The Big Bad Wolf
(Aka DER WOLF UND DIE SEIBEN JUNGEN GEISSLEIN)
With: Helmo Kindermann, Harriet Gessner, Jurgen von Alten, Gustav Maler
English-Language Version:
Plot Outline: In fairytale land lives Mother Goat and her seven little Kids. As winter approaches, the Goat family finds a nice big tree trunk to live in. The Kids go to school, and are informed by their teacher of their mortal enemy: the Big Bad Wolf! Sure enough, this ferocious beast soon attacks the Kids while Mother Goat is away. The clever Kids successfully fight off the Wolf's various attacks, but the insidious cur disguises himself as Mother Goat and gains entry to the Goat house.
***
This marvelous fairy tale curio is introduced by a black crow in a golden top hat. Paul Tripp then takes over narrating chores as usual. The U.S. version boasts another good score by the Deluggs, using the same children's chorus as in SNOW WHITE AND ROSE RED. The catchy, pop-quality songs include "Don't Be Afraid of Anything" and "Sweep the Floor".
What is most unusual about THE BIG BAD WOLF is that the majority of the
characters are people in animal costumes, which gives the film a surreal quality, coming very close to how a small child might depict a storybook brought to life. It's quite enchanting to see these bizarre quasi- theatrical creatures strutting through the Black Forest.
The common joke about "man in suit" movies is that they look so fake, how could anyone but a very small child believe it? But we do believe it, in some frames of mind, in some instances, and at some ages. The suspension of disbelief as a creature becomes a symbol for something greater than itself can be a powerful cinematic tool, if done correctly.
The kids are cute little critters, although their headpieces look a bit like ancient death-heads. The wolf is a fascinating costume, big and burly and dressed like a human, in a red-and-white topcoat and blue checkered pants.
When the kids go to school, the teacher's lesson is one of great evil: "The Big Bad Wolf is your deadliest enemy! He likes to eat little kids, and the younger the kid, the better!" What a frighteningly literal metaphor for every child's real-life mortal enemy, the sexual predator!
As the first twenty minutes contain nothing but folks in animal suits, the first appearance of a human, the Grocer, comes as somewhat of a shock. Later, the Wolf bothers the Baker for some flour at his mill, in another bizarre scene with expressionist overtones. (The sight of the Wolf being slowly covered with flour from a churning mill reminds one of the climax of Carl Dreyer's haunting VAMPYR.)
Much of the film involves the Wolf's repeated, somewhat half-baked attempts to gain access to his desired prey, and the Kids' largely successful attempts to outwit him. In one amusing bit, the Kids send the Wolf cascading down a mountain on a cart.
The diabolical Wolf finally gains entry to the Kids' house in a surely
apocalyptic moment. One thinks, "All is lost! Brute evil has won!" The kids run and hide, and the next thing we see is the Wolf, with a pot belly, digesting his dinner. We realize that (true to the original fairy tale) the Wolf has actually eaten the Kids! One even wonders if something was cut here, as the transition is so hasty.
Even more amazing; Mother Goat retrieves her progeny by slicing open the Wolf's belly, extracting her offspring, and stuffing the poor creatures' belly with rocks!
Gruesome!
Also in classic fairy tale tradition, the Wolf is then killed by being thrown down a well, and not sent off with a mere wrist-slap, as in virtually all PC fairy tales of the past twenty years. For as every schoolchild knows, Evil must be destroyed, not coddled, in order for Good to prosper. Thus, THE BIG BAD WOLF is primal fairy tale cinema.
On the U.S. Kiddie Matinee circuit, THE BIG BAD WOLF enjoyed a lengthy run as the co-feature with SNOW WHITE AND ROSE RED, another exemplary Childhood Productions Classic!
Video/DVD availability: VHS (Something Weird Video, oop), DVD (???)
Links of related interest:
The Big Bad Wolf!!!
The Big Bad Wolf gives the local baker a hard time.
The Big Bad Wolf chases the Goat family around their humble abode.
Mother Goat and her seven little kids return home.
The Big Bad Wolf freaks out the miller.
The seven little kids sleep, blissfully unaware of the threat that stands just outside their door!
(Many thanks to Marc Berezin and Brian at Trash Palace for uncovering these rare promotional materials!
(1957, West Germany) color 57/53 minutes
Schongerfilm GmbH
Story: Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm, Wilhelm Carl Grimm
Screenplay: Konrad Lustig
Original Music: Fred Sporer
Cinematography: Peter Puluj
Produced by: Herbert Schonger
Directed by: Peter Podehl
(1966) Childhood Productions 53 minutes (November release)
National Screen Service #66-276
Music: Milton and Anne DeLugg
Orchestrations: George Brackman
Musical Director: Lehman Engel
Narrated by Paul Tripp
the original tale
