I'm was thinking in the original movie the grand duke was the good guy and was happy that the Cinderella was the princess but in this version the grand duke want the prince to marry another princess why with the change of him?
shareMaybe it was Duke Zaral's popularity in that "Cinderella Monogatari" anime.
shareI think it was part of addressing the story within the context of politics of the period. Royals weren't (and largely still aren't) considered proper matches with 'common folk'. It makes a lot of sense that a high ranking member of the royal bureaucracy would try to hook the Prince up with another Royal rather than a girl of unknown origin.
I find Oscar Bait infinitely more interesting than ticket bait
The thing that bugs me about the modern Disney Princess™ is that they get to have their cake & eat it too. She's a modern, sassy, no-nonsense gal who doesn't need nobody's permission...yet still enjoys all the benefits of her royal class. Brave was awful this way.
This movie actually acknowledged the royal obligation. Mostly the prince's. Ella shares that when she ascends to the royal family. I really liked the scene where step-mom tries to extract a few favors from Ella & she rebuffs out of a sense of patriotism.
Anyway, someone has to represent that obligation. The original movie didn't need this because audiences already understood it.
I would have hated it if they were doing a shot for shot of the cartoon. I hate when they keep certain characters the same but then change other's to fit whatever modern nonsense they have to push. You see this more in Beauty and the Beast. However, This movie, though making references to the cartoon isn't an exact replica of the original and give it a different story. so this Grand Duke is NOT the same Grand Duke in the original and I actually loved the addition of the political restrictions here. When the prince finally makes his 'we need not look outside our borders for security' lines, it's so well earned for me. and the addition gives a little more natural conflict that doesn't detract from the overall Cinderella story (like I have seen in other adaptations).
shareWhat modern nonsense did you see in the live action Beauty and the Beast? Seemed fine to me and Gaston in that movie was even more vicious than on the cartoon.
shareReally, it was done to make it different from the 1950 film, which is fine by me. It lets the movie stand more on its own.
share