Legend of Love

Approximately 500 versions of the Cinderella story are in circulation, making

it one of the most famous tales in the world.   The plot in this timeless

classic has been used as a model for writers for countless generations.  

Whether in print or on film, Cinderella is an inspirational story.   It allows

young girls to fantasize being swept off their feet by a sweet, handsome

prince, marry and "live happily ever after." For over hundreds of years the

story has been refined and reworked, whether as the French "Cendrillon" or as

the Brothers Grimm's "Cinderella." Though each tale is revised in different

ways, the plot remains a common ground between them.   The most recent version

is, Ever After: A Cinderella Story, a film by Andy Tennant.   This version has

a realistic element, which is told to "set the record straight."   Like many

great love stories before, Ever After: A Cinderella Story, has plenty of

conflict between good and evil, right and wrong, and the charming versus the

wicked.   These conflicts are portrayed through the correlation between each

character, and the relationship between the protagonists and the antagonists.

The Protagonists

Grand Dame

Grand Dame is the narrator who is setting the record straight.   She is also

the

Great-Great-Granddaughter of Danielle/Cinderella. While the Brothers Grimm

has their version of the Cinderella story, the Grand Dame knows the truth.  

She summons the



Brothers Grimm and explains her family's history as she knows it.   As the

narrator, her character is a mediator, stepping in when the conflict is

elevated.

Danielle

When she was eight, Danielle's father unexpectedly died. Left with her new

stepmother, Rodmilla, Danielle is forced to be a servant to the household.

Her strongest link to her father is the book, Utopia that he gave her the

night before he died. An intriguing mix of tomboyish athleticism and physical

beauty, she has enough charm to capture the heart of a... [continues]

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