Fairy Tales 2010

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

An asexual Little Red Riding Hood?

In this version of Little Red Riding Hood (by a French animator, I think), Little Red Riding Hood is portrayed as what appears to be closer to a teenage girl trying to find her way through the forest to a neighboring castle. The plot omits all of the characters from the stories with the exception of Red Riding Hood herself and the wolf who resembles the Smoke Monster from Lost more closely than any living animal.

This version focuses mainly on the insecurities of being alone in the forest. Red Riding Hood is seen making her way through the forest before encountering the ruins of a abandoned city. When she breaks to nap, the Smoke Monster/wolf invades her mind and tortures her for the remainder of the journey. This depiction plays on the apprehension a person, especially a young girl, experiences when they are out on their own. The girl is chased through the entire forest and only receives temporary salvation by the light of day at the edge of the forest.

The element most notably missing from this retelling is the sexuality. Red Riding Hood is animated to look androgynous, wearing pants, boots, and a baggy cape. The wolf is completely devoid of any form or shape, and is in no way seductive, sexual, or tempting. Yes, the cloud is threatening the girl, but the threat appears to literally be that she will be eaten, not that her purity will be corrupted. Removing the sexuality from Red Riding Hood, especially in an artistic interpretation really neglects a major part of this story. While I know that this was the artistic work of a person, I feel they didn't do the story justice by leaving sensuality out of the picture.
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1 comment:

  1. erikeFebruary 18, 2010 at 11:55 PM

    I like your interpretation of the video. Maybe the black wolf is placed there to symbolize darkness and the fact that she is running towards the light is used to illustrate peoples constant fight to be 'good' or to stay in the light?

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