Into the Woods
Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Lucamar Productions, and Walt Disney Pictures
“Into the Woods” is Disney’s latest attempt in trying to retain the creative rights to all known fairy tales. Already a powerhouse, and the main supplier of modern tales of magic and winsome beauties, Disney has adapted this more adult musical about intertwined Grimm fairytales. Based on the 1986 stage show of the same name, this film is packed with huge sets, punchy songs, and a cast of enigmatic performers. Even with its hugeness, its vision, and great subtlety, it is definitely not the original musical.
The original musical was a lot darker than this film. For one thing, the two child roles (though the child actors in this are incredible) were originally played by adult actors, which meant there was more room for adult themes. The wolf was more pedophilic, there were more gruesome deaths, and some integral characters, (who are missing from this adaptation), thread the plot together more cohesively. It’s obvious that Disney put pressure on the filmmakers to tone down the adult themes and make this film more family friendly, which is completely reasonable when looking at the finished product. The problem is that many darker elements were left in the film, which makes the violence dull, and the childishness out of place. This is a case of “all or nothing,” as the film remains uneven in its tone, throughout. This film could have been a seriously disturbed, completely true adaptation of the original musical, and to the original Grimm fairy tales.
The songs are amazing, melding seamlessly with the story, and they also punch up the action. If you take anything good from this film, it’s that you get a great soundtrack and a view into the original West End production. The entire film feels like it’s more of a musical than a film, from its sets (that are obviously on a soundstage), to the repetitive and convenient plot devices. It’s not easy to adapt a musical, of all things, but if you are going to create a similar world, than there should at least be a couple moments where we can suspend our disbelief and think it looks like a real forest, or thatched home, or even a castle. It feels more like a production of a musical filmed, with some special effects, than a motion picture. The third half doesn’t help either, as it strays off into narrative territory that is both boring and restrictive. If they had left the darkest of its themes in, perhaps the third act’s treading into unfamiliar territory would be warranted, but it’s not.
As for its sole acting nomination for Meryl Streep in the part of the haggard old witch, it’s completely unwarranted. As always Streep shines quite bright, and gives a very human performance as a witch who is troubled by her wickedness, hampered by her daughter, and lashes out, making her evil until the very last note. Still, she is barely onscreen, and when she is she isn’t overt in her emotional distress. Most of her performance is through song, meaning that she is supposed to convey her emotions through her body language, which does not impress.
“Into the Woods” doesn’t do anything new, not surprising as it rehashes old fairy tales. If you love musicals and want to see a bigger than life adaptation of one, than this is your film; otherwise it will neither surprise nor impress.
