Beyond the Cinderella Complex?: Transforming Gender Representations in Disney’s Animation and Live-Action Films

Abstract

The Walt Disney Company has produced both animation films and live-action adaptations of classic fairytales which reflect transforming gender representations. The purpose of this article is to conduct a comparative analysis on the changing gender representations in Disney’s Cinderella (1950) series as well as its live-action adaptation. In the light of feminism, the 1950 animation film is to be critically re-examined by comparing with the Brothers Grimm fairytale and paying attention to the binary gender roles of Cinderella and the prince. While pointing to the gender stereotypes in the 1950 animation film, this article argues that there are feminist elements in the 1950 animation film. It also examines the influence of feminism in the other two animation films by Walt Disney, Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (2002) and Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007). Finally, this research investigates the live-action adaptation, Cinderella (2015), created by Walt Disney in the light of feminist philosophy that has been influential and ubiquitous in the changing media culture in the world.