Cinderella Diamond Edition Blu-ray Review

12th Sep 2012

Well. Well, well, well. If I thought MGM had surpassed themselves with their blu ray release of Ben Hur (see my review: www.filmwerk.co.uk/2011/09/23/ben-hur-blu-ray-review/), Disney are giving them a stern run for their money with this absolutely gob-smacking and equally anticipated (by me) blu ray transfer of that most wonderful of films, Cinderella.

There is some deliberation (by me) regarding which Disney classic holds top spot, and usually the two top trumpers are One Hundred and One Dalmatians, also recently revived in HD, and Cinderella. A brief word about why I think Cinders might just have pipped the film of four-hundred-and-four legs to the post before I talk about the magical quality of the transfer.

The music of Cinderella alone sets it apart from most other Disney films for being so utterly charming and singable. ‘Sing Sweet Nightingale’, even though it only has one line, has me floating atop a bubble of grimy water suds through a sky of soapy clouds, and all too often I’ve nearly run a red light on my bike because I’ve been lost in the charm of this simply beautiful song. But the film’s opening song, ‘A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes’, other than crying out to be covered by a swing band, never fails to make me feel so tranquil and graceful. If Cinderella can slip out of bed at the crack of dawn to a day of abuse with a smile on her lips and that song in her heart, then goddammit, I can do the same. It was nominated in the 1950 Oscars for ‘Bibbidi-Bobbidy-Boo’, which is certainly a classic in the Disney category, but those two little beauties should go down in musical history for being able to soothe the Irish Sea (probably).

Ramble done. Now to the point.

The transfer is astonishing. Really, astonishing. I never thought Cinderella would look as flawless, but for the smoothness of the colours and gentle sturdiness of the lines, this film could have been drawn (or even computer animated *sigh*) yesterday. From the first image of the story book, glistening and glimmering with sparkling gems, to the vistas of the magical prince’s palace, there is not so much as a speck of imperfection, which goes a long way towards bringing to life the magical qualities the film has to offer.

If you read my review of the Hundred and One Dalmatians transfer, you’ll recall I said that even though it was very lovingly performed, I felt the sharpness dampened the character which the slightly grainy, rough around the edges picture gave to the film. Well, with Cinderella I say the exact opposite. Far from being a filthy (albeit very noble and courageous) dog, Cinderella is as pure as the driven snow, and I don’t say that ironically. I’m sure the most ardent of Murdoch’s phone hackers could follow her for years and not come out with anything more exciting than “Hi Prince Hubby, I threw the milk out because it started to turn, could you pick up some more on your way back to the palace please? Love Cindy xoxox” The purity of her character is now, finally reflected in the purity of her appearance: clean, solid and with everything exactly in the right place.

Animation wise, Cinderella is not as cutting edge as some others from the Disney canon; it was the first full length feature to be released by the studio following WWII so I think they were trailblazing a simple but effective approach to re-introducing some magic back into the war-ravaged world with Cinderella, certainly embodying the age of austerity which gave her life, and now which gives her a new lease of life.

Extras wise, there’s not a whole lot going on which is new. The features from the Diamond Edition are re-prised here, including a documentary about ‘The Real Fairy Godmother’ which might be worth a watch for the soppier viewers. However, the exceptions to the rule come in the form of two short films, Tangled Ever After and The Glass Slipper & The Magic Of Make Believe. The former brings back to the screens the much-loved Maximus from Tangled, who has the honour of being the ring barer for Rapunzle and Eugene’s long awaited wedding… and of course, all sorts of mania ensues. I won’t give much away but it’s a great chuckle and it’s nice to know that the creators of Tangled love and missed this off the wall character as much as we do.

The Glass Slipper… is a bit less obvious. It stars none other than Christian Louboutin himself, who in this instance is on the verge of collapse having apparently run out of ideas for shoes. But, with a little help from some magical critters and an unknowing street cleaner, the magic of Cinderella is revived and re-worked for perhaps the world’s closest contender for Fairy Godmother as far as shoes are concerned. It’s imaginative and unexpected, and goes down nicely with a cup of tea.

Are you convinced yet? Yes? Lovely music, rags to riches and Louboutin done it for you? Splendid. Then my work here is done. And just in time too, it’s approaching midnight…