found out in Season 2 that Rumplestiltskin is Henry’s grandfather because his son Baelfire / Neal is Henry’s father.

Grimm, starring David Giuntoli, Bitsie Tulloch, and Silas Weir Mitchell

Grimm:

 A NY Times.com review states that “Grimm” is a buddy-cop crime drama (with fairy-tale monsters).”  The main character, Nick, is a cop with supernatural abilities. He sees differences in people that others don’t see. He has a partner named Hank who does not know about Nick being a Grimm until Season 2. The NY Times.com review describes Grimm’s pilot, “Grimm” begins with a scene that mimics the standard police-show “here’s the victim” opening, as a woman in a red sweatshirt goes for her morning run. Then an unseen predator wipes her off the screen in a flash, a signal that the bad guys are supernatural and also a forecast that this first episode is going to move very, very quickly.” The woman in the red sweatshirt is supposed to be Little Red Riding Hood. She gets kidnapped by a wolf like figure (called a blutbad), who later kidnaps a young girl in a red sweatshirt. This episode introduces us to Monroe, a reformed blutbad. Monroe is the best part of the show because he provides comedic relief. He becomes Nick’s friend and helps him solve strange police cases. Grimm is often scary and bloody, but it doesn’t frighten me when I watch it. I like how Grimm opens with a quote from a Grimms Brothers’ fairy tale. This leaves viewers guessing which fairy tale is being shown.

I guess fairy tale adaptations are popular these days because they provide viewers with an escape from reality. It’s possible that we wish we were princes and princesses. I knew a girl who said she was a princess. She was probably lying to me, though. She probably just wished she was a princess. However, I’m tired of waiting for my prince to come. It just does not happen in real life. This is why the independent female character is so prevalent these days. Women kick butt these days, thanks to feminism. Back in the 1960s, women were supposed to wear only dresses and skirts; nowadays women can wear pants if they choose. The fairy tale heroine has evolved from a submissive girl to a strong, capable woman (and in some cases, a warrior). Fairy tale adaptations have always been popular. Disney made Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in 1937, so this is not a new trend. However, it seems like the trend of fairy tale adaptations these days is excessive–in addition to Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman, this year Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters and Jack the Giant Slayer were released in theaters.

Watch Once Upon a Time on Sundays @ 8 pm on ABC.

Watch Grimm on Tuesdays @ 10 pm on NBC

Carly Krewitsky