THE DISADVANTAGES OF BEING A MISFIT- Cruella(2021) analysis

 An analysis of Cruella(2021)

By Maria Eduarda Ribeiro Cavalcanti

" Born brilliant, born mad and a little bit mad" as Cruella, or better saying, Estella, defines herself in the 2021 take on the villain's story.

Differently from the other villain's remakes, Cruella's story had to be different, after all, how could Disney clean the image of a villain who, quite literally, murder sweet puppies so she can have a fur coat?

Most villains are born good but society turns them bad, in true Rousseau fashion, but instead, Craig Gillespie (who has also directed I, Tonya) goes the other way, making Cruella inherently bad. But one thing caught my attention.

Right at the beginning of the movie, in the childhood sequence that introduces us to Estella( Cruella's real name), one thing is emphasized: how misfitted she feels in society. And when you watch the movie with this thought you realize that this is the whole origin story for Cruella.

The burden of having no place is hard to carry, especially since you are a child. As Cruella, herself said, she was born making a statement, she was born different. Simplistic towns with simple-minded people are not enough for those who are destined for more. And it's in this 70's small-town suburban scenario where Cruella it's introduced to, her first steps into the real world, her socialization, it's in a place where she does not belong, or better yet, where they don't want her to belong.

Two scenes make this very obvious: the first, where her mother asks her to hide her hair and she proudly denies the request. She knows she is different and special, and she is aware that she will never conform to society's expectations, but she does not care for that. The second scene is when her mother dies and she voluntarily paints her hair, so she can walk around through the streets unnoticed. She has to conform so she can survive, and she also longs for that, she just wants to forget the side of her that wishes to change the world around her because this side of her is much too powerful. She does not know how to deal with that side, and now, completely alone, how is she supposed to deal with it?

The effects of social exclusion in children and teens are still important subjects that need to be discussed, how are children supposed to grow up into fully formed good-hearted adults wherein their childhood this love was never returned to them? Lucky they are if they were supported by their family members, but that's not the case.

Most of the time we have two cases: either the child grows up to be an amazing human being that made some kind of difference in the world or at least became some kind of mentor that helped children like them to feel good about themselves. 

But that's it's not the case with our sweet and darling Cruella.

Estella/Cruella's story is one of the disadvantages of being a misfit. What went wrong with all those children who were never welcomed to sit at the lunch table. Those children who never had any project partners.

All her life, Cruella tried to fit in, to be accepted, and well, one day she got fed with it and ended it all. Society did not like her that way? Well to hell with them, they would be obliged to like it. And if they didn't, whatever. She had tasted the bitter flavor of exclusion and she was tired of it, more than never she found comfort in embracing that side of her. If only that side was also embraced by society earlier on, what would have happened?

 

It is the devilish flavor of being a rebel that makes her the villain in the story. Her nonconformist ideals of being a single woman who dedicates her life to work, who is ambitious, and her punk clothes and attitude, makes her blossom into a rebel in her adult years, and later on, that makes her Cruella, the villain.

Now, I am not excusing the puppy-killing and being a complete jerk with others. That just does not have an explanation, Cruella is a misfit who is also naturally bad, and in a true coming-of-age teenage movie, she embraces that side of her. She is not only shaped by her environment, as she also is inherently evil.

She is not only a nonconformist as she is also struggling with her mental health. The choice of making the story set up in the 70's London punk scenario was a great choice since at that time mental health and mental disorders were not something openly discussed. We barely discuss now, imagine at that time.

In a Joker meets The Devil Wears Prada fashion( partially being screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna fault considering she wrote The Devil Wears Prada), a mix of society's exclusion and carelessness treatment of Estella's mental health makes her welcome her Cruella side. And eventually, in a death or life situation, trying to survive in a hyper-competitive world, Cruella becomes the only one to exist.

What I am trying to say is, maybe, we should look out for the next-door kid who dresses differently, acts weirdly from our point of view, is creative, and always seems to be just waiting for a chance to give more. They may be the ones who actually will make a difference in the world.

Or they may kill your puppies.