Cinderella is the story of a young girl who, after the death of her father, is left under the instruction of her evil stepmother. She is forced to work as a maid for the house, doing chores all day with only two mice to keep her company. When the Prince of the kingdom throws a ball and Cinderella’s stepmother tells her she can’t go, she sneaks in with help of her fairy godmother. Cinderella’s fairy godmother transforms her ruined dress into a beautiful blue ballgown completed with glass slippers; however, she will return to her original self at midnight. Once at the ball, she immediately grasps the attention of the Prince and spends the entirety of the night with him until it’s midnight and she is forced to leave without even a mention of her name. She accidentally leaves her glass slipper behind, the only way the Prince has a chance of ever finding her. He searches the entire kingdom for the mystery girl he met at the ball until finally the shoe fits and Cinderella and the Prince are reunited, despite the constant interference from her step mother and step sisters.

The film was released on February 15, 1950, shortly after the end of the second world war. Disney at the time was in financial turmoil due to the loss of their European audience during WWII. If Cinderella didn’t experience as much popularity and praise as it did, Disney would have likely gone out of business. The film was, in sorts, a rejection of the previous war and instead an encouragement of a return to luxury. Cinderella among other female characters in the film is shown wearing ballgowns in contrast to the working women during the WWII era that often wore coveralls and mannish uniforms. Her transformation before the ball when her fairy godmother strips her of her rags represents moving on from the war and leaving the war in the past. At the end of the film when Cinderella and Prince Charming marry and are shown standing on a balcony, it is a direct reflection on the recent royal wedding that took place between Princess Elizabeth and officer Philip Mountbatten in 1947. The prince is wearing a military uniform in the scene, giving a nod to veterans and the war. The film, overall, was very representative of the time following WWII, depicting a transformation that many Americans were yearning for to separate themselves from the previous era plagued by hardship.

Today, Cinderella is still a universal favorite among young kids. Although the film does send the questionable message regarding marriage as a cure to evil and the solution to Cinderella’s oppression, the movie also teaches its audience the importance of positivity and dreams. Cinderella is “saved” by the Prince when he offers her a place in his castle as his wife and an escape from her abusive family. It’s a very powerful scene in the film where Cinderella finally is offered what she deserves and her stepmother is punished for the years of mistreatment she committed against Cinderella; however, this also suggests that Cinderella was incapable of making a life for herself without the support of a man. Despite the fact the Cinderella never took direct action for herself, she still remained positive through all of the mistreatment and never once complained, sending the message that good things will come eventually if you stay hopeful. The song at the beginning of the film states “No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.” Regardless of what is happening in the present, the future will bring brighter days and if you continue to believe, your dreams will eventually become reality.

After a rough patch of years in the world, Disney released Cinderella in hopes to remind his audience of the luxury and leisure they enjoyed prior. It reflects back on the history of the time period while also encouraging viewers to look forward into the future. Although released over half a century ago, the lessons of Cinderella are timeless.

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/03/cinderella-the-ultimate-postwar-makeover-story/387229/