Did you know that before Victorian moralists got to it, the wicked sisters in 'Cinderella' had their their toes and heels cut off in order to fit into the slipper?
Fairy Tales are supposed to be intense and often truly frightening, not just placating and cute. They once performed an important psychological role in helping children through difficult transitional issues. Is it just coincidence that since we have sanitised these children's stories, there is a massive demand for ADULT horror stories?
Forgive the preamble, but it seemed necessary to explain why the 2001 French production of 'Tom Thumb' is not an aberration, but more of a return to roots. In 'Tom Thumb', the Ogre is genuinely terrifying; there is real poverty, heartbreak, death and oh yeah, a fair bit of oedipal stuff, which is also totally traditional.
Don't be scared off, though. 'Tom Thumb' isn't THAT gruesome. I think such reactions merely stem from the fact that we're accustomed to fairy tales being Disneyfied to the point of absurdity.
'Tom Thumb' is colourful, atmospheric and gripping. There are moments of real desolation, excitement, fear and enchantment. Nearly all of the scenes are shot in studio sets using backlit backdrops, creating a sense of super-reality, saturated with wild colours. In fact, ironically, the use of colour in 'Tom Thumb' is very cartoonish. The Ogre's castle appears against a blood-red sky. At other times the sky is saturated with intense mixtures of colour which nuance the emotion of the scenes. It is often, quite simply, beautiful. At other times it is richly atmospheric and brooding.
I can't think of anything bad to say about 'Tom Thumb'. The French have a real knack of turning out children's films, and films about children, which are genuinely magical to an adult audience (check out 'The City of Lost Children', for instance).
A strong 8 out of 10, and bravo!
Fairy Tales are supposed to be intense and often truly frightening, not just placating and cute. They once performed an important psychological role in helping children through difficult transitional issues. Is it just coincidence that since we have sanitised these children's stories, there is a massive demand for ADULT horror stories?
Forgive the preamble, but it seemed necessary to explain why the 2001 French production of 'Tom Thumb' is not an aberration, but more of a return to roots. In 'Tom Thumb', the Ogre is genuinely terrifying; there is real poverty, heartbreak, death and oh yeah, a fair bit of oedipal stuff, which is also totally traditional.
Don't be scared off, though. 'Tom Thumb' isn't THAT gruesome. I think such reactions merely stem from the fact that we're accustomed to fairy tales being Disneyfied to the point of absurdity.
'Tom Thumb' is colourful, atmospheric and gripping. There are moments of real desolation, excitement, fear and enchantment. Nearly all of the scenes are shot in studio sets using backlit backdrops, creating a sense of super-reality, saturated with wild colours. In fact, ironically, the use of colour in 'Tom Thumb' is very cartoonish. The Ogre's castle appears against a blood-red sky. At other times the sky is saturated with intense mixtures of colour which nuance the emotion of the scenes. It is often, quite simply, beautiful. At other times it is richly atmospheric and brooding.
I can't think of anything bad to say about 'Tom Thumb'. The French have a real knack of turning out children's films, and films about children, which are genuinely magical to an adult audience (check out 'The City of Lost Children', for instance).
A strong 8 out of 10, and bravo!