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FILM ANALYSIS: Ever After
Ever After is not just an ordinary Cinderella story. There have been many versions of the story but the makers of this film added a new twist in the story. Danielle, the Cinderella in the story is not a passive woman just waiting to be rescued by a handsome prince. This story presents that Cinderella's (Danielle's) magic comes from within and not from a fairy godmother.
The film starts with the Grand Dame of France narrating the story of a true Cinderella, and that was the story of Danielle. She was a young orphan left in the care of her wicked stepmother, the baroness Rodmilla, and her two new stepsisters Margaruite and Jacqueline. Danielle became a servant in her own house after her father's death.
Danielle met the crown prince and mistook him for a horse thief, so throwing him with apples was defense for the young lady. Later on, they met again, with Danielle wearing a beautiful dress to pass as a courtier to buy back a family servant.
Danielle impressed the prince with her wisdom, knowledge, love of books, passion, and compassion for people. Only if she could tell him easily that she was a servant . . .
The prince on the other hand was having a difficulty with his life. He did not want to get married with a total stranger. He refused to follow his father, the king of France, of his order. Good thing, the king gave him freedom to choose his bride. Prince Henry, after having spent some time with Danielle posing as a visiting courtier from somewhere, thought that he had finally found his true love. The only problem was that his ladylove seemed to disappear always. Time came when Danielle's stepmom found out the game her stepdaughter was playing. The baroness tried very hard to stop Danielle and instead,had her daughter Margaruite to lure the prince.
Eventually, Danielle won her true love against all odds, aided not by a fairy godmother but by the famous Leonardo da Vinci. She had been through many trials, hurts, and heartaches before she finally had her prince kissing her feet. . Danielle need not to try hard to win the prince's heart, all she did was to be true to herself and live life with a passion.
THEME"The good always triumphs."
It is always true to say that the good always win in the end.
Danielle, the film's Cinderella, spirited and adventurous, was not a victim. She knew when to stand up for her own against her scheming stepmother. She was wickedly treated by her stepmother and stepsister so she had all the right to be angry. However, she did not fight back immediately but instead continued to be loving and patient with them. She was just doing what she knew was right for she can not fight because they were her only family. The baroness Rodmilla, her two stepsisters Margaruite and Jacqueline were the only persons left to her by her late and beloved father. It was only right for her to honor and respect the three although she was treated so badly.
All fairytales tell us to "be good and submissive and what you wish for will come to you." This was perhaps what was instilled in the heart and mind of Danielle. She was always taught to be good to people eventhough she's hurt. Danielle was always kind-hearted to people and could easily win their hearts with her wit and charm.
She has lived a life with passion and conviction---did not waste any time to achieve her dreams. She may have deceived the crown prince of France, posing as a courtier though she was only a servant, but all these led her to win the crown prince's heart. All she did was be good, live life with passion and conviction. She had lived a life worthy of living without stepping on anybody's foot. She has remained patient and humble even after she became crown princess of France.
Danielle, our Cinderella, simply believed that she can have whatever she want--- only if she is willing to fight and work for it. That was what happened to her, fought and worked for love with passion and courage. All her goodness and humility were not wasted but instead gave her the crown and heart of a prince. She knowingly and heartily did everything to achieve her dreams. Her every word and every action were not put to vain.
The movie, Ever After, did not only make me want to fall in love with a prince and wish to be a princess, it also taught me to live life with a passion. As what she told her prince, "Live each day with a passion", I came to realise to enjoy each day with such passion and conviction and not to hurry up. I still have lots of time in the world so hurrying and worrying would not help me achieve my dreams. Just like this Cinderella, I would try to live truthfully and make my life a wonderful journey.
FORMAL ELEMENT:MISE-EN-SCENE
Ever After may not have won awards from any award-giving bodies, but it will always be a winner for its fans. The mere fact that this film was made by excellent producers,director, editors, writers, and the actors, it can be considered as one of the loveliest movies of all times. Many have commented that it was truly a perfect movie because there were no violence, no sex, and no cursing ever shown. The filmmakers still managed to produce such beautiful movie without even asking the actors to take off their clothes just to show the love they have for each other. Ever After is truly a good movie to see. Beautiful settings, hauntingly beautiful music, and wonderful cast with gorgeous costumes, one would want to see this film over and over�.ever after.
Setting
Set in the early 16th century ,Renaissance period in the very regal and magnificent France,the film proved to have a very beautiful setting. The production designers did a pretty good job of constructing and bringing us back to the 16th century.
Most of the time, location shoots were used because if a studio setting was used, the film would be too unrealistic. Using location shoots helped the audience to bring themselves to the 16th century France. Obviously, the movie was shot in Europe because it is only in that continent where there are many castles and big palaces. Although scenes were on location, some were still constructed. Most backgrounds were arranged and added with props by production designers to stage the action for a very beautiful presentation.
