Spoiler warning.
The 1989 Disney film, the Little Mermaid, was both a critical and financial success, ushering what is now called the Disney Renaissance, and thus heralded the start of hit after hit. But, one common criticism levelled against the film was that it wasn't as faithful to the original Hans Christian Anderson book as it could have been.
By this, most people tend to refer not to the songs or the original characters, but to the film's ending. In the book, the mermaid in question, who I don't think is ever named, does not receive a happy ending like the film version. Rather, the prince she loved married another, and the mermaid's only option to change back into her original mermaid form is to kill him. Instead, she chooses to end her own life, throwing herself into the sea.
An admittedly sober ending, I know, but nevertheless, many fans of the book have accused Disney of betraying the spirit of the novel by making the ending of their film adaptation a happy one. In that, the mermaid, Ariel, is NOT given that dark choice, but rather gets her prince after the traditional Disney showdown against the villain.
As much as I adore the Disney film, I do acknowledge that the book's fans have a point. The original story WAS far more serious and, as morbid as this may sound, I'd actually be interested in seeing Disney trying to use that original sadder ending rather than the one they eventually gave us.
But what about all of you? Would you want Disney to have made their Mermaid film more faithful? Do you think it might have been better as a result? Or are you perhaps just fine with what they did with the film already?
The 1989 Disney film, the Little Mermaid, was both a critical and financial success, ushering what is now called the Disney Renaissance, and thus heralded the start of hit after hit. But, one common criticism levelled against the film was that it wasn't as faithful to the original Hans Christian Anderson book as it could have been.
By this, most people tend to refer not to the songs or the original characters, but to the film's ending. In the book, the mermaid in question, who I don't think is ever named, does not receive a happy ending like the film version. Rather, the prince she loved married another, and the mermaid's only option to change back into her original mermaid form is to kill him. Instead, she chooses to end her own life, throwing herself into the sea.
An admittedly sober ending, I know, but nevertheless, many fans of the book have accused Disney of betraying the spirit of the novel by making the ending of their film adaptation a happy one. In that, the mermaid, Ariel, is NOT given that dark choice, but rather gets her prince after the traditional Disney showdown against the villain.
As much as I adore the Disney film, I do acknowledge that the book's fans have a point. The original story WAS far more serious and, as morbid as this may sound, I'd actually be interested in seeing Disney trying to use that original sadder ending rather than the one they eventually gave us.
But what about all of you? Would you want Disney to have made their Mermaid film more faithful? Do you think it might have been better as a result? Or are you perhaps just fine with what they did with the film already?