Stella Cruella

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Stella Cruella

Estella and Cruella, dual personalities driven by unstable emotions

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Everyone knows her and simply hearing her name is more than enough to send shivers down the spine. Cruella de Vil was first introduced in the novel ‘The Hundred and One Dalmatians’ by Dodie Smith. The story and the character were later reintroduced as animated renditions in Disney’s 1961 movie. The 1996 live action adaptation of the 101 Dalmatians starred Glenn Close as Cruella and she delivered a truly unhinged performance which drew on the traits of the animated film. The latest film, directed by Craig Gillespie, is the newest addition to the line-up of Disney’s journey to give origin stories to some of their most iconic villains. Comedy-drama ‘Cruella’ marks the third live action film in the 101 Dalmatians franchise. The eponymous role is portrayed by Emma Stone, alongside Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Emily Beecham, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Mark Strong.
Set in London in the 1970s during the emergence of the punk scene, the film follows a young Estella, an aspiring fashion designer. The film unfolds as it explores her childhood and adulthood, everything from the tragedies to the delights that come together to form the final product, Cruella De Vil. Born with the classic black and white ombré hairdo, Estella was extraordinary, intelligent and her love for fashion was clear from the get-go. Her strongest traits were often seen as ‘rebellious’ and much of her younger years are marked by her mother Catherine, a kind and gentle woman, constantly encouraging Estella to try and ‘fit in’ with everyone else around. Following a series of unfortunate events, Estella and her trusty companion Buddy (a dog, yes surprisingly she likes dogs) arrive in London, get into a life of thieving with co-conspirators Jasper and Horace who become her family of sorts. Her career as a fashion designer begins as an apprentice under the tutelage of Baroness von Hellman, of the House of Baroness. As she explores the world of fashion, new revelations of her past force her to embrace and unleash the bold, confident and cruel alter-ego in her.
Unlike Glenn Close’s rendition of Cruella, which focused more on the puppy-skinning villain angle, Emma Stone’s version is more grounded and rebellious than villainous. Close’s version of Cruella was relentless and malevolent whereas Stone’s version is one created from scratch, meaning she has the potential to edge further and tap into her more scary traits. The origin story gives Cruella the chance to tell her story in her own perspective and on her own terms. Her progress from being the timid Estella, to embracing the Cruella within her isn’t forced or rushed as the story paces quite well and each scene unravels the story with great execution. The all too common ‘bad-parenting’ narrative gives Estella/Cruella the necessary foundation to grow. But the highs and the lows of the characters are seamlessly intertwined with dark humour and strong camp aesthetics, while the witty comebacks, petty revenge schemes, mean one-liners and classic soundtracks all scream ‘it’s more fun being bad’.
However, apart from the enthralling performances of the cast, audiences are drawn to the iconic and flamboyant high fashion of the ‘70s. Fashion is the highlight of the film, because Cruella, although evil, is a brilliant fashion designer. Fashion enthusiasts will see that the Baroness’s aesthetic was loosely inspired by Dior. Emma Thompson’s Baroness has a very snobbish wardrobe, which tells audiences that she is a brilliant but rather old-fashioned designer. The changing character arc of the titular character is evident in her fashion choices. Estella opted to wear clothes that allowed her to fit in and keep her out of trouble, but Cruella’s designs were more bold and striking, and became sharper and more tailored as the character grew. Her clothes speak volumes about her personality and her brilliance as a designer. Cruella’s character also taps into the more modern practice of reusing clothes to make new clothing.
Unfortunately the positive aspects of the film are hindered by bad CGI. In addition, there is also the matter of Cruella’s puppy-killer attribute which doesn’t make an appearance in the film. The original Cruella is portrayed as a puppy-killing monster, but strangely Stone’s Cruella doesn’t actually hate dogs. Many audiences assumed that (SPOILER ALERT) it would be odd for Cruella to have a lifelong grudge against the Dalmatians who killed her mother. The Dalmatians appear throughout the film, and one would think the animals were either testing Cruella’s patience or simply giving her ideas to pursue in the future. However, she has no interest in killing (yet), although she does entertain the idea of making pelts out of the Baroness’s dogs. Perhaps it was Disney’s intent to create a villain people could empathize with or root for. Giving Estella/Cruella a dog for a close companion makes her somewhat likeable, but the growing detachment to those close to her possibly hints at her veering off track and truly embracing the original character that more adult audiences grew up disliking.
Emma Stone as Estella and Cruella is simply enthralling to watch. She completely owns her role and immerses and seamlessly fluctuates herself between the dual personalities driven by unstable emotions. She brings depth to both characters, with one trying hard to fit in and accomplish her dreams while the other is bold, intelligent and is the perfect mask to hide her unbearable pain. Emma Stone plays out Estella’s descent into madness exceptionally. Emma Thompson proves to be a very stylish and brilliant antagonist as well. She is wildly reminiscent of and radiates Meryl Streep’s energy in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Stone and Thompson’s on-screen dynamic is simply ecstatic and riveting to watch as the two icons battle it out fashionably. Joel Fry’s Jasper and Paul Walter Hauser’s Horace bring in the comedy (and sanity) element to the film. From Hauser’s Horace always wanting to know everyone’s ‘angle’, to Jasper grounding Cruella’s thoughts reminding her of their odd-ball family, they add a slightly different touch to the film. They aren’t just her henchmen or a couple of sidekicks, to Cruella in the very depths of her mind, they are her only family.
