Little Red Riding Hood

Not a moment nor a note is wasted in this little ditty shown two years ago at the Chicago Film Festival. As an English teacher, I have seen and read many versions of this tale and have used some for critical analysis in my classes, but this piece is something quite extraordinary (though not quite intended for small children). I long to possess it in my library and to show to everyone I know and meet its evocative imagery and disquieting premise: woman is not as vulnerable and naive as we are led to believe nor man so forceful and ugly. Debussy's work could not have been more aptly interpreted onto the screen. The cinematography is breathtaking.

If you're titillated by the gothic possibilities of The Fairytale but find Powell and Pressburger too leaden or Tim Burton too twee, then this stellar example of short-filmmaking will knock you sideways. Exactingly executed from first frame to last, this short reinterprets the Riding-Hood story along the lines of an ancient French variant and blows the lid off the long-repressed sexual subtext. Ricci is caught at (I hope not) the peak of her dark craft, as an archetype of knowing femininity; Bourtasenkov, in beautiful counterpoint of form, dances (yes, literally) an aching helplessness. Quentin Crisp's delivery of the witty script is a dry delight, and the entire piece is constructed so perfectly alongside Debussy's 'Afternoon of a Fawn' that Allegro Non Troppo won't ever quite satisfy you again. See this masterpiece and never forget it.

I must say this film is gorgeous. Contrasted with a divine line of mediums. Truly worth the search, especially for an independent film collector. Although its short it has what is needed to be brilliantly eye pleasing and beautiful. By all means possible, I say see it.

As soon as Quentin Crisp begins the narration of this retelling of the Little Red Riding hood story, one knows that this is NOT to be the bowdlerized version that one heard as a child.

Somehow that dry aristocratic voice with its overtones of sophisticated debauchery fits this version of the story perfectly.

Here we see a story more like what must have originally been intended. But here also we see a "little girl" that is not the helpless maiden to be saved as in more current versions of the story.

Just as the narrative had an edgy "bent", the use of the music from "Afternoon of the Faun" leant an interesting perspective as well.

Overall a wonderful short. It's short films like this that keep me watching and hoping during a shorts program.

This is the best short film I have seen to date. It tells the classic story of Little Red Riding Hood... with a twist. Sure Granny gets eaten and so and so forth, but the sexual overtones, the humor, and especially the music, DeBussys Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, made this a great short flick worthy of your attention.