Cruella de Vil: between adoration and hate

Disney studios are part of our lives, of our childhood. We have all grown up enjoying their movies, falling in love with their perfect heroes and princesses that, over time, we have ended up rejecting. Disney stereotypes have been highly criticized and continue to be so today. It is true that, from today’s perspective, few of our former characters would pass the passing filter. That’s why, Instead of focusing on heroes and princesses that have become outdated, today we immerse ourselves in the discovery of a timeless villain: Cruella de Vil.

Just as heroes and princesses have been left behind, so have some villains. Values ​​change and, therefore, what one day we consider bad, the next day, can become good.. It is true that Disney has made a lot of effort to make clear the line that distinguishes good from evil, but, of the same thing, multiple readings can be made. For example, in the case of The little Mermaidwe can see Ariel as a naive and insecure young woman who is easily deceived, while Úrsula survives an unjust exile as best she can.

Furthermore, at no time does he deceive Ariel, he gives her a contract, but Ariel signs without reading it. And so we could continue doing readings of the classic Disney villains. However, there are some who will never give rise to becoming “not as bad” as Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and, of course, Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians.

And it is that To want to make a coat out of puppy fur is to be very bad yesterday, now and always. But… what if another reading were possible? What if we exchange puppy for mink? Would Cruella be that bad or would we accept her socially?

Cruella de Vil, a true villain

The animated film was released in 1961, being quite innovative for what had been manufactured under the Disney label. To date, titles such as Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty either Alice in Wonderland. That is to say, these were films in which magic and fantasy were fundamental. It is true that other titles had also appeared such as The Lady and the Trampbut the interesting thing about 101 Dalmatians is that it places us in contemporary times.

Elements such as television appear that tell us that we no longer live in remote fantastic worlds or in stories that happened a long, long time ago. Besides, Its main villain turns out to be a character lacking magic, she is not a witch or sorceress, but she is very evil.. Cruella de Vil is quite a fashion victima wealthy woman of her time with a certain obsession with fur coats.

This more realistic vision of the villain produces a certain terror in the viewer. When the villain is presented as someone far away, who does not live in our time or our world, he will hardly cause panic. It is something similar to what happens with horror films; When the film turns out to be too implausible or narrates events that are almost impossible to happen, the viewer will not be involved and will not feel afraid. However, when in a movie we are presented with a real murderer, a story based on real events or something that could happen, then fear occurs.

In the case of Cruella, Her characterization is especially important: extremely thin woman, who smokes constantly, pointed eyebrows and skull-like face.. A very classic characterization in Disney villains, her look and her eyebrows already confirm what we all feared: Cruella is bad.

The fact that she appears smoking compulsively gives her a certain snobbery characteristic of the time, but it is also an indication of her evil. Let us remember that the film is intended for a children’s audience and, as a consequence, tobacco has negative connotations. Thinness and aggressive lines, in turn, often appear frequently in villains (with the exception of Úrsula, for example), but they are also a reflection of the world to which they intend to transport us: the fashion industry.

The horrors of fashion

Nowadays, more and more brands are aiming towards more sustainable fashion and are gradually doing away with animal skins. Although it is true that fur coats are still manufactured and, in the footwear industry for example, it is difficult to find shoes that do not use leather. Sensitivity towards animals has arrived quite late, being the majority in recent decades.

During the 20th century, fur coats such as mink, chinchilla, fox or otter were highly coveted. The taste for fur was a trend, synonymous with purchasing power and glamour. Cruella de Vil perfectly embodies these values, fashion is above everything, even life.. For her, there is nothing more important than satisfying her whims.

Therefore, he decides to get a truly new skin: the skin of the Dalmatians. How can someone want to murder some puppies just to wear clothes? Why not use a synthetic leather that imitates its stains? This is something that deeply horrifies us, we all know that the dog is man’s best friend, that faithful and loyal companion that has become one of the family.

So what about minks or foxes? Why is it correct to use their skin and not that of a Dalmatian? Cruella, in addition to being an excellent villain, hides a dark reality that goes almost unnoticed by a large part of the population. The fashion industry has long abused animals to satisfy human desires..

When talking about a dog, we feel empathy, we sympathize with it and we see that Cruella’s attitude is that of an evil woman, but the same does not happen with other animals. Somehow, Cruella is teaching us a lesson: we are judging her while wearing leather and animal skins. Isn’t it contradictory? Isn’t it hypocritical?

We adore Cruella de Vil

His name could not be more accurate, its own etymology already alludes to his evil, to how despicable his character is. And yet, we adore her. We adore her for being a perfect villain, but also because we know that what we are seeing is fiction and it is tremendously fun. She is intelligent, eccentric, successful, she abuses her employees, she is totally selfish… In short, a true shrew.

In 1996, we were able to see Cruella de Vil for the first time in live action. An extraordinary Glenn Close was in charge of giving life to the iconic Disney villain. His interpretation has contributed, in a certain way, to the mythologization of the character. Few actors have managed to give a Disney character such a distinctive and applauded image.

Glenn Close’s Cruella manages to overshadow all the other characters, especially the good Roger and Anita. The truth is that, in 101 Dalmatians, Good humans are quite flat and totally expendable, they are characters that fail to impress the viewer. However, the villain stands out with all her splendor in both the animated and real versions, although, in the latter, she shines especially.

His extravagant look It catches us, makes us unable to stop looking at it. Cruella is a self-sufficient woman, who dominates all the characters in the film, she is ambitious and knows no limits to her creation. Definitely, It turns out to be a character that works perfectly, from the visual to the depths of his dark personality.. With comedic overtones, she plays the bad guy in a film in which, unintentionally, she becomes the main protagonist.

Cruella de Vil is one of Disney’s most memorable villains. She is capable of generating rejection and admiration almost in equal parts. It destroys the idealization of the fashion world, shows the truth behind coveted furs and the world’s own hypocrisy. She’s so unique, so iconic, that it’s hard not to adore her.

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