Never talk to strangers until you meet them. . . But how do you meet someone if you don't talk?
“Red Riding Hood” (1987) from the American company “Cannon” (quite well-known in its time) is another fantasy on the theme of an ancient fairy tale – this time in the realities of ancient England: with castles, nobles, knights, witches and even werewolves – “volkulaks”. . .
The film is a joint, American-Israeli, and the crew is a real “international”: the director is Canadian Adam Brooks, and in his team he has Americans, Italians, and Israelis. And the very Red Riding Hood is played by British actress Amelia Shankley (Amelia Shankley) – a pretty girl, charming from the first minutes: “I used to go to the woods – and get lost there in search of elves!”. .. - personally, I have always loved such deer. Here, by the way, she is not just “Red Riding Hood”, but also bears a normal human name – Linet. She is kind, brave, noble – but at times frivolous and playful: despite her quite “adult” adolescence, she can still “fall into childhood”. . .
In appearance, the film is very low-budget - without any special effects, only a rather primitive combination shooting - but everything is compensated, in the old-fashioned way, by high-quality play: for example, it is difficult to believe that the roles of two brothers - Godfrey and Percival - are performed by the same actor - they are so different - even in their views: kind and honest in one - and completely wild and soulless in the other, "man without a heart." . .
Movie is probably too dull for modern children, but when I watched it 10 years ago, I thought that I would have liked it as a child – it does not stand out from the number of films Roe, Ptushko, etc., on which we grew up – we always loved such beautiful fairy tales. So this "Red Riding Hood" is also a very cute, beautifully shot, "old-fashioned" fairy tale film with kind and bright scenes - simple, and at times childishly naive.
The fairy tale is shot in the traditional manner - without new-fangled "exquisites", various "progressive trends" with "non-standard reading" - so it is clearly visible: good is good, and evil is evil; it is clear where love, nobility and mercy - and where betrayal, cruelty, greed ... (Although the wolf’s song is about a “world in sin,” where even children are threatened with danger and girls disappear, and therefore it is better not to talk to strangers, it still evokes involuntary associations with our current reality.) . . )
Many episodes touch the soul, “touch the strings” – including their melodies, and although usually I am not delighted with musical films, but here they sing so from the heart, and the songs are so organically suited to situations that they are remembered: after hearing them, I then sing for a long time – they are so infectious:
"Good little girls never get lost out in the woods." . .
- Lullaby of her mother about night fears and bright hopes
A simple, but cheerful and cheerful song of farmers about how everything turns green under blue skies.
- as does the duet of Red Riding Hood and Wolf, who (ironically!) exhorts her not to talk to strangers so as not to get into trouble, and she rests: "What a lot of stupid lies!." I mean, it's a perennial problem: strangers take risks, but if you don't talk to them, you can be alone. . .
Even the songs of negative heroes find a response - so reflect the mental anguish of people:
- verses of the wolf, contrary to the will of the bewitched werewolf:
"Ain't no angel of goodness"
Ain't no innocent lamb...
But I'm good at being bad.
So good at being bad
It's sweet how sour I am...
- "hymn" of the villain brother:
"I'm a man without a heart, I'm a man."
A walking wounded beast! . . . << /i>
In general, I have quite a pleasant impression from the film.
8 out of 10
PS has become a traditional "disclaimer" for me: the translation comes only "nasty", one-voiced, from the 90s, where the announcer, as usual, carries all sorts of nonsense. It is better to find the original – the lyrics of the songs are actually much more beautiful, and the words of the characters are more adequate.