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To me, this movie is perfection.

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

This is fairly well made for 1914, and it's been restored and presented in a higher quality than most films from that period, including some lovely color tinting. It'd be nice if other early silent films were made available in such quality as Mary Pickford's vehicles have been, but we'll take what we can get, I suppose. In addition, the well-known fairytale narrative makes this an ideal candidate from the early phase of feature-length films to see on DVD if you're not already an avid viewer of ancient cinema.This is an early example of expert focus on filming and staging around the star. Pickford is filmed in the best lighting; her face is nearly always center stage, even if it means blocking or not showing frontal views of others; and there are a good number of close-ups mostly for her. That's for the best, by the way, as not much else here seems as appealing or talented, including Owen Moore, Pickford's real-life husband at the time, as Prince Charming. Otherwise, the film-making here is rather prosaic even for 1914; for example, notice how they return to the same camera positions for scenes in the kitchen, bedroom and ballroom. The framing for the kitchen scenes are very similar to those of the kitchen scenes in the 1911 Thanhouser version of Cinderella, which I saw recently before this.The clock dream is amusing and creative, though. It begins as a superimposed vision above sleeping Cinderella and then becomes its own shot crosscut with her sleeping. The nice added score helps, too. It's worth comparing this to the dance of the clocks nightmare in Méliès's 1899 "Cinderella", as well as the one in his 1912 version. I also like the through-the-window framing of Cinderella looking out the window at dancing fairies during her other sleeping scene; it's also one of the few times Pickford's back is to the camera.There were other stars in 1914, but I haven't seen any of them receive this good of treatment, with such classical star focus, for another year or two. Nobody, however, was bigger then in the movie world than was Mary Pickford.

This film is included as a DVD extra for another one of Mary Pickford's films, THROUGH THE BACK DOOR. Both have very well-preserved prints and nice musical scores--making this DVD well worth having.In many ways, this film differs from the traditional Cinderalla story. However, these differences generally help the story and make for an excellent film.Unlike the more traditional story, this time the Fairy Godmother comes to Cinderalla before the ball. She's dressed like an old lady and Cinderalla is kind to her. So, the fairy and all invisible fairies nearby all decide they should do something nice for her.Additionally, I was surprised to see that she actually met the Prince before the ball as well. While she was gathering wood, she slipped and the Prince came to her aid--even though all the noblemen with him seemed to think that Cinderalla was just some dumb peasant. I liked this, as it game the Prince more depth. I mean, think about it, in most versions he sees her just once at the ball and pledges to marry her because of love at first sight! What a dope! But here, there is a greater depth to him and the story.Naturally, the Fairy Godmother does show up and makes Cinderella beautiful for the ball. And, naturally, the Prince is quite smitten with her. And, naturally, she runs away and the Prince vows to marry the woman whose foot fits the magic slipper. All this is pretty standard, but you certainly could NOT expect them to change these details. But, in an interesting twist, the Prince immediately recognizes Cinderella when he finds her dressed in rags and is delighted. Sure, he puts the shoe on her, but this is after he's taken her to the castle to show his father, the King. This, also, seemed like a nice way to tell the story. The Prince in this tale is no vacuous pretty-boy! One thing that the story did not do (and I doubt any movie ever did show this), but according to my daughter who studies folklore in college, in one version the wicked step-sisters do some insane things to try to claim the shoe is theirs. They saw their toes off and horribly deform themselves to try to get it to fit!! I would just love, for once, to have that included in a film--though it might just traumatize the kids watching it.Overall, you might be surprised to hear this, but I truly think I enjoyed this more than the more famous Disney and Rogers-Hammerstein versions. It's sweet and well-told but unfortunately forgotten since it's "only a silent film" as some knuckleheads might think, few will probably get around to it.

Cinderella (1914) *** (out of 4) Sweet and charming version of the famous story has Mary Pickford in the title role. The film clocks in at just over fifty-minutes and there isn't a single minute that's wasted in telling the story. The film doesn't try anything too special but instead relies on Pickford and her incredible charm, which jumps off the screen. I believe Pickford was one of the most natural actresses in the history of cinema and her innocent charm is on full display here. The film has a very sweet tone and doesn't forget the fact that it's a fairy tale. Another interesting aspect is Cinderella's nightmare of the clock when she doesn't arrive home until after midnight. Some nice comic touches as well and two incredibly ugly stepsisters.

No need to seek this out. It is mundane in every way except one.You'll remember that a feature of the story is the clock. Our girl has to be home before midnight, her only rule. She disobeys because she is having such a nice time.We forgive her, because her life has been so rough, but rules is rules. She makes her escape just as the clock is striking. But in this movie, she has nightmares about the clock, and they are pretty interesting.First we have two mechanical bellringers moved into place to strike the bell. These, as it turns out are gnomes we have seen before when the evil stepsisters visited a fortune teller. Since then, Cinderella has had pleasant dreams of fairies and the bad sisters nightmares of these gnomes.Now Cinderella is visited by these two gnomes, in a sequence labelled "the consequences of disobedience." They strike the bell, then things go haywire and they hit each other. Then the hands go haywire, and the face itself starts spinning. Next the clocktower itself shakes and the gnomes fall off. Wait, thats not all. There's a fantastic sequence where the numbers on the clock face become untethered and start to roam about the face while the hands twist radically.Its very clever. I think both the clock and the gnomes are cinematic additions. And they do spice up the otherwise ordinary event.Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.