03 March 2011

red

riding
hood
beware of  wolves in sheep's clothing, red capes and grandmother's lingerie.
wolves- & people are not always what they first appear to be.



"Once upon a time there was a dear little girl who was loved by everyone who looked at her, 
but most of all by her grandmother, and there was nothing that she would not have given to the child."




"Once she gave her a little riding hood of red velvet, 
which suited her so well that she would never wear anything else; 
so she was always called Little Red Riding Hood."





"The grandmother lived out in the wood, half a league from the village,"






& just as Little Red Riding Hood entered the wood, a wolf met her.
Red Riding Hood did not know what a wicked creature he was, and was not at all afraid of him."





'What a tender young creature!
what a nice plump mouthful -






 she will be better to eat than the old woman. 
I must act craftily, so as to catch both.' 







'See, Little Red Riding Hood, how pretty the flowers are about here -
why do you not look round? 
I believe, too, that you do not hear how sweetly the little birds are singing; 
you walk gravely along as if you were going to school, 
while everything else out here in the wood is merry.'





'Suppose I take grandmother a fresh nosegay; that would please her too.
It is so early in the day that I shall still get there in good time.'






"Meanwhile 
the wolf ran straight to the grandmother's house and knocked at the door.
The wolf lifted the latch, the door sprang open,




and without saying a word he went straight to the grandmother's bed, 
and devoured her. 
Then he put on her clothes, 
dressed himself in her cap,
laid himself in bed and drew the curtains."







"Red Riding Hood-then, 
remembering her grandmother, and set out on the way to her."




 'Good morning,' but received no answer;
so she went to the bed and drew back the curtains. 
There lay her grandmother with her cap pulled far over her face,
and looking very strange. 



 


  'Oh! grandmother,'
'what big ears you have!'
     'All the better to hear you with, my child,'
     'But, grandmother, what big eyes you have!'
     'All the better to see you with, my dear.'
     'But, grandmother, what large hands you have!'
     'All the better to hug you with.'
     'Oh! but, grandmother, what a terrible big mouth you have!'
     'All the better to eat you with!'





 "And scarcely had the wolf said this, 
than with one bound he was out of bed and swallowed up Red Riding Hood.
     When the wolf had appeased his appetite, 

 he fell asleep and began to snore very loud."



   

"The huntsman was just passing the house, and thought 'How the old woman is snoring! 
I must just see if she wants anything.' 
  So he went into the room, and when he came to the bed, 
he saw that the wolf was lying in it."   
'Do I find you here, you old sinner!' said he. 
'I have long sought you!'




 "But just as he was going to fire at him,
it occurred to him that the wolf might have devoured the grandmother----"




 we abruptly interrupt our GRIMM story here-
suffice it to say- 
this is not your ordinary grandmother





or Red-
for that matter.






 this tale opens in theatres March 11-
the writer did not receive any compensation or make a cameo appearance in this movie.

movie images-warner brothers, all other works by odilon redon-or lucas cranach or medieval woodcuts


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9 comments:

  1. I can't wait to see this!

    Great post!

    http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/349580.The_Wolf_s_Story

    ReplyDelete
  2. Not sure this is for me I'm afraid - looks like there are some beautiful vignettes but I'm afraid I'm too much of a scaredey cat for these types of films. Your amazing Grimm inspired images were quite enough for me!!

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  3. WOW, that was fun. The magical Ms. Christie is the granny!
    I tried to tell you how much I loved Billy Liar, watching multiple times before your Cilla Black post, (which seemed especially interesting and relevant after my weekend of 1963 Northern England immersion) But the comment seemed to disappear.
    Have you seen Bluebeard? That's been haunting me for awhile.

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  4. While we wait for Red, here's a scary tale
    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1355623/ you might like.

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  5. Gayle, this is brilliant!! Love your choices of artwork to illustrate the story (I dare say Redon is scarier than anything the movie will come up with.) Anything with Gary Oldman in it has my butt already wiggling in anticipation--of being in the theater seat!

    Naughty Diane

    PS one of my favorite versions of LRRH is from the 90's TV series Northern Exposure. Maggie has a dream about being her. Do you recall it?

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  6. I always enjoy your brand of storytelling. You raise the bar for the rest of us, Gaye!

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  7. "Never trust a man who eyebrows meet in the middle, for he is hairy on the inside" from The Company of Wolves, 1984

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  8. It is always a surprise when I open your blog, always intriguing stories and images, sometimes so romantic, sometimes so scaaaary.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh, what fun! Over the hills and through the woods, to grandmother's house I go . . .

    ReplyDelete

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