Pro Krasnuyu Shapochku

A few years ago, I watched Turkish rip-offs of "The Exorcist" and "E.T.". During my semester in Moscow, I've seen Russian versions of famous stories. There was a Soviet version of "Mary Poppins" (no, really, there was). Now I've seen a Russian version of "Little Red Riding Hood". As far as I know, every European culture has a version of the story - sometimes spoofed in movies and cartoons - but "Pro Krasnuyu Shapochku" is about as wacky as they come. It basically portrays the wolf's family aiming to take revenge on Little Red for her actions. Little Red herself looks deranged throughout the whole movie. This is one cool flick! If absolutely nothing else, it should prove that Russia can make funny movies (and this was in Brezhnev's USSR). Definitely worth seeing.

That is - to my opinion - one of the best foreign TV movies for kids - of all times. In fact even adult viewers will find a lot to laugh about in to be amused it - while watching. It is anything but primitive. Plot is intricate, funny and fast paced. Actors are absolutely brilliant. Musical score is legendary! (makes me wonder actually - will they ever release a CD). The plot itself thickens from the very beginning when - the wolf clan hires an outside wolf-MERC - to track down and kill the Little Red Riding Hood (actually more of a Bonnet - in the Russian version) But there's no unity within the wolf clan. The little cub - has been studying human book. Secretly. And is not a primitive carnivore anymore. And the charismatic wolf-MERC - is so full of battleground wisdom. And his timid companion he's forced to take care of. And the betrayal of cowardly human "the hunter". Oh! The plot is VERY intricate. Definitely worthy title!

The storyline of the film picks up where the fairytale leaves off. The mother of the wolf slain in the classic story (her favourite offspring) in an attempt to get revenge on the Little Red, hires a professional wolf to kill her and, along the way, to set her other fat and silly un-wolf-like son on the right path. And so the "team" sets off on their perilous journey and, in an ironic twist, it is the wolves that the viewer comes to sympathise with as the film progresses. Having grown up with this film (and every kid that has grown up in Russia has), I guess it is difficult for me to judge it completely objectively. Suffice it to say that, in my opinion, this is a very thoughtful and wonderful film that has some brilliant actors and that I would recommend anyone to see. There are no special effects, no amazing imagery, yet for all that, the film is full of kindness, irony and humour and respect for universal values such as bravery, honesty and, yet again, kindness. The dialogue is witty and a lot of it has since become catchphrases in Russia. P.S. In response to the previous comment, Little Red is called "Red Hat" in the Russian version of Pierrot's fairy tale, hence the bonnet rather than a hood.