If you’re an American with no frame of reference going into Tale of Tales cold, you better be a movie viewer that is comfortable with just going with the flow otherwise I could see a more logical, conventional viewer getting frustrated. How are there three different kingdoms in such close proximity, and are they supposed to represent real countries? One king is British. One king is French. Another king is American. Does it matter? The ogre just looks like a big guy. All the cues that you think are sending you down one path are actually going down another. Hearing that a movie is based on fairy tales is one thing, but when those fairy tales are unfamiliar and literally foreign, it could take awhile to find your footing and glean a deeper meaning from the three interlocking tales depicted in the film.
The good news is that Tale of Tales has no subtitles, is in English and is a feast for the eyes. The bad news is that it is really an Italian film with an international cast so if you’re not familiar with European films, the mixture of ornate realism and creaky fantastical creatures may be too much of a strain on your suspension of disbelief. If you think that these elements won’t be a problem, then go for it. I could see some viewers finding the casual cruelty gruesome, but real fairy tales were often brutal affairs so stick to Disney if you’re looking for something tamer or suitable for the kiddies. If you were a Game of Thrones fan, then some moments may feel torn from the series, but these tales predated even Grimm’s fairy tales so George R.R. Martin needs to watch his back.
Tale of Tales is an adaptation of Giambattista Basile’s three fairytales from Pentamerone or Lo cunto de li cunti, Tale of Tales or Entertainment for Little Ones: The Enchanted Doe, The Flea and The Flayed Old Lady. The fairytales are thinly connected by a funeral and a coronation to establish that all the characters exist in the same world, but their interaction is limited. There is also a travelling show that ties the stories together, but through no fault of its own, I had The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus PTSD when I initially saw them though their appearance pays off by the end of the film, and may be the sole reason for the stories to unfold concurrently, otherwise each story could have easily been completely told before moving on to the next story like a real book of fairy tales, but I suppose this film did not want to mimic an anthology.
The three stories in Tale of Tales have common themes. Rulers are always cruel and not empathetic to their subjects. Rulers and monsters do not have as much power as they think that they do. Rulers cannot truly get what they want and do not bow to natural law, which will ultimately win. Appearances are usually deceptive. Children will inevitably leave their parents, and when parents don’t accept it, they ruin their relationship with their children and make their children’s lives more difficult. The haves must accept the inevitability of interaction with the have nots. There is no way to weed out those that you find undesirable because of class or age. Value those who accept you for who you are and treasure your existing relationships. Don’t try to force a relationship. Magic never truly solves anything. It just creates more problems. Just because your daddy is a sea monster, it doesn’t mean that you’re good at fighting.
I was more engrossed by The Flea, but initially I was just grossed out by it. Why would you keep a flea as a pet? Was it going to turn evil and kill everybody? A character that did not seem initially central to the story ends up being the most relatable and interesting. I also thought that the role of the ogre felt more human than monstrous. How many guys choose a woman that does not actually fit their life or is interested in him based on some elusive status? Even an ogre thinks that he deserves the best and is less concerned with reality. Considering how many men react to rejection in real life, the ogre’s actions seem sadly authentic instead of fantastical.
The Enchanted Doe was probably the most visually striking and sumptuous. Selma Hayek plays the queen desperate for a child, and she acted magnificently. Hayek was acting against type and is so cold and focused in Tale of Tales that it is almost worth it to watch the film for her performance even if nothing else about this film appeals to you. There are a handful of household names scattered throughout the film, John C. Reilly, Vincent Cassel, Toby Jones and Shirley Henderson, but Hayek felt completely transformed without the aid of a dramatic change in physical appearance. Side note: I wondered if the underwater sequence was shot using the same technique used in Cold Skin. If you know, tell me.
The Flayed Old Lady was so messed up and disturbing on numerous levels, but I judge myself for wanting to know which sister was actually singing even though it kind of doesn’t matter. Why would you want someone who doesn’t want you, especially considering the potential mortal consequences? Rape by deception is still rape even if the victim is also rapey. The weird thing is that they both get what they want while there is no meeting of the minds. Without deception, they can’t be happy. They are horrible people then we have this pitiful, naïve, meek person who is desperate to belong and takes horrific measures. It is like The Gift of the Magi if it was a horror story populated by mostly ruthlessly selfish characters.
I enjoyed Tale of Tales, but it did take me awhile to get in sync with the movie even though I brought no conscious assumptions about the content of the film. I have no idea how I heard of it then landed in my queue. If you like strange tales and opulent imagery, or if you love Selma Hayek, definitely give it a chance, but the imagery is disturbing, and the situations are surreal so consider yourself warned. I didn’t like it enough to become curious about the director’s other films, but it definitely transported me to a place outside of my quotidian existence so I would say that the movie was a success though perhaps not an entirely palatable one.