This past weekend Rebekah and I took an impromptu trip to the movie theater, what did we see….. Into the Woods!
We hurried into the theater and found our seats just as the movie trailers were ending. I had no idea what to expect from this movie. I hadn’t read or heard the reviews, with one exception. Right before entering the theater Nicole informed me that her friends had walked out during the movie; oh boy what was I in for?
The movie began, I quickly realized it was a musical, I had no idea! As we began to travel into the woods with the characters, it took me a while to truly realize why “we” were going into the woods. At first I was solely focused on these strange intertwined fairytales. Each fairytale character was traveling into the woods for a particular purpose – to break a spell, to go to the Festival, to sell the cow, to Grandmother’s house, to see the King. As the movie rolled on I realized there was a deeper meaning and an actual plot. ‘Into the Woods’ is a metaphor for taking a journey outside of the boundaries one has set for themselves, taking chances to experience more of what life may have to offer. While the initial reason these characters took the journey into the woods was to find something that was so enticing and important to them, they learned unexpected lessons along the path of the wood and what their true desires may have been after all. The path that appeared so straight and definitive became twisted and questionable.
The wood appears in many fairytales; it’s a place of the unknown and it’s full of mystery. The Woods are not thought to be “safe”, they have unexpected twists and turns. Stepping into the Woods could change one’s life; it’s a journey that could bring about a new ending to one’s story. And so we see this in many of Disney’s fairytale stories, just this time these happy endings were more similar to what you and I might experience in our own lives. In hindsight I wished I had read the movie commentary so I would have been more focused on the song lyrics. These stories told through song were in direct reflection to personal struggles many of us go through in life.
What did Rebekah think of the movie? I was really worried that she was not enjoying the movie, but I didn’t breathe a word until we were walking out of the theater and back to the car. She thought it was a bit strange; she was not use to seeing Disney fairytales in any other light than the animated version. But then she began to tell me how she loved that everyone was singing and she thought it was all rather funny. Her favorite characters were Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Baker and his wife. She added that she would not recommend anyone under the age of eight to see the movie, well maybe a seven year old if they were mature for their age.
I would absolutely like to see the movie again. I am sure that I missed many details that I would enjoy witnessing the second time around. The cast I thought were magnificent and made each roll very believable. There was some adult content but it definitely went over Rebekah’s head. I do think it is important to understand the rhythm of the movie before viewing it; it will enhance the experience and allow you to connect and identify with the characters on a deeper level.
