“I’m Not Good. I’m Not Nice. I’m Just Right. I’m the Witch.” In the 2014 film Into the Woods, Rob Marshall, the director, whimsically incorporates what used to be classic tales of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood into a modern musical with a twist. All of the characters travel into the woods for their respective reasons on intertwining paths, and they meet because of a curse placed years ago by The Witch. Although these characters may cross paths, they are all connected by the Baker and his wife. The Witch cursed the Baker’s family tree decades ago after the Baker’s dad stole prizewinning greens from The Witch’s garden for his pregnant wife. After being cursed with a barren lineage, the Baker and his
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This implies that most people alive in the twentieth century, and now in the twenty-first century, have experienced Disney in their lifetime. At a point, Disney and cultural beliefs were beyond intertwined such that people were unsure if Disney influenced the common beliefs or vice-versa. Although Disney has produced many films that focus on female main characters, people feel as if Disney portrayed them too femininely, creating “social ills,” or stereotypical beliefs, such as the common phrase “a woman’s place is in the kitchen,” in society today (Davis 222). Even though it has improved, many women still feel that society depicts them as weak, dependent, and helpless. While some may believe that The Witch was created to serve a specific purpose, such as to please feminists, others feel that The Witch fits a stereotypical portrayal of a general witch that has been recreated in numerous Disney movies now, including Snow White and Sleeping Beauty to some extent (Davis 224). To make television shows and movies more diverse throughout the decades, Disney has included a lesbian couple in Good Luck Charlie, a woman in a man’s world in Mulan, and the first Polynesian princess story through Disney in Moana. Therefore, Davis argues that even though Disney has increased diversity in gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and religion in its films, the witch persona stays the same because the children recognize it, and it sells. Finally, it suggests that The Witch does not represent any bigger message or theme, but she stands as a sales tactic (Davis 222). When looking further into this, it is seen that The Witch is played by Meryl Streep, a
This implies that most people alive in the twentieth century, and now in the twenty-first century, have experienced Disney in their lifetime. At a point, Disney and cultural beliefs were beyond intertwined such that people were unsure if Disney influenced the common beliefs or vice-versa. Although Disney has produced many films that focus on female main characters, people feel as if Disney portrayed them too femininely, creating “social ills,” or stereotypical beliefs, such as the common phrase “a woman’s place is in the kitchen,” in society today (Davis 222). Even though it has improved, many women still feel that society depicts them as weak, dependent, and helpless. While some may believe that The Witch was created to serve a specific purpose, such as to please feminists, others feel that The Witch fits a stereotypical portrayal of a general witch that has been recreated in numerous Disney movies now, including Snow White and Sleeping Beauty to some extent (Davis 224). To make television shows and movies more diverse throughout the decades, Disney has included a lesbian couple in Good Luck Charlie, a woman in a man’s world in Mulan, and the first Polynesian princess story through Disney in Moana. Therefore, Davis argues that even though Disney has increased diversity in gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and religion in its films, the witch persona stays the same because the children recognize it, and it sells. Finally, it suggests that The Witch does not represent any bigger message or theme, but she stands as a sales tactic (Davis 222). When looking further into this, it is seen that The Witch is played by Meryl Streep, a