There is something about reinventing a story that everyone knows and making it your own…there is something about bringing back into existence stories your parents used to tell you before you go to sleep; bedtime stories you’ll dream about, around and of all night long…all the night…When I was a kid ,Little Red Riding Hood seemed to me more scary than cute-lets put it this way ,I had this ability to turn words into images, I used to take every single verb, name, adjective that I could hear and turn them into a farandole of crazy characters that sometimes scared the hell out of me… the little girl with her red cape like the opera’ s phantom , her white skin like a dead bride -why was she sent alone to see her grandma? What kind of mother would leave her daughter out so late? This wolf , those teeth, the perversity in his eyes…the grandma-dead-in the wolf stomach, the hunter cutting the wolf stomach…blood, insanity, disgrace disturbing my innocent imagination. It was Tim Burton’ s playground inside my mind -making me wish I didn’t have such caring parents who would read me bedtime stories … This is HOW i have two versions of this immortal but yet not universally loved tale: the one I used to tell myself to stop nightmares and the one I recently discovered when reading between the lines of this controversial story.
The first version was made in my 5 years old imaginary -not really interesting –everything is pure – everyone is doing what they are expected to do : her having all the good intention and him just wanting to eat her because let’s face it: he’s a wolf – and finally the good girl wins and the bad wolf goes to prison. Typical!
the second version, the one I discovered as an adult makes you think again before wanting to read this story to kids: did you know that in the Ancient French slang, when a girl lost her virginity it was said that “ elle avait vû le loup” — she’d seen the wolf…coincidence??
For me It is not she but her adversary who is duped. She knew what to expect coming there in the wood all alone, all dressed in red …He was just following his animal instinct ,she was driven by her own perversion and the need of following the wrong path , at least to try see if she likes it : alcohol, drugs, easy money…
What do you think?
Kreen all right reserved for both artworks! Do not use them for anything
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Love it!