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STORY STUDY - MEDIUM: FILM - “Into the Woods”

Jeffrey Tung
May 14, 2018
2 min read

What if all (or most) of the most famous fairy tales you were told as a kid just so happened to live nearby each other, and in the middle of it, a forest? It’s time to take a journey… Into the Woods.

Directed by Rob Marshall, written by James Lapine, and based on the musical by Lapine and Stephen Sondheim, the musical film is centered on a Baker and his Wife who wish for a child, but a Witch has cursed them from doing so because the Baker’s father stole beans from the Witch’s mother. The Witch tells the couple to collect four items if they want the curse to be lifted: a white cow, a red cape, yellow hair, and gold slippers.

Elsewhere, Jack, Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel are living their lives and doing the tasks the audience is familiar with.

The couple’s goal and the four fairy tale characters ultimately collide to create a hilarious, yet grim tale about the importance of responsibility.

The four characters’ encounters with each other are easily the best part, each relating each of their backstories and situations, and their reactions to them. In fact, the best part of the entire film is the first act (I’m splitting this film in two acts, much like how stage musicals do) because of this.

The songs by Stephen Sondheim are fast (not as fast as the stage version, but still) and catchy, and each character does a fantastic job of keeping up with the urgency and quickness of it.

It’s funny that it was Disney of all companies that actually took on this project. Sure, they may have done adaptations of each of the four fairy tales in some capacity, but the moments that happen in this musical do not resemble what Disney has done; it’s more in line of what the Brothers Grimm has done. Look no further than the scene involving Cinderella’s stepmother and her stepsisters.

Then, there’s just act 2 in general. I mention earlier that Into the Woods ultimately has a grim lesson to it, and the film does not shy away from it. The violence may be toned down, but tragedy does happen. Sure, we get tragedy from animated Disney films, but this is live action, and the emotional punch is still there regardless.

It’s also this part that I have objections to. I’ve been told that there have been stage productions that only do the first act: the feel good musical. The rest really does come off as mean spirited, again in homage to the Brothers Grimm. I won’t blame it for going that route. A story is allowed to tell its story, and shouldn’t be ashamed to go whatever route it wants to go. The 2010s certainly love hammering in the “no such thing as happy endings” message. Not that this is uncalled for, it’s just comes up more often nowadays.

Into the Woods is a visually interesting, fairy tale version of The Avengers (yeah, I said it) that teaches that even when happy endings are achieved, the journey is not yet done. Luckily, you won’t be alone to go through it, no matter how much it looks like you are.