Three Wishes for Cinderella (1973)

Best movie ever!

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

During my month long viewing of Czech cinema made during the Cold War era,one of the main titles that I really wanted to glimpse was an adaptation of Cinderella,but I was sadly unable to find a version with the original soundtrack..and English Subtitles. Reading a good summing up of the movie from a fellow IMDber,I took a second go at locating the movie,and finally found the original version!,which led to me getting ready to at last Czech out this Cinderella.The plot:Pushed around by her stepmother and stepsister Dora, Cinderella has to clean up the mess that they both (intentionally) make,with only a loyal owl for company.Looking out of the window,Cinderella dreams of joining all the boys in the city to go hunting and sharp- shooting.Checking some nuts that have mysterious appeared,Cinderella is shocked to discover that one of the nuts gives her new clothes,and new sharp-shooting skills.Sneaking out of the house,Cinderella runs into the Prince of the city,who is deeply impressed by her skills.Wanting to tease him a bit,Cinderella does not tell the prince her name,and hides in the trees and creeps away home.Learning that the prince is going to choose a bride at a royal ball,Cinderella's step-mum and Dora get dressed up and head to the ball. Cleaning up,Cinderella tries one of the magic nuts,and is rewarded with a dress which will allow her to (secretly) go to the ball.View on the film:Backed by a shimming score from Karel Svoboda,director Václav Vorlícek & cinematographer Josef Illík unleash an exquisite, magical atmosphere,sipping up the Winter décor and mythical,lightly Gothic fairy tale. Knotting up the "traditional" goody two-shoes image of the tale, Vorlícek gives Cinderella strong shoulders with dazzling,highly stylish circling camera moves circling round her sharp-shooting,and Cinderella circling the Prince.Trimming some of the harsher edges from the original tale, (no one chops their toes off!) Frantisek Pavlícek's adaptation of Bozena Nemcová's Eastern Europe take on the tale gives Cinderella a refreshingly feisty side, that shows Cinderella holding her head high among the men,and also makes the Prince have to put some real effort in to get her hand.Sweeping up the enchanting mood, Pavlícek gives the movie a delicious rustic coating,where nature-not a Fairy Godmother,helps Cinderella to catch everyone's attention.Joined by a wicked Carola Braunbock & Dana Hlavácová as Dora and the step-mum, Libuse Safránková (who got the role after original choice Jana Preissová got pregnant) gives an extraordinary performance as Cinderella,who Safránková brings into the enchanted castle,with playful tomboy cuts that Safránková links with a regal elegance,as Cinderella makes her three wishes.

I can tell from my own experiences that in German speaking countries, that this movie is considered a cult-movie and that it is extremely popular. It has also its traditional firm spot in TV every Christmas, because people still love it. Success is owed to the very lovely couple Libuse Safrankova and Pavel Travnicek and to the music written by the great composer Karel Svoboda. The props are great too (Czechoslovakian style of the early modern times) and combined with the lovely landscape, it gives everyone a real good Christmas fairy entertainment. 10 out of 10 for beloved childhood memories and the perfect Christmas fairy tale. Three generations of spectators cannot be wrong!

In Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia and the Czech republic this movie is shown every Christmas eve, and for many people (myself included) it won't be Christmas without it. The channel tried to take the movie of the program one year because it's such an old film, but there was a massive upheaval and luckily it was stopped and Christmas was saved and it has been showed ever since. It is a sweet Cinderella story, told in a different way then the classical tale we're used to. The movie is extremely charming and beautifully made, although without any Hollywood style special effects. Unfortunately this movie has suffered the fate of most non-English movies in the US and have been more or less completely overlooked.

As a child I watched this on a rerun and fell for the enchanting story which whisked me away into a fantasy far from my own rather boring life. I remember being on holiday when it was showing and begging my father to get us home in time to be able to watch it on TV. The story is simply magical and for any audience still holds a romance all of its own. Anyone who has not seen it should watch it and if you remember it then you will know just what I am saying.I am trying to get hold of it on DVD but so far unsuccessfully.... If anyone knows where I may get hold of a copy then please do send me an e-mail ([email protected]) I would be very grateful.This is one show that has stayed firmly fixed in my memory and I would love to be able to see it again sometime.