Dir. Václav Vorlícek, Czechoslovakia/ East Germany, 1973, 88 mins, subtitled
Cast: Libuse Safránková, Pavel Trávnícek, Carola Braunbock, Rolf Hoppe, Karin Lesch, Dana Hlavácová, Vladimír Mensík
Review by Colin Dibben
I think you know the story here, but it is given an unusual twist by Safránková’s Popelka (that’s Cinderella to the non-Czech speaking). She is gorgeously mischievous, a smudge-faced and feisty young woman who can shoot better than her Prince, climb trees, tame animals and kick back against her domineering stepmother and stepsister. Add a joyous earworm soundtrack and some great visuals and you have a film to enjoy over and over again.
Three Wishes for Cinderella (the Czech title translates more accurately as Three Hazelnuts for Popelka after the wishes brought to her in three nuts) is a much-loved Christmas TV fave across continental Europe. This is your chance to see why – in a Blu-ray presentation of a high-definition 4K restoration.
The film does look wonderful, with the crisp snow scenes, cold blue skies and scenes of courtly splendour and Brueghel-esque country life. Of course, these are not traditional fairytale colours, and in fact they highlight the harsh wintry world in which most of the film takes place.
Even the lovely galloping theme music cannot detract from the fact that what makes this film so entrancing is Libuse Safránková herself. Even though outrageous demands are made of her by her family, her face transmits wide-eyed wonder, love and care as well as the pure joy of being in her enchanted natural and slightly bewitched surroundings.
The scene where Popelka rides to the castle where the ball is to be held, asks her horse for advice then charges up the external staircase and across the terrace with the camera behind her, is absolutely iconic.
Perfect Christmas viewing!
Three Wishes for Cinderella is out on Blu-ray from 16 December 2024.
