Directed by: Andy Tennant
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Anjelica Huston, Dougray Scott, Richard O'Brien, Patrick Godfrey
A modern (as in 16th century modern!) twist on the classic cinderella story in which Danielle de Barbarac is thrown at the mercy of her abusive stepmother Baroness de Gent (Angelica Huston) and stepsister Margerite (Megan Dodds). One day, while trying to save a servant, she catches the prince's eye, and falls in love only to know deep in her heart that the relationship can never be.
Revealing mistake: Just before Marguerite tastes the chocolate Henry gives her, in the shot of the group walking past a pen of geese, the modern, flat, white soled shoes (likely canvas sneakers) the sisters are wearing are visible as they walk. (00:51:00)
Danielle: I insist you return my things at once. And since you deprive me of my escort, I demand a horse as well.
Gypsy Leader: M'lady, you may have anything you can carry.
Danielle: [Quickly glances at Prince Henry.] May I have your word on that, sir?
Gypsy Leader: [Thinks about it.] On my honor as a Gypsy, whatever you can carry.
[Danielle walks to Prince Henry, lifts him over her shoulders and begins to walk off with him. All the gypsies laugh.]
Gypsy Leader: [Laughing.] Wait! Please, come back! I'll give you a horse!
Trivia: After Rodmilla and her daughters leave for the masque, during the next scene at the royal palace a large sculpture can be seen in the courtyard, especially in some closeups from different angles, such as when Gustave approaches Leonardo. This mythologically themed sculpture consists of a tailed figure riding upon one of two creatures holding their reins, with a ship behind them. This sculpture can be seen during the very first scene, albeit with a few changes. When Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm walk into the Grande Dame's chamber she is sitting up in an unusual type of bed. Note the bed's "headboard" and "footboard" are the ship hull (in the fullscreen version the bed's side is visible with its distinctive design), and we also see the creatures (minus their horns) with the rider's arm holding their reins at the foot of the bed. Something else to notice near the end, when Leonardo gifts the young couple the belated wedding present the room they're all in is not in the royal palace, they are in the manor, gathered in the dining room where Marguerite had burned Danielle's book Utopia.
Question: In the opening of the movie, the Grimm brothers meet the elderly queen in her castle. Several people in the castle are crying and dressed in black. She herself is wearing a black veil, as though she is in mourning. Why? Who was supposed to have died? These things are never addressed in the script.
Answer: She's listed as Grande Dame in the credits and is addressed as "Your Majesty" by her servant and by Jacob Grimm. Many believe the Grande Dame may be the fictionalized version of the real Marie Therese of France, a descendant of Henry II. It's in the last scene, when the carriage is leaving with the Grimm brothers, that we see in the overhead shot the Grande Dame's chateau is the very same royal palace where Prince Henry had resided. During the first scene, as Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm enter the Grande Dame's chamber, when the camera pans slowly from right to left we see a man (behind the candles) who has been leaning over the Grande Dame at her right side, then a servant leans over at her left side announcing, "The Brothers Grimm," and just as she greets the brothers the two women dressed in black are standing nearby, one of whom is weepy. At the start of the next shot we see a man exiting in the background, and he may be the same man who had been leaning over the Grande Dame in the previous shot, so perhaps he is her doctor. After they've had tea, offscreen, we see the Grande Dame is sitting up in bed, and there are apothecary bottles on the bedside table. She herself is not dressed in black, she's wearing white/grey ruffled lace, with only one piece of black lace over her white lace cap. I don't get the impression she's in mourning; it seems reasonable to infer that the Grande Dame is ill. This is strong motivation for her to have written to the Brothers Grimm. Her desire to tell the truth of her great-great Grandparents' romance and life, so she could set the record straight about her great-great grandmother, before she herself is gone.
Super Grover ★