RED RIDING HOOD

US, 2011, 100 minutes. Colour.
Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons, Virginia Madsen, Lukas Haas, Julie Christie, Michael Shanks.
Directed by Catherine Hardwicke.

It is of little use for sophisticated adults to sniff and turn up their noses at this variation on the story of Little Red Riding Hood. It was not made or geared for them. This is a film with a niche market, the female audience who enjoy the Twilight series. It was directed by Catherine Hardwicke who made Twilight but who has specialised in telling stories about teenage girls, Lords of Dogtown and, especially, Thirteen. She also directed Keisha Castle Hughes as the young Virgin Mary in The Nativity Story.

Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) lives in an isolated mountain village in an era where religion and superstition governed life and attitudes and where werewolves could attack at the time of the blood moon. Valerie is something of a rebel and is in love with another rebel, Peter (Shiloh Fernandez, a woodcutter, whose cast of face and expressions suggest he would be more at home as a Mafia villain), but is to be betrothed to the nice and wealthy, Henry (Max Irons). She has a loving mother (Virginia Madsen) and a drinking father who is seen as something of a loser (Billy Burke). She also has a kind grandmother (Julie Christie) who gives her a red coat with a hood. In this village, everyone speaks with an American accent, including Julie Christie. The film is definitely American audience-friendly.

The adolescent romantic tangles have to take second place when a werewolf attacks and kills Valerie’s sister. While the villagers track a wolf and kill it and celebrate their victory, the local priest (Lukas Haas) has summoned Fr Solomon, a strange mixture of priest, exorcist and inquisitor. He is played by Gary Oldman, reprising something of his celebrated Dracula performance in Coppola’s film, middle European accent and all. The wolf appears, wreaks havoc – but communicates with Valerie who is accused of being a witch.

Of course, the unwary will suspect that the Inquisitor is the wolf. Not so, we soon find out. But it is someone in the village – and, to this reviewer’s embarrassment, among the many possible candidates that the film suggests (strange eyes, strange talk, suspicious behaviour...), he did not pick the villain, a case of diverted attention.

If you accept the premiss and know that this interpretation will be grimmer than Grimm, it is enjoyable in its own teenage Twilight way. The acting quality is mixed (the heroes seem rather unconvincing). Gary Oldman is veering towards over the top. And there is an acceptable bit of cheating in the plot that enables Red Riding Hood to say to Grandmother what big eyes, ears and teeth she has. Sophisticated audiences can forget it and children can rent Hoodwinked or Hoodwinked 2.

1. The variations on the Red Riding Hood theme?

2. The popularity of the fairy tale, fairy tales in general, oral traditions, folklore, the written versions? As told to children? For adults? Nightmare scenarios? Fables and their morals?

3. The target audience for the film, the tone geared to the targets, characters and issues, love and sexuality, power and violence, vengeance, the animal symbols, the wolf?

4. The European village – and the trappings of the Middle Ages? The mountains and woods, the village itself, the houses, the marketplace, workplaces, the distinctions between the classes, the church? Fairytale realism?

5. The werewolf legends, the full moon the blood moon, humans turning into wolves, the terrorising of the village, the years passing, the people and their fears, the alert, the posse to hunt down the wolf, the triumph, the supernatural werewolf menacing people, killing, reappearing? The special effects for the wolf? Valerie and the death of her sister? Talking to the wolf, Solomon and the confrontation, Solomon’s death?

6. The suspicions about the possible identity for the wolf, Solomon and his henchmen? Father Auguste and his concern about the wolf, the church, Father Solomon? Peter and Henry and their roles in the village, relationships with Valerie? The possibility that it was Grandmother? The overtones of the fairy tale?

7. The prologue, Valerie and Peter as youngsters, playing, Valerie and the touch of violence? Romantic? Sensual for children?

8. The teenage Valerie, her role in the village, her relationship with her sister, her sister’s death, the sister and the relationship with Henry? Valerie’s parents? Her strong mother, her alcoholic father working around the place? Peter, her love for him, his work, her planning to leave with him? Her being betrothed to Henry, unwilling? Her mother pushing the issue, Henry’s parents? The mother’s story about her relationship with Adrian, the birth of her daughter? Valerie and her bond with her grandmother? Life in the village, her girlfriends, her planning to go, the effect of her sister’s death, staying, suspicions?

9. The people in the village, the threat of the wolf, the death, the wolf hunt, going into the mountains, the caves, the threats, the death of Adrian, Peter and his fear?

10. Valerie’s mother, the truth, her husband knowing?

11. The character of the grandmother, nice, her house, her relationship with her son, daughter-in-law? Helping, Valerie’s visits? Grandmother telling the stories of the past? Audience suspicions about Grandmother? The authorities? Valerie’s dream – and the popular words of the story about big ears, big eyes?

12. The parish priest, calling in Father Solomon? Solomon and his arrival, his entourage, the children, his soldiers? His background, the elephant statue – for torture? Confronting the people of the village, the accusations? Their refusal to believe that there was a more dangerous wolf? The torture, the girl and her confession and claiming Valerie was a witch? Peter and his internment – and escape? Solomon and his interrogation of Valerie?

13. The wolf, talking to Valerie, the voice? Valerie as a witch? Her relying on Peter, on Henry? Their service to her? The escape?

14. Solomon, confronting the wolf, his death?

15. The village, the atmosphere, the fear?

16. Virginia, going to her grandmother, the dream, the appearance of her father, his explanation of the truth? His vengeance?

17. Henry, his freeing Valerie, his going away as a knight, his achievements?

18. Peter, his being bitten, turning into a werewolf, leaving, the rendezvous with Valerie in the mountains?

19. A fable for a 21st century audience – especially for the Twilight kind of audience?