Into the Woods

This week I watched Into the Woods for the first time. I had started watching it previously while in high school, but I couldn’t get into it. In my last year of competing in the Music Festival, I performed “I Know Things Now” from Into the Woods in the musical theatre category and was recommended to compete in provincials! When I had previously tried to watch the film, I watched until the “I Know Things Now” song, which is only about a quarter of the way through. This song was by far one of my most favourites to perform, and it lives on my playlist now, and I still sing along to it frequently. Here is a picture of me in my cape that my mom and I made for my performance! 

Now let’s get to it! One of the first things I noticed was the pacing between the first and second acts did not flow very well. The first act is so fast that everything almost seems to blur together, and characters seem to not develop beyond a one-dimensional type. With only being on-screen briefly, they do not have a chance to develop. When the second act starts, it is confusing to see the difference in how time passes. The first act takes place over three days and nights, then between acts, there is an undistinguished amount of time, and the last act takes place in one day. The pacing makes the second half almost seem to drag, especially with plotlines that seem unnecessary. 

Next, I would like to talk about the plotlines and messages of the musical. I understand that the message is what you wish for is not always what it seems to be. The musical also takes a weird direction in the message, though, where for a brief moment, Little Red talks about how the Lady Giant is a person too, and maybe they should talk it through. It seems like there will be a message about how conflict does not need to end in violence, but then they murder the Giant anyway? The second act left me with many questions and many moments of “why.” Why was a very brief and pointless romantic moment between the Baker’s wife and the prince necessary? I understand that moment of infidelity is crucial because it lets Cinderella know that this life she wished for is not all it seems, but why did the Baker’s wife have to get involved? He could have had that moment with anyone else. It also seemed very out of character for the Baker’s wife, who had shown so much devotion for her family. Rapunzel’s storyline in the second act also seemed pointless, as it added nothing to the overall story. There were unexplored threads with Rapunzel that could have been explored, such as her being the Baker’s long-lost sister, yet this was ignored. In my opinion, the second act was poorly executed, and it led to a break in unity in the musical. 

Now let’s get to the acting! As always, Meryl Streep was phenomenal in her singing and portrayal of the witch. Emily Blunt as the Baker’s wife, was also incredible in both her singing and her acting. Lilla Crawford also showed fantastic singing and acting chops as Little Red and Johnny Depp as the Wolf gave a memorable performance. My favourite character was Anna Kendrick as Cinderella, although I am biased because I love the Pitch Perfect movies. I think Anna Kendrick did a phenomenal job portraying Cinderella, and it was not a repeat of her character in other films. She took on a shy, unsure physicality to match her character’s state of mind. Anna Kendrick knows how to perform, and this musical was no exception. Finally, the bane of my existence is James Cordon, who is partially why I put off watching this movie. He did a fine job, but he is not memorable for me. I wish the Baker’s wife would have survived over the Baker, just because of my love for Emily Blunt in this performance. 

Ah, the music. Stephan Sondheim is a favourite of mine because he is a genius. All of the songs in this production were amazing, and they linked together so well. Having main themes for characters repeat, such as in “A Very Nice Prince” and “On the Steps of the Palace,” brings unity to the performance. The lyrical genius in “On the Steps of the Palace” is also phenomenal. The use of rhyme and alliteration creates the feeling of a racing mind that Cinderella is encountering. In “I Know Thing Now,” Little Red describes her experience, and the key change is a fantastic way of showing the difference in emotions and the fear instilled in Little Red. The speed of the words seems to increase during the song as well, showing the sense of panic Little Red has. At the end of the song, the key and tempo go back to how it was initially, showing she is now safe and things are back to how they should be. 

Finally, I would like to address the spectacle in the film, which, compared to other musicals adapted for cinema, lacks lustre. There were no big dance numbers such as those seen in In the Heights or Mamma Mia! This takes away from the big musical feel, and it almost seems that this is just a regular movie but with singing. There is little dancing throughout the film, as nearly no scenes come to mind that features a dance number. One scene that does portray spectacle well to me is “On the Steps of the Palace.” This scene features a stop in time as Cinderella decides what to do. The slow-motion of the fire and sparks around Cinderella creates an intriguing frame around her. Prince Charming can be seen frozen in the background reminding audiences of the time constraints of Cinderella’s decision. I feel this scene was overall very well executed. 

I wonder what this production looked like on Broadway. Did it feature large dance numbers? Or dance numbers at all? Did the second act make more sense? 

If you have made it this far, you deserve a treat! Check out one of my favourite numbers from Into the Woods!