“Not
So Cruella, Definitely not De Vil”
Emma Stone as quasi-Cruella
A Review of Cruella by Nick Olszyk
Distribution Service: Disney+
MPAA Rating, PG-13
CNS Rating, A-III
Reel Rating, Two Reels
In the fantastic parody musical Twisted, each Disney villain is
given the opportunity to justify his evil. One by one they sing:
Ursula: “I only wish
to reclaim what was mine!”
Scar: “I only wished to
improve relations between the races!”
Gaston: “I only wished
to save her!”
Hook: “I only wished
to teach the boy responsibility!”
Suddenly, Cruella De Vil bursts onto the stage and belts, “I only
wanted to make a coat out of puppies!” The others turn and scowl in disgust. “Why
would you want to do that?” Jafar grimaces. It is the perfect description of
the character the American Film Institute once rated the
39th greatest villain in film history. Cruella, Disney’s latest live action redemption of a classic baddie, completely
ruins this vision. Director Craig Gillespie’s un-iconic interpretation
certainly isn’t “the Devil,” and it’s barely even cruel.
Like every young girl in movies these days,
Cruella (Emma Stone) was “a little different.” Even at ten, she proudly sported
monochromatic hair, creates fabulous outfits, and punched male bullies at
recess. When her mother is murdered before her eyes, she runs away and joins a
set of thieves, Horace and Jasper (Joel Fry and Paul Hauser), determined to
make something of herself by any means (usually illegal) necessary. She eventually
lands a job designing clothes for the Baroness (Emma Thompson), a cartoonish
version of Miranda
Priestly complete with her own discount Stanly Tucci. At first, things are
looking up as her boss expresses an unusual lack of contempt for the young
artist’s gowns. Yet things quickly go south with a tale of betrayal, one-upmanship,
murder, and worse that would make even Eve Harrington blush.
It must be said that the
always brilliant Emma Stone gives everything she has to this performance, but
it was handicapped from the beginning. Cruella does things that are mean and
selfish but never cruel and even has a redemptive arc despite not starting out
all that bad. Her most important trait was hatred of dogs and desire to turn
them into garments. Yet Stone’s Cruella loves dogs, even dogs who do not like
her. In fact, her own yellow terrier Buddy (Bobby) plays a key role in her schemes.
Instead, the filmmakers have chosen to
emphasize Cruella’s affinity for fashion, which is not unique. It could have
been any skill taken to extremes like drumming in Whiplash or figure skating
in the Harding-Kerrigan feud. Despite the insistence of her younger self, she
isn’t “special.”
This might be blasphemy
coming from a man who rarely wear anything but polo shirts and cargo shorts,
but the fashion isn’t great either. The sumptuous dresses the Baroness fonds
over are gaudy, pretentious, and impractical. The best designs are the simple
clothes Cruella wears around town like leather jackets and black skirts. These
outfits do a great job representing the punk aesthetic of London at time.
Sadly, she too gets caught up in the world of high fashion and is soon
designing fare even more sickening. Unfortunately, this film is a shoo-in for
the Oscar for Best Costume Design, which often goes for the “biggest” over the “best.”
Cruella represents yet another witness to the
disturbing trend where Disney, under the control of Bob Iger, tries to update one
of their former classics to 21st century progressive culture. In
2017, I wrote about this in my
review of their updated version of Beauty and the Beast:
“Now, Disney has
turned on their own center, going after the very ethics that made them so
memorable in the first place. They have no reason to be ashamed. It was their
heartfelt and brilliant depiction of Judeo-Christian morality that made Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty,
and The Little Mermaid into
masterpieces of cinema. Yet today, Disney shuns its own legacy.”
Cruella is a smart, confident, driven woman and cannot be evil. That’s
ancient, patriarchal thinking. Yet what remains when her villainy is taken away
is a dry, transparent story that is among the most average of Disney’s dependably
average live action updates.
There was a way to
make a compelling story about a younger Cruella. In the original novel by Dodie
Smith, Cruella is given a more fleshed out backstory. In the 20s and 30s, she
was a famous, fashionable socialite, married to rich older man and always on
the cover of the best gossip magazines. By the 1960s, she is old, widowed, and
forgotten. Her desire to create a dog coat is one last gasp to restore her
former glory. That would be a Cruella worth watching and joyfully hating.
Instead, the audience is given this. Disney hasn’t made a single good film
since John Lasseter left in 2018, and that’s no coincidence.
This article first appeared in Catholic World Report on June 5th, 2021.
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