Luckily, there is another little mermaid to distract me for a little bit. I was so excited when I saw that the most recent adaptation of my favorite fairy tale is on Netflix.
*************SPOILERS AHEAD***********************
I watched it alone, so I could give it my undivided attention. It's not a straight retelling of Andersen's tale, but rather an updated/slipstream interpretation.
It begins with a grandmother reading the book to her little grand-daughters, and most of the story is told in a flashback; the setting is Mississippi in the 30's or 40's. The little girl Elle is sick, and after her uncle Cam hears of a miracle cure, they travel to a circus to try and purchase some (although he doesn't really believe it will cure her- he seems like he's hoping to disprove it).
While they are enjoying their night at the circus, they go to a show where the ringleader unveils a large tank, claiming that inside is a real, live mermaid. Elle pushes her way to the front of the crowd, wanting to see for herself. She sees a beautiful young woman inside, with a tail. They seem to have an instant connection to each other, as they place their hands on opposite sides of the glass.
Of course, Cam doubts that that she is actually a mermaid, especially after he and Elle run into the mermaid while out on a walk. Elle asks why she has legs, and the mermaid tells her that mermaids have the ability to transform back and forth with the tides.
The movie Hook was imaginative in its use of slipstream thought: "What is Peter Pan had grown up? What if he left Neverland and forgot who he was?" This retelling of The Little Mermaid has a similar thought process.
In the text, the little mermaid does fall in love with a Prince, and become human to meet him. However, the prince falls in love with another woman, and marries her instead. The mermaid is offered a chance to return to her family under the sea, if she stabs him in the heart and allows his blood to fall on her legs, she is told it will transform back into a tail. However, she loves him so much that she cannot bear to hurt him, so she resigns herself to her fate: becoming sea foam. Because of her selflessness, she is instead granted a soul, and lives forever as a Daughter of the Air, watching over the prince and his bride.
In this version, the slipstream thought is like: "What is the little mermaid did not become a Daughter of the Air? What is she was granted a soul, but someone else owned it?"
Much like Hook takes place many years after the original story (which was penned by JM Barrie in 1904), this version of The Little Mermaid also takes place decades after the original story would have happened, leading us to believe that the mermaid has been in servitude for the entire time.
The cinematography in the water scenes is beautiful and dream-like.
There's no Sea Witch in this version; instead the villain is a cruel ringleader who has discovered how he can capture and control the magic of others.
The film is on the short side, which is fine. A fairy tale composed for children doesn't need to be an epic.
Overall, I enjoyed a fresh take on my favorite fairy tale; it has enough differences to be interesting, but enough similarities to be faithful to the original.
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