An eternal return of the same? : have gender depictions changed in Disney's 2015 Cinderella live remake?

Abstract

Disney's Princess fairy tale films have retained their popularity in contemporary popular culture. However, criticisms continue to be made about the films' propensity to propagate and reinforce patriarchal ideologies. In consideration of these criticisms, this study uses the concept of cultural memory to facilitate a reconsideration of gender in Disney's 2015 Cinderella live remake. Viewing the film as a medium of cultural memory, this study argues that while certain 'outdated' gender depictions from the 1950 film have been remembered in the live remake in order to culturally connect both Cinderella films, there is also evidence of a heavy remediation of other gender depictions that contests these outdated ideologies and instead reflect contemporary views of gender. Thus, while the live remake culturally connects to the 1950s film through its remembrance of key depictions of gender, it also engages with contemporary views of gender.

Date of Award	2018
Original language	English