It is understandable that most scenes were just fixed because the story was said to have taken place in the 16th century, renaissance period. Today's France(Europe) is more likely to have changed a lot during the past hundreds of years so many things need to be modified. But even if the France we saw in the film was just constructed, it still appeared to be real and wonderful. Ever After's France was realistic,beautiful, authentic, regal and majestic. Castles with towers, huge windows,doors, and stairways, expensive furniture and everything we saw in the film, were things that made the movie a total travelling experience for the audience.
Costume and Make-up
Renaissance costumes were commonly used in the film because that was what the women in the early 16th century wore. Every dress worn by the actors and actresses was truly a sight to behold. The film's costume designer, Jenny Beavan, a five time Oscar nominee, did a good job in recreating the fashion of the 16th century. No more questions are needed to be asked about her capability because she has done the costumes for the movie "Sense and Sensibility", and other films of the same kind.
The dresses wore by the royal women were marvelous. French gowns were worn by the middle and the upper class. Most noticeable were the different headdresses worn by the baronness Rodmilla because those reminded me of Queen Amidala(Star Wars). Her headdresses complemented well with her gowns.
Women before always wear dresses and gowns, never pants. For ordinary days, ordinary dresses were worn but to us, their simple dresses would look like a costume if worn at the present. The Royal family and people in the middle class were obviously adorned with beautiful and elegant dresses while the servants wore simple ones. The dresses worn by each actors and actresses were appropriate for the role they are portraying.
Danielle's changing of clothes, from simple and dirty to clean and elegant , was one of the most awaited parts in the movie. That was when the audience would see her as someone fit for a prince. Her mother's old dresses and glass slipper had a very important part in the film because of these things, she could face the prince with her chin up and no more bowing. Everything she wore when meeting the prince was simple yet beautiful, not much jewelry and not much decorations. Her dresses only showed what she truly is, simple yet beautiful.
Not to forget the shoe, the glass slipper is actually a main character in the film because of this shoe, the story evolved and caused the Grand Dame of France to have a flashback. Also , the glass slipper was a main element used by Prince Henry to win back his love, Danielle. According to a Salvatore Ferragamo ad in 98, "this fulfills Salavatore's fondest wish-to create shoes so that every woman may be shod like a princess, and a princess may be shod like a fairy queen". Salvatore's wish came true because his company was tapped to produce the magical slipper.
Make-up did wonders to add realism and authenticity to the movie. Since, most of the ladies we saw in the film were all dressed up, they also need make-up to complete their look. If the dresses worn were elegant and grand, make-ups were heavy just like how the stepmother and her wicked daughter were made-up. Simple make-ups to look natural for simple ladies like Danielle and her stepsister Jacqueiline.
Make-up was used in the film not just for beautification but also to create a dirty look. The parts where Danielle was dirty genuinely showed that she was dirty because of the black make-up or the black charcoal on her. Her being physically dirty sometimes was depicted because of the make-up for realism and naturalism.
Danielle, really needed not to be made-up that was why she appeared simple, to show that even if she wore no make-up at all, she was still beautiful.
Lighting
Natural lights were mostly used in the film. Meaning whatever was perceived to have given light in the scenes, that was what gave light to the scene. Most lights used were the sidelight and the kicker because shadows were needed. Light seems to always come from the sides and the upper sides of the characters talking. Most lights were situated offscreen.
Since most scenes presented to be dark had little light, shadows were need to give an illusion that it was really dark, and little light gives off soft shadows. However, clearly defined shadows were also used to show during daytime. Hard shadows presented that it was really bright during that time of the scene. During afternoons, lights were less illuminated because that also happens in reality, less light in the afternoon but still not dark.
The use of color filter was used only once in the film and that was in the opening sequence. Orange filter was used because a dawn-time affect was needed. It is impossible for a camera to completely capture the orange color given off by the sun during dawn that was why the filter was used.
The key lights used were very balanced in the sense that the audience can distinguish if a scene happens during day or night. Obviously, no candles and less lights were lighted during the day while lights were opened during the night. France during night was very dark because less lights were opened in the streets. Only the palace were greatly lighted.
Figure Expression and Movement
It is important for a film to have great actors and actresses in the cast. Having them adds to the magic and excitement a film could give the audience. In this case, the characters chosen to play the parts were superb. Everyone was fit for his/her role. The talent coordinator surely did a great job in looking for their actors.
Children of two great dynasties were brought together in this film. Drew Barrymore, who portrayed Danielle is the youngest member of the prominent family of actors, and Anjelica Huston, the baronness Rodmilla and Danielle's stepmother is the daughter of director John Huston and granddaughter of Walter Huston. Both of them, we have seen in movies and have already proved themselves.
Drew Barrymore was very brilliant in this film. She was able to express what Danielle feels in a very realistic way. She was very appropriate for the role because of her loveliness, charm and sunny disposition. Moviegoers could easily relate her personality with that of Danielle. She need not try hard to internalize for her role because she is basically like the character, sweet, kind-hearted, and loving.
