Comparing these aspects to the film by Melies adds an interesting dimension to the story. Melies incorporates magic and mysticism into a story that before hand was a seemingly dark counterpart to other fairy tales. He adds in nightmares, fairies, and creatures that allow for the story to take a whole new perspective. From these additions, he also creates a transition to a new ending. The story does not end in horror but the wives live happily after which creates a sense of the fairy tale feeling.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Fairy Tale vs. Horror
From monday's discussion, the focus seemed to be on the fact that Bluebeard has this horror aspect and is not in sync with many of the elements that we see in other fairy tales. Unlike most fairy tales, Perrault's version starts with a marriage and ends with a happy family. This is uncharacteristic of most fairy tales and is important to note when discussing the differences that the Bluebeard story holds. There is criticism on marriage stability and the fact that women are disobedient. Also, the man is allowed to hide his past, or at least until the woman is disobedient and "nosy." These elements are too harsh and pointed at specific criticisms to be present in the traditional form of fairy tale. These aspects play into the fact that there is much horror in the story that is meant to stop analysis and stun the reader.
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I also think it's interesting to note that normally women who are disobedient are somehow punished, but in Perrault's version, the disobedient woman wins. I like this twist on the typical rules of fairy tales. It makes the Bluebeard series stand out because it is different and gives the woman a bit of an upper-hand for a change, which is something that we don't see too often in fairy tales.
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