Fairy Tale and Film

Introduction: Fairy Tale Films, Old Tales with a New Spin
1. In terms of terminology, ‘folk tales’ are the orally distributed narratives 
disseminated in ‘premodern’ times, and ‘fairy tales’ their literary equiva-
lent, which often utilise related themes, albeit frequently altered. The term 
‘ wonder tale’ was favoured by Vladimir Propp and used to encompass both 
forms. The general absence of any fairies has created something of a mis-
nomer yet ‘fairy tale’ is so commonly used it is unlikely to be replaced. An 
element of magic is often involved, although not guaranteed, particularly in 
many cinematic treatments, as we shall see.
2. Each show explores fairy tale features from a contemporary perspective. In 
Grimm
a modern-day detective attempts to solve crimes based on tales from 
the brothers Grimm (initially) while additionally exploring his mythical 
ancestry. 
Once Upon a Time
follows another detective (a female bounty hunter 
in this case) who takes up residence in Storybrooke, a town populated with 
fairy tale characters and ruled by an evil Queen called Regina. The heroine 
seeks to reclaim her son from Regina and break the curse that prevents resi-
dents realising who they truly are. 
Sleepy Hollow
pushes the detective prem-
ise to an absurd limit in resurrecting Ichabod Crane and having him work 
alongside a modern-day detective investigating cult activity in the area. (Its 
creators, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, made a name for themselves with 
Hercules
– which treats mythical figures with similar irreverence – and also 
worked on 
Lost
, which the series references). 
Beauty and the Beast
is based on 
another cult series (Ron Koslow’s 1980s CBS series of the same name) in which 
a male/female duo work together to solve crimes, combining procedural fea-
tures with mythical elements. All these series occupy a distinct sub-genre of 
telefantasy – the supernatural detective series – inaugurated by the likes of 
Twin Peaks
and 
The X-fi les
, creating a mythology that develops over the course 
of the series, giving viewers a number of mysteries to uncover, adding some 
human interest in terms of characterisation, while also making the most of 
fantasy’s narrative flexibility. As this summary suggests, both innovative and 
repetitive features are easy to discern, yet the growing interest in such shows 
is undeniable. For further discussion of the sub-genre see Short (2011b).
3. The ATU system was initiated by Anti Aarne in 1910, updated by Stith 
Thompson in 1961 and amended again by Hans Uther in 2004. Critics 
consider it to be too Western-centric, based on a geographically limited 
range of tales (the Grimm’s 
Household Tales
being a major source), and has a 
tendency to be inaccurate, with the same tale potentially appearing in more 
than one category. The first issue has led to other classification systems, 
using the same principle of motif and number, for tales arising in other 
locations, while Uther has sought to include more international examples in 
his amendments to the index. A single method that will take into account 
cultural variants, and do away with any inaccuracy or repetition, remains the 

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Notes to Introduction
ideal, yet the familiarity of the ATU system is considered ample justification 
for referencing tale types in this research, accompanied by any additional 
influences considered relevant to a theme. A useful comparison of the AT 
and ATU classification systems can be found at: http://oaks.nvg.org/folktale-
types.html.
4. Warner asserts the need to undertake socio-historical analysis to try and 
retrieve answers about the origins of fairy tales and their intentions, yet 
while this is a commendable aim the result will always be hugely variable, 
given that stories have been retold for differing reasons over the years, and 
any conclusions drawn are likely to be quite speculative.
5. The film’s title is alternatively referred to as