In the end, ‘Cruella’ does make a refreshing origin story, although Disney has largely stuck with the format of the original character and only made slight tweaks. While exploring the world of fashion, the film also touches on themes of family, togetherness and identity, which no one expects when they hear ‘Cruella De Vil’. The film brings in a fresh perspective of the notorious villainess and allows her to justify herself and her identity as a brilliant but crazy fashion designer. ‘Cruella’ makes a strong and powerful entry in the latest film and it’s unlikely she’ll be going away anytime soon. A sequel may be brewing so audiences can expect to see more of ‘Cruella De Vil’ in the future.
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Spreading deprivation and starvation in the Horn of Africa currently need to be seen as pointing to a ticking poverty bomb in the more vulnerable parts of the global South. The Indian Ocean region is being increasingly seen as thus living dangerously and it goes without saying that Sri Lanka leads from the front from the viewpoint of economic ruin.
If the intensifying poverty question in Sri Lanka goes unaddressed by the country’s government there is no doubt that Sri Lanka would be soon witnessing widespread food riots and lawlessness. If some of the happenings in the country’s lengthening queues for daily essentials are anything to go by, these riots are already upon the land, though to a limited extent at the moment. But sections of the people are already showing signs of rage and a desperate people are said to show no mercy. Modern world history is replete with examples of this mercilessness.
How Sri Lanka happened to be in this situation is being discussed and analyzed at length in expert quarters and any comments in this column on the subject would be superfluous. Suffice it to know that starvation and deprivation are man-made. That is, these situations are not beyond the control and the rectification of rulers. Food hoarding, for instance, is a principal cause of hunger and starvation and this perennial blight of the hoarding of food and other essentials could be contained by governments. It is just that governments choose to be on the side of oppressors.
It is that classic by Susan George on the food question, ‘How the Other Half Dies’, that we must constantly re-visit to understand the root causes of deprivation and starvation in the South. Commenting, for instance, on the issue of food scarcity, George writes: ‘Today as yesterday nature and sometimes governments’ policies may produce abundance, but only man can create scarcity. According to the simplest rule of liberal economics, a vital commodity in short supply will be expensive and he who has some to sell will make money. This basic rule is being applied on a global scale with considerable success.’ (Susan George – ‘How the Other Half Dies – The Real Reasons for World Hunger’, page 140 – Penguin Books; 1976).
The insights thrown up by George on the real reasons for world hunger are applicable to present day Sri Lanka inasmuch as they are applicable to the rest of the South. To put it briefly, it is the inability of governments to mete out re-distributive justice that accounts in the main for hunger and for what passes off as ‘food scarcities.’ It is a matter of policy and principle. If governments take up the cause of deprived social sections, we would see an alleviation of the problem of hunger and starvation. If not, there would be runaway social discontent that would result in violence and insurrection.
Currently, there are unmistakable signs of an emerging worldwide economic recession. The South is at present suffering the brunt of this economic downturn but it would not be long before the rest of the world falls victim to it. No less a person than World Bank President David Malpass is on record that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is triggering a steep hike in food, energy and fertilizer prices worldwide and that this could lead to a global economic recession. While pointing to the negative impact these price rises could have on the world’s strongest economies, Malpass said that developing countries too are being badly hit by shortages in fertilizer, food and energy.
Dealing with some specifics, sections of the international media pointed out recently that if there is a severe food scarcity in the Horn of Africa, then it is the conflict in Ukraine that is the main causative factor for it. Russia and Ukraine account for 30 per cent of the world’s wheat output. The Western-initiated economic sanctions against Russia coupled with the naval blockade imposed on Ukraine by Russia are currently instrumental in cutting off wheat supplies to the world. Little wonder that wheat prices are spiraling or that the commodity is in short supply.
Compounding these economic setbacks are high global energy prices which are a product of the economic sanctions clamped on Russia by the US and other sections of the West. While the more powerful economies of the West are likely to be in a position to ward off the ill-consequences of this growing global economic crisis, the same could not be said of the developing world. They are likely to see their economic fortunes crumbling in double quick time together with a marked uptick in social discord at home.
These developments could raise quite a few foreign policy quandaries for countries of the South. If the latter’s governments opt to deal with the mounting social unrest on the domestic front with a heavy hand, they are likely to earn the disapprobation of the West. The EU, for instance, will likely take the lead in taking the offending governments to task.
Countries such as Sri Lanka would need to constantly look over their shoulders at the EU, for example, when trying to manage domestic situations of this kind because their degree of economic dependence on the West is such that they cannot afford to be oblivious to the latter’s concerns over human rights questions. That is, social unrest at home would need to be handled somewhat gingerly, lest these Southern governments stand accused of violating international human rights norms.
