Cinderella

The film starts with the words, "This is a very old fairy tale that was first told many centuries ago and still lives, and everybody tells it in a different way". The creators of the film "Zolushka", 1947 ("Cinderella"), told this old story with so much tenderness, humor, kindness, and style that it will be loved and watched by spectators of many generations, past and future, children and adults alike. "Cinderella" is the film of lasting and never aging charm. Its directing is effortless, the familiar plot never fails to captivate, the music by Antonio Spadavekkia is enchanting and absolutely fits the magic of the film. The old story is retold by Yevgeni Shvarts (who also wrote the screenplays to the masterpieces of Russian Cinema "To Kill a Dragon" (1991), "Ordinary Wonder" (1978), "Twelve Chairs" (1977), and "Don Quixote" (1957)), and he added the jokes that are still funny and biting after all these years. I just have to say a couple of words about acting. The best Russian actors of the time participated in the "Cinderella". I would never forget a touchy but kind King (Erast Garin), tender and loving Zolushka (Yanina Zhejmo, who was 38 when she took a role but she was absolutely believable as 16 year old Zolushka), and one of my favorite actresses of all time, one and only Faina Ranevskaya as an evil but unforgettable Stepmother who believes that with her powerful connections she will rule the Magic Kingdom.

I think this is an excellent film, and far better than any of the Disney fairy-tales because, the actors are so great, and the music is so cheerful that I think kids will love it. But it's also a very funny and witty movie, and adults will enjoy it too. Here is a piece of dialog between the King and his guards as he yells to them from a tower:

King-Hellooo! Hellooo! Guards of this fairy-tale castle, do you hear me? (Guards-We hear you, your Majesty!) King-Did a girl with one shoe leave the gate of our castle? (Guards-How many shoes were on her?) King-One! One! (Guards-Was she blonde?) King-Yes! A blonde! (Guards-How old was she?) King-About 16! (Guards-Nice?) King-Very nice! (Guards-OK! We understand! No, we haven't seen her. No one has left the gate!) King-Then why have you asked me all these specific questions? (Guards-We were interested, your Majesty!)

"It's very bad for a person to miss the ball, when he or she deserves one",- these words of Cinderella's Godmother describe the spirit of this movie. Paraphrasing: "It is very bad for a person to miss a watch of Soviet Cinderella movie, when he or she deserves one". And in order to deserve you shall be ready to open your heart and senses to kindness, gentleness, belief, performed by the best cast of Soviet actors in incredible narration of the world's famous fairy-tale bearing that unique fairy aroma which to me is something close to ecstatic. The moral of out-of-this-world reward for those quiet modest non-pretending loving and hoping laborers like Cinderella is delivered to the spectator with great feeling of kindness which can not be destroyed even by the pranks of the evil Stepmother. An all family must watch, 10 stars for fairy tale and 10 stars for Soviet Cinderella.

Long ago I watched this movie as a kid and loved the story. Later on I watched it many more times when my kids were growing up, sharing their enjoyment. And I still keep watching it from time to time, but not for the story of course, rather for its very special emotional value. No matter how dragged down I am, it never fails to put me in good humor. This is a magic of genuine and simple human goodness that brightens the day. The movie is BW, very simple in a sense that it doesn't have any computer-generated effects, mind-boggling stunts so typical of today's fantasy cinema-- for those you should look elsewhere. But acting in "Zolushka" is very good. So if you want something that speaks to the heart -- you'll probably enjoy every bit of it.

A simply beautiful and enchanting Soviet film. Zolushka is very sumptuously produced, the costumes and sets evoking a really magical fairy-tale warmth and the photography doesn't hinder them in any way, no signs of going-through-the-motions or trying too hard. The score is just lovely to listen to and very distinctively Russian in sound. The songs sparkle as much as the script and story, the lyrics are clever and the melodies easy to remember. The writing is charming and the humour is hilarious, very smartly scripted Zolushka is. The story is simply enchanting, the Cinderella story is an old- though timeless- one but with Zolushka it doesn't feel that way, the tale is told with freshness, wit, charm and warmth and all that by being faithful in spirit to the story. The two leads are great and utterly believable- even when much older than their characters as has been said already- and the stepmother is appropriately formidable, while the fairy is nicely benevolent and the king is both regal and funny. The voices are also good. All in all, really beautiful and any Soviet film or fairy-tale-musical(or both) aficionado will be under its spell(as corny as that sounds). 10/10 Bethany Cox