Le Petit Poucet

Did you know that before Victorian moralists got to it, the wicked sisters in 'Cinderella' had their their toes and heels cut off in order to fit into the slipper?

Fairy Tales are supposed to be intense and often truly frightening, not just placating and cute. They once performed an important psychological role in helping children through difficult transitional issues. Is it just coincidence that since we have sanitised these children's stories, there is a massive demand for ADULT horror stories?

Forgive the preamble, but it seemed necessary to explain why the 2001 French production of 'Tom Thumb' is not an aberration, but more of a return to roots. In 'Tom Thumb', the Ogre is genuinely terrifying; there is real poverty, heartbreak, death and oh yeah, a fair bit of oedipal stuff, which is also totally traditional.

Don't be scared off, though. 'Tom Thumb' isn't THAT gruesome. I think such reactions merely stem from the fact that we're accustomed to fairy tales being Disneyfied to the point of absurdity.

'Tom Thumb' is colourful, atmospheric and gripping. There are moments of real desolation, excitement, fear and enchantment. Nearly all of the scenes are shot in studio sets using backlit backdrops, creating a sense of super-reality, saturated with wild colours. In fact, ironically, the use of colour in 'Tom Thumb' is very cartoonish. The Ogre's castle appears against a blood-red sky. At other times the sky is saturated with intense mixtures of colour which nuance the emotion of the scenes. It is often, quite simply, beautiful. At other times it is richly atmospheric and brooding.

I can't think of anything bad to say about 'Tom Thumb'. The French have a real knack of turning out children's films, and films about children, which are genuinely magical to an adult audience (check out 'The City of Lost Children', for instance).

A strong 8 out of 10, and bravo!

This is a 'children's film that I highly recommend. It is a dark film but mature children will understand it and yes, enjoy it as well. It is very well done at I can confidently compare it to films such as Ridley Scott's Legend (Le Petit is a better film) and the cinema of Tim Burton. It is a very well created dream/fairy land that is presented in the film with realistic touches though. The ogre scenes are pretty frightening and realistic. The actress who plays the ogre's wife was memorable and pretty in a dark way. She is an attractive woman and why she would want to marry an ogre is beside me (maybe she was forced into the situation). Anyway, If you are a fan of fantasy/Tim Burton cinema go out and rent/buy this film. It is not for all children (kind of on the level of Edward Scissorhands). I rented this film and I look forward to purchasing within the near future.

A totally silly movie that seems to have no idea what is its target audience. It's too violent for a kid's movie, and too stupid to be an adult one. Yes, the painted backdrops are fantastic, but that's about really all that this movie has going for it.

The ogre in his Hannibal Lector mask is an insult to viewers in this high-tech age. The little ogresses are hilarious, and I'm sure that that was unintentional.

I'm trying to watch as many "foreign" (non-Hollywood, I guess) films as I can these days, to try to get some variety of film-making styles. Many are good. This one was not.

This family is so poor that Tom's father (a very practical man) decides that his five sons should be taken into the forest and left there to be devoured by wolves. There's an ogre in the forest too that Tom fears, but Tom's father says "Be more afraid of a failed harvest, for then we have nothing to eat".

The ogre is a terrifying individual of gigantic proportions and huge teeth. His savage roar is so loud the earth seems to shudder. Although the brothers are chased by wolves, their flight from the ogre is far more terrifying. The most exciting part of the film takes us to a craggy mountain where the brothers stumble up among the sharp and slippery rocks attempting to escape from the ferocity of the ogre. As they slip and slide we fear that at any moment they will drop to their deaths from a mountain ledge.

Because Tom is small he often has to do the dirty work such as crawling through tiny apertures. Despite his small stature, Tom seems the bravest of the lot. And when he gets hold of the magical seven league boots, he literally takes flight.

The sets and lighting complement the telling of the fairy tale. There is a surreal feel about the whole presentation. Photographic images are super-imposed in rapid succession with the boys screaming and the ogre roaring. We cannot see the detail but we know full well that a terrible struggle is taking place.

I am not sure that young children should watch this film. When the ogre gives the brothers shelter for the night and orders his wife to cook them for breakfast, it is to say the least very unsettling. For grown-ups it is a stark reminder of our early days and explains perhaps why so many of us are afraid of the dark.

Recently bought this film on dvd blindly and the film turned out pretty good. It's a bit short but then again the story it is based on was a short one. Overall an entertaining film plenty of theater-like visual backgrounds, good sfx and even the acting of the kids is good. The kid who play Anakin Skywalker can learn from these french kid actors. Íf you like fantasy, check this one out!