Going forward, Southern states would find that they have no choice but to follow a Non-aligned foreign policy if they are to survive the gathering global economic crunch. They are likely to be nervous about aligning themselves too closely with China because Beijing is increasingly proving to be a worthy ally of Russia and the latter is just now showing that it is not exceptionally concerned about what is referred to as a rules-based international political order. It could have no pretensions to being a follower of such rules, considering that it has stood International Law on its head by invading Ukraine.
Moreover, Russia has been considerably weakened by Western economic sanctions and it would be a risky proposition for vulnerable countries of the South, such as those in the Horn of Africa, to be seen as being in league with Russia and China. They need the West to survive on the economic front and Non-alignment would prove one of the most effective policies to adopt.
Cricket lovely cricket and that’s what cricket fans here are enjoying, at the moment, with Angelo Mathews displaying his batting prowess, in Bangladesh.
However, I believe all the attention will be focused on the T20 World Cup, to be held, later in the year, in Australia.
Obviously, Sri Lankans, in Australia – in Melbourne, in particular – are gearing themselves up to give the Sri Lankan team all the support.
The ICC launched its multicultural crowd participation push, at the Walawwa, in Noble Park, Melbourne, with a Sri Lankan focus in mind.
And, this is what Trevine Rodrigo, based in Melbourne, had to say about this event…
A forum, aimed at gaining maximum effect for the upcoming T20 World Cup, in Australia, beginning on October 16, had a cross section of 150 invited attendees, providing vital input to make the event a huge success.
Several important issues were identified as important to the qualifying rounds, to be held, in Geelong, where it is anticipated that a Sri Lankan fan invasion will rock the city.
Transport, safety for those travelling to the competition, accommodation, sightseeing, and attractive holiday packages, were the key issues raised from the absorbing brainstorming sessions, to ensure all round satisfaction.
The massive crowd participation at cricket matches, whenever Sri Lankan is involved, has the ICC excited about drawing maximum crowds to their games, beginning with the qualifying rounds, before the main event.
The colour, the flair, and the music and dancing to the tune of the now established Sri Lankan Papare band, are a common feature at all events which draws thousands of cricket mad fans that Australia has come to love.
Sri Lanka, who won the T20 World Cup, in 2014, currently needs to qualify to the top tier. They begin their campaign with the opener against Namibia, in Geelong. They have three commitments, in Geelong, during their campaign, and the focus is on maximising the involvement of fans.
Part of the ICC launch programme was the Q&A recollections from Sri Lanka World Cup heroes, Asanka Gurusinha, (1996), and T20 champion T.M Dilshan (2014), hosted by Max Abbott from the ICC.
The event at the Walawwa was brought together by Sri Lanka’s multicultural representative, Johann Dias Jayasinha.
Although the federal elections took place on Saturday, 21 May, Saturday. the people had the opportunity to cast their postal votes before. Even on the election day, the Electoral Commission allowed people to vote by telephone. In Australia along with 20 other countries voting is compulsory. Apart from the ‘right to vote’ these countries recognise, voting as a ‘citizen’s duty.’ In New Zealand, registration is compulsory, but not necessarily the voting.
Australia is also a federal country. Therefore, regular elections are held, both for the states and for the federal government. What was held in May was for the federal government. With six states and two self-governing territories, most of the day-to-day public affairs are conducted by these states, with regular elections and stable constitutions. There are clear separation of powers and functions. However, when it comes to economic affairs, international relations, and overall policies of the country, the federal government has the final say, most of the time conducted in conjunction with the states and territories.
Australian Parliament is bicameral, with the House of Representatives and the Senate unlike Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s Senate was arbitrarily abolished in 1971. Australia’s House of Representatives is smaller than Sri Lanka’s Parliament, with only 151 members. But the size of the country and the population are bigger than Sri Lanka. Australia is an operational democracy with elections being held peacefully and calmly unlike in Sri Lanka. There has been no incident of election violence recorded during the campaign period or thereafter.
Australia’s number of active political parties are only a handful. In the case of Sri Lanka, the active number is three times bigger. Perhaps these facts and figures show that Australia is a stable democratic country while Sri Lanka has considerable instability. Elections are held not in five years but three years. The voters have a reasonable regular say.
There has been a continuous trend in Australian elections, with voter preferences moving away from traditional political parties towards third parties or independents. This was visible even at the last elections in 2019. Nevertheless, as a leading political party Labor has been able to muster a clear majority of 76 seats. It might be in the Senate that the Labor may have to depend on the ‘cross bench.’ Given the political culture in Australia, this might not be a major obstacle for the new government.
Since 1987, the Australian National University has been conducting election surveys (Australian Election Study – AES) and following was what they mentioned in the last 2019 report. “Many indicators point to citizen detachment from major political parties, including record low political partisanship, rising voter instability and voter distrust in government.”
The election was held after two years of the devastating Covid pandemic affecting economic activities, cost of living, industries, and particularly small and medium scale businesses. There were nearly 9 million cases of Covid and a thousand of deaths. Healthcare or Medicare was naturally a key issue at the election. Australia has been encountering devastating floods and bushfires, one af
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