It’s been some years since the terror of a generation – my own – at the sight of Huston, mask off, claws out, has matured into cultish affection. His witches had Dahl’s cat claws, while Anjelica Huston, wizened and rotted beyond recognition in six hours worth of prosthetics as the Grand High Witch, wielded elongated, crustaceous fingers. I suspect the primary intent was differentiating this film from Nicolas Roeg’s 1990 adaptation. Photo: Warner Bros/Daniel Smithĭahl was never the most politically correct writer (he certainly enjoys mocking overweight boys), but this one’s on Zemeckis and co: the “thin curvy claws” described in the book are specifically in reference to fingernails, “like a cat,” not the digits themselves – something the design team evidently chose to ignore. Hathaway and Warner Bros have since apologised for the film’s negative portrayal of people with limb differences. “The kids they think nobody’s gonna make a fuss about if they go missin’.” “Witches only prey on the poor,” warns the soul-singing, voodoo-dabbling grandma played by Octavia Spencer. Reason being, this setting is better primed for a thick coating of racial allegory. The most significant alteration, and the most pointed, is the transposition of the action from the seaside town of Bournemouth, England to 1968 Alabama. Now, for some reason, the ladies of the coven all wear Glasgow smiles (better to let Heath Ledger’s Joker keep his monopoly on that look), and one of Dahl’s minor mousey characters is given a saccharine new backstory. With a script concocted by Zemeckis together with Guillermo del Toro, long-time purveyor of dark, steampunk-y fantasies, and Black-ish‘s Kenya Barris – a trio that, in its sheer randomness, would seem poised to bear weirder fruits – this Witches tinkers with the mythology of the book to little effect. That pretty much sums up the film itself. The visual effects he’s used to realise Dahl’s tale of magical cruelty to children and talking mice are tame by comparison, vacillating between unremarkable and unnecessary. More than happy to hear your opinions as I think it’s great to be able to have open discussions about such topics.Zemeckis transposes the action from an English seaside town to 1968 Alabama, in order to reinterpret The Witches as a racial allegory. I really don’t believe that would have wanted to upset or cause offence but I think maybe a few more discussions should have been had. But have you lived your life trying to overcome a stigma?. Some may think that the limb difference community is being over sensitive. Your difference is unique and beautiful and should be celebrated. I know a lot of children and adults who are born missing their fingers and I want them to know that this does not represent you. However we want disabilities to to be normalised and be represented in a positive light rather than being associated with being a scary, evil, witch.
Yes you could say it’s great to see someone with a limb difference on TV and more than anything I really want to see more representation in the media. Seeing this picture from the ‘The Witches’ film made me very confused/upset. Nowadays I just feel sorry for the very ignorant people.?♀️. As a self conscious youngster these comments hurt ALOT and would knock my confidence. These are just a few comments I received growing up. ‘Your arm is so scary’ ‘Your arm makes me feel sick’.