If you like your fairy tales dripping in blood and full of nudity, then it is time to get excited for the Cannes 2015 entry The Tale of Tales from Italian director Matteo Garrone. The Tale of Tales' newly released trailer plays out like a fever dream. Although the film is in English, the trailer includes almost no dialogue, and the move pays off by upping the creepy factor to almost unbearable levels. We are left to watch in horror as Salma Hayek goes all Khaleesi by chowing down on a monstrous heart. We also see John C. Reilly lying next to what appears to be his own stomach, and a blood splattered young woman stares directly into the camera as a group of people cower behind her.
If the stories don't seem familiar at first glance, it is because The Tale of Tales takes its inspiration from the 17th century collection of short stories compiled by Giambattista Basile. The film will feature three stories starring familiar faces like Hayek, Reilly, Toby Jones, and Shirley Henderson, AKA Moaning Myrtle from The Harry Potter Series . The Tale of Tales marks Garrone's first English language film, and if the trailer is any indication, he certainly seems set on leaving a lasting impression on American moviegoers. Check out the (very NSFW) trailer:
Freaked out? Good. That is very clearly Garrone's intent. The trailer is cut in a way that highlights the sense of dread lurking beneath this fantastical world. For every cute monster hanging with Jones, there is a shot of utter weirdness. (Nothing tops that heart scene though. Why, Hayek, Why?)
Even with all of the gore, the trailer is haunting and beautiful in its own strange way. It is certainly reminiscent of the kind of fairy tales meant to keep you up at night, rather than the romantic Disney ones we have become accustomed to, like Cinderella and the forthcoming Beauty and the Beast . Basile's compilation was an inspiration to the Grimm brothers, who went on to add their own spin to many of the tales Basile originally collected. Given how notoriously twisted the brothers compilation of folk lore was, they would likely be proud to see so many pulsating organs and evil queens on display.
I can only speak for myself here, but I like my fairy tales as dark as my chocolate. The Tale of Tales looks like a deliciously bittersweet treat — even though it is definitely nightmare fuel. It's about time a movie came along to shake the fairy tale genre out of its rut. It is just too bad we don't have an American release date yet. The Tale of Tales will premiere May 14 in Italy.
Images: Le Pacte; Giphy