One remarkable scene here that showed Drew's acting prowess was when her stepsister Margaruite threw the book given by her beloved father, her broken-heartedness could be seen in her eyes. Barrymore was able to express how one would normally feel when something special is being put to an end. Seeing her cry out her hurts and loneliness could make the audience cry also because she was very expressive and realistic.
Another actress who did well in this film was Anjelica Huston. According to Susannal Grant, Andy Tennant, and Rick Parks,they actually wrote the screenplay of the film with her in mind. Huston wonderfully portrayed her role in a nice manner. What added to her feel of the character was her eyebrows that easily go up and down as she speaks showing the audience that she really is wicked, making her character more evil. Her added humor added realism to the character. However, Huston was still given a soft side to portray. This was when she told Danielle that she can almost see Danielle's father looking through her. That scene was significant for the baronness bit of good side was shown, making the people know that she can still be a softie. This Oscar-awardee actress really helped a lot in making this film a wondeful movie to see.
Fortunate to be added in the cast was newcomer Dougray Scott as Prince Henry. According to him, Ever After was the biggest he has done so far. He said that being in such a great film with a wonderful cast was a privilege. His being chosen as the crown prince did not go wrong because he was very fit for the role. Good-looking, in French standard, courageous, and very princely , he was perfect for the role. He,too, was realistic with his actions and figure expressions.
Veteran actors and actresses were also casted in the movie. Actress Jeanne Moreau, as the Grand Dame of France, made a special appearance as the only one who knew the real story of Cinderella. Her being grand and regal in real life, made her perfect for the role. As her co-stars said that she seemed intimidating, she really should look like one for it was called for in the script..
One thing obviously known that the actors learned was their accent when they speak. Most of the actors and actesses were Americans but since the characters they were portraying were Europeans, accent was needed. Their speech was just appropriate because that was how people speak before and even up to the present in France. Since I was most familiar with Drew Barrymore, I could really say that how she spoke in the film didn't look fake. She sounded so natural with the accent. I have heard her before so I know that something was different with her. As of the other characters, I am not sure. But I know that how they also spoke complemented with that of the time,setting, and other people around them.
The many actors and actresses casted presented their roles in beautiful manners. But also, let us not forget that they were directed how to act to match the scene/situation called for in the movie.
RELATION OF AN ELEMENT TO ANOTHER
Every formal element of a movie is related to one another. In this case, mise-en-scene was believed to have matched well with the actions of the characters.
The actor's actions and gestures in the movie complemented well with the setting. The characters showed that they really were in 16th century France. They acted accordingly with the setting of the film. Modern acting would be unbelievably real if shown in the movie. Audience would not be able to relate if the actors did how they act ordinarily.
Some actions and gestures were exaggerated but I am sure they were called for in the script. With that, how they acted were easily understood by the moviegoers and complimented well with how the action was staged.
Setting would always depend on with what the characters will be doing and at the same time, the characters' reaction would react with whatever they see on their surroundings. They just complemented with each other.
SOCIAL CONTEXT OF THE MOVIE
The film Ever After talked about how one could attain whatever he/she wants. It spoke more than about telling us that we have to be submissive and whatever we wish for will come true. Achieving our dreams is more than through thinking positively, it is through doing that we could have what we want.
Danielle willingly worked and fought her love just by being true to herself.. She didn't chase for her royal prince like a sport unlike her stepsister Marguerite who tried very hard to win Prince Henry by seducing him. All Danielle did was to live life according to how she has been raised up.
Also, the film discussed about living life one day at a time with a passion. She had a conviction like nobody and that was what totally attracted Prince Henry the most. In a scene in the monastery, the prince was amused of the convictions and philosophies told to him by Danielle. He was ashamed of how a young lady like her could say something with so much passion and conviction, unlike him, who had studied all his life and yet, had less passion.
Being true to oneself and working hard for it could surely help us to have a good future. Like Danielle, we should live life one day at time with so much passion and conviction, not forgetting the people helping us to achieve whatever we want.
SYNTHESIS
The film as we all know is a synthetic art.It is something manufactured, put together by many creative group of individuals. It is the result of unity of individuals whose one desire is to make their ideas meaningful and be made known to the people. In this case, the film Ever After was a very beautiful product of creative people: the producer, director, screenplay writers, actors, cameramen, talent coordinators, music-composers, editors, and etc. Each played a very important role and helped in making the film a very beautiful movie to see. From the costume, to the make-up, to the lighting, to the casts' acting, from the sounds to the editing, the movie was a total experience for each and everyone of us.
Ever After was very well done. The $26 M the producers have spent was worth it Also, a little bit of history was incorporated.How the countries made alliances with each other and a bit about the old artists made the film not only entertaining but also informative. Audience could never go wrong watching the film over and over again�..ever after.
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