Angela Carter is queen of the modern day fairy tale genre. This bizarrely enchanting author refurbishes time-honored tales, stripping away the mundane to craft works that are at the same time both chilling and satisfying.
My favorite feature of Carter’s collection is her suggestive exposé of female standards prescribed by novels, films and society at large. Take “The Lady of The House of Love,” where Carter mixes two traditional female roles— spellbound princess and villainous vampire— to create a complex and conflicted primary character: Nosferatu. In “The Tiger’s Bride,” our beloved, bookish Belle flaunts a courageous persona during some hairy situations. And as for “The Werewolf,” well, let’s just say our little red heroine takes matters into her own hands this time around.
Now, word on the block is that Disney’s ditched the damsels for a new brand of Pixar flicks instead. But deep in my heart, I find it hard to believe this change was driven by some Miley Cyrus spawned influx of tweens-going-on-twenty, as some have speculated. My hope is that the next generation of women have already caught on to Carter’s cues — aiming to emulate fearless, dignified, candid heroines that have their own stories to tell. While it may seem far-fetched, I truly believe some girls are simply opting for gender non-specific roles to headline the big screen in 2011.
And personally, I’d choose Fiona & Shrek over Beauty and The Beast any day of the week.
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