A new trailer for Disney’s upcoming fantasy film, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, just rolled out, and boy, does it look … odd. But in a good way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M76mBY1mIs
I admit, I’m looking forward to this one. I’m not sure if Disney’s Nutcracker has much to do, plot-wise, at least, with Tchaikovsky’s ballet (or the E.T.A. Hoffman story that inspired him). The title’s “Four Realms” addendum suggests that maybe the Mouse House is toying with creating a holiday franchise out of this thing, and the trailer hints that the film may go off-book in a hurry. Tchaikovsky’s music is a point of emphasis, though–a score that, according to Salon.com’s Ellen O’Connell, “maintains the rare distinction of being classical Christmas music that has nothing to do with Christianity.”
But The Nutcracker story isn’t wholly divorced from spirituality. In Germany, Nutcrackers themselves were more than utilitarian tools to crack nuts back in the day. They were good luck charms and served, it seems, almost like domestic gargoyles. “A fierce protector, the nutcracker bares its teeth to the evil spirits and serves as the traditional messenger of good luck and good will,” according to www.magicofnutcrackers.com. Some find spiritual meaning in the ballet, too, with the Nutcracker serving as a Christ-like figure doing battle against the forces of darkness. And a few dance companies have given the ballet a more explicitly Christian twist.
What will Disney do with this age-old tale? We’ll all know soon. But bad or good, it looks like it’ll be, at the very least, interesting.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In