Orion Pictures
Fairy tales have been around for centuries, at least back to the 16th century but some even pre-date that era perhaps back to ancient Rome. The most famous fairy tales are wrongly attributed to the Brothers Grimm, but they simply collected and published tales that had existed as part of an oral tradition long before they did. And contrary to popular belief, the tales were not intended for children with many horrific elements included (such as Cinderella’s stepsisters cutting off their toes and heels to fit into the slipper). As the stories gained popularity, they were revised for children. In modern times, fairy tales became the bread and butter for the new Walt Disney Studios after it produced the first feature-length animated film, and the studio has continued to mine the fairy tale genre for both animated and live-action films fit for the entire family. There have been some darker takes on the material, from two films centered around the little girl with the red hood (The Company of Wolves and Red Riding Hood), various takes on Snow White and Cinderella, the TV series Once Upon a Time and Grimm, and the Broadway musical Into the Woods.
One story that hasn’t had as much attention as those others is ‘Hansel & Gretel’, a tale that has its origins in some truly horrific reality in the Baltic region during the 12th century where famine led parents to abandon — and possibly eat — their children. The fairy tale version of the story has the children abandoned in the woods but they find their way home by following a trail of breadcrumbs. Abandoned a second time, the crumbs are eaten by bird and the children become lost. They come upon a house made of sweets (some versions mention cake and cookies, some say it was gingerbread) but the occupant of the house is a witch who attempts to fatten them up to make a meal of them. The tables are turned however and the children get away after pushing the witch into her oven. They return home, the parents are gone, presumed dead, and they live happily ever after. More family-friendly versions of the story just have the children becoming lost in the woods and escape without having committed murder (in self-defense, of course). It’s a tale that has endured pretty much intact, but now there is a new film version of the tale titled Gretel and Hansel that puts its own spin on the story.
Review
Gretel and Hansel is set in some indeterminate area of Europe (?) and era, although it could very well be the 12th century. Things are bad, there are too many mouths to feed, so Gretel is sent to apply for a position with a wealthy family that turns sour when it becomes clear the old man wants the young girl to do more than serve him tea. With her brother tagging along, Gretel returns home but the pair are forced to flee when mum threatens them with an axe after Gretel refuses to go to a convent for shelter knowing her brother would not be admitted. Leaving their home, they first encounter a woodsman who gives them food and shelter for the night — and tells them to beware of the charming wolves — but their hunger begins to get the best of them. After ingesting some magic mushrooms, the pair come upon another house with the scent of cake wafting through the windows. Hansel makes his way in to retrieve some food for them both but it caught red-handed by the occupant, a spooky old woman dressed in black. The can’t turn down the magnificent feast the old woman has prepared — for no one but herself? — and end up staying to repay the kindness. But a bond develops between Gretel and the woman as they both share knowledge of a story of a girl in a pink hat whom, legend has it, was abandoned by her own mother in these same woods because of a dark power the girl possessed. As Gretel learns more of the old woman’s sorcery, she begins to worry about Hansel’s well-being and who or what the old woman actually is.
Gretel and Hansel is a bit of a slow burn of a horror film, more psychological than visceral with its PG-13 rating, that has some outstanding production design and cinematography, but may be a little too dry for someone wanting some real horror. It actually reminded me of the more dark and cerebral The Company of Wolves, and could serve as a decent double feature (although that is definitely more R-rated as it serves up more gore). Aside from the mother and the woodsman, the only characters in the movie are the children and the witch, with all of their varying accents. Sophia Lillis, who was quite good in the first It movie, does a fine job here although she does not attempt any kind of Euro accent. She does give Gretel and alternating strength and vulnerability so she doesn’t come off as a brat who deserves whatever is coming to her. Samuel Leakey is also fine as Hansel, making his little brother a wide-eyed and curious child who still doesn’t know how to control himself, sometimes pushing his sister’s buttons a bit too hard. And then there is the remarkable Alice Krige as the Witch. I have been a fan of Krige since Ghost Story in 1981, and have always marveled at her acting choices, quite often playing very unattractive and monstrous characters, probably best demonstrated by her role as the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact. Here she plays the haggard witch (with a vaguely Irish accent,I believe) to perfection, never menacing, always nurturing Gretel because she sees the girl’s own dark powers. She can turn on the charm when she needs to keep the children under control while managing to fatten up Hansel without anyone realizing it. It’s a wonderful performance and really the main reason to watch the movie.
Video
The Warner Bros. Home Entertainment presentation of the Orion Pictures’ film on Blu-ray is beautiful. The film isn’t what one would call colorful with its drab interiors and exteriors of the children’s home, and the cold, dead woods they travel through. The film also leans heavily on the dark side with the interior of the Witch’s home lit main by a fireplace and candlelight. The Blu-ray, however, handles those dark scenes to perfection with little to no artifacting, keeping the blackness appropriately inky and representing the few brighter scenes, particularly at the film’s climax, equally well. There should be no complaints from anyone with the disk’s visual presentation.
Audio
The DTS-HD audio is crystal clear, keeping the dialog front and center and never over-powered by the film’s music (not that there is a lot … it’s a very quiet film) or sound effects. Your surround system my not get a workout but the audio quality over all is perfection.
Special Features
Sadly, there is only one bonus feature on the Blu-ray (and DVD): a ‘Storybook’ version of the film with come crudely drawn artwork meant to represent the characters in the film. The story is broken into several chapters, but at 5 minutes and 20 seconds it goes by very quickly with most of the text flying by so quickly it’s almost impossible to read. It really adds no value to the purchase. Interestingly, there are three very short behind-the-scenes featurettes that total just over three minutes available on the digital version of the film that is only available to redeem through Vudu. These could have very easily been included on the disk.
Overview
Gretel and Hansel may not be every horror fan’s cup of tea with its leisurely pace and attempts to give more depth to the stories of Gretel and the Witch (identified as Holda in the featurettes but never in the movie itself). Those who enjoy these types of films will find much to enjoy, especially in the film’s production and costume design and some of director Osgood Perkins’ carefully staged shots. Some may find that the Blu-ray is worth adding to their collection while others may feel a rental is enough. If you prefer your horror to be more cerebral than visceral then this is the film for you.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment generously provided Hotchka with the Blu-ray for reviewing purposes.
Orion Pictures
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