Gretel and Hansel (3 Stars)

I'm slowly getting back into the rhythm of cinema visits again. So far I'm still letting my film group lie fallow, because I don't think it's appropriate for people to sit in groups. Today I just went with my son Benjamin. Even though the film's in its first week and was shown at the German cinema prime time (shortly after 8 pm), it wasn't well visited. Apart from Benjamin and me there were only six people sitting in the large room. I'm worried about the continued existence of cinema. Will things ever again be the way they used to be, even after the Coronavirus has been defeated?

The film is a retelling of the Grimm's fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel", with the names reversed to emphasise that the story is primarily about Gretel. In the original fairy tale they're 12-year-old twins. In this version Gretel is older than her brother. The ages aren't stated in the film, but the director claims that his intention was for Gretel to be 16 and Hansel to be 8. That looks about right, although the actress Sophia Lillis actually looks slightly younger than 16, despite that being her actual age at the time of filming.

The two children are abandoned by their mother, who's unable to keep them after the death of their father. They find a house in the woods and are tempted in by promises of good food. The house's only inhabitant is a seemingly friendly old lady, who is in actual fact an evil witch. In the fairy tale Hansel is fattened up, because the witch wants to eat him, while Gretel is forced to do the housework as a slave. In the film Gretel stays voluntarily. The witch recognises that Gretel has the natural aptitude to become a witch in her own right, so Gretel stays at her side to learn witchcraft, blind to the dangers that await her brother.

It's a good film that will appeal to many people, but I have to fault it in some minor points. The film takes place mostly at night, so it's dark throughout. I don't like underlit films. They should be bright enough to clearly show everything that happens. Another problem is Sophia Lillis as Gretel. Her acting is impressive, but visually she doesn't fit the role. The film takes place some time in the past, in the 18th Century or even earlier. Why does Gretel have short hair? As far as I know, in past centuries long hair was the norm for women of all ages, and it was considered degrading for a young women to have her hair cut short. Maybe that's the intention, but if so the film should have explained the reason for her short hair.

I have mixed feelings about the film's slow pacing. When the film started it was appropriate to build up suspense, but even in the later scenes the pacing was still slow. I would have preferred more excitement in the last half hour.

I don't expect that I'll watch "Gretel and Hansel" again, but in my crazy life anything is possible.