Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood and the Werewolf
When Charles Perrault wrote the tale of Little Red Riding Hood at the end of the 17th century, he could not have imagined that his terrifying and moralistic story would take on countless versions, some much milder, and would come to us in a new guise, as shown in the movie “Red Riding Hood” (USA, 2011).
The concept of Little Red Riding Hood had already passed through cinemas both in the hermetic vision of Neil Jordan, in “The Company of Wolves” (UK, 1984), and in the amusing animation “Hoodwinked!” (USA/CAN, 2005), both fleeing both the traditional Perrault version and the softened versions of Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. There are 114 references in the movie on IMDB about this famous character.
“Red Riding Hood”, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, loosely kept the main elements of the fairy tale and added a supernatural tone to the story, boosting the wolf in the figure of the werewolf.
In a village in the forest, probably somewhere in Europe, a community lives in its own little universe, totally isolated from the rest of the world. That’s where Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) lives, a cheerful and adventurous young woman who loved to defy the rules of her conservative society.
Since childhood Valerie loves Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), which had always been his playmate. But, Valerie’s joy is shattered when she discovers that her parents have arranged her marriage to Henry (Max Irons), the blacksmith’s son, whose family holds the highest social status within the village.
If these news were bad enough, the situation gets even worse when the girl discovers that her older sister was murdered by Wolf, a monstrous being who always hangs around the village at the time of the full moon, and whose anger was always appeased with the offer of animals of the villagers.
At the request of the local priest, the village receives the powerful religious Solomon (Gary Oldman), who had become a hunter of werewolves after his wife was killed by one of them. Solomon reveals that the monster is not an ordinary wolf, but a human, a neighbor or relative, who changes during the full moon.
Solomon’s methods are typical of the Inquisition, with armed soldiers breaking into homes and looking for any signs of malignity and witchcraft – that is, anything out of the ordinary.
The monster invades the village, confronting the soldiers and spreading panic among the inhabitants, who take refuge in the church, the only place the werewolf cannot enter. When the werewolf finds Valerie, he insists that she leave the village and flee. The problem is that only she understands what he says.
This simple fact turns Valerie into a suspicion of witchcraft, and the young woman is arrested and judged, condemned by all for the guilt of having lured the monster to the village.
In the meantime, the two young men vying for Valerie’s love decide to team up to save her. Henry will use his skills as a blacksmith to open the locks, and Peter will lead her safely out of the village.
But, things get complicated and Valerie’s life is as much threatened by the werewolf as by Solomon and his men. Will she be able to prove her innocence and save her life?
The traditional fairy tale story was adapted for current times, keeping the main elements of the original fable, but assembled with a dynamic format, which oscillates between the suspense film and the mystery of the detective genre that refers to the Hitchcockian world.
Another aspect also associated with the character, sensuality, is also present in the film, although there is nothing that could offend any more conservative viewer.
The cast, mostly young, does not compromise the development of the film, and two great mature actors occupy the supporting roles, Gary Oldman, as the fanatical inquisitor, and Julie Christie, as the mysterious grandmother.
Amanda Seyfried brilliantly lives the central character, lending the necessary sensuality, while providing the viewer with the point of view of someone living through the crisis and trying to figure out what is going on.
Most of the movie was filmed in Canada, where the beautiful winter images are highlighted with great cinematography. The scene of Valerie walking in the snow in her huge red cloak is memorable. The soundtrack is also noteworthy, enriching the impact scenes.
“Red Riding Hood” achieved the remarkable feat of uniting a well-known children’s tale and supernatural monsters in a dynamic montage, much to the taste of today’s audiences, turning it into a good product of contemporary cinema. The film is available on the HBO MAX platform.
And, a reminder: only exit the movie at the end of the credits, as there is still one last surprise scene.