Donkey’s Hide

Charles Perrault’s “Donkey Skin” is one of the lesser known fairy tales. It’s about a princess who disguises herself in the pelt of a gold-excreting donkey to avoid an unpleasant marriage. A notable adaptation was Jacques Demy’s 1970 movie starring Catherine Deneuve in the title role.Well, it turns out that the Soviet Union made its own version of the story. “Oslinaya shkura” (“The Donkey’s Hide” in English) isn’t as flashy as the French version but still has lots of charm. The opening and closing scenes with the paintings added a special element to the storytelling. A number of the scenes come across as more slapstick, especially the scene with the wicked fairy.I should admit that a number of the scenes made me throw out sarcastic comments like on “Mystery Science Theater 3000”. But it’s mostly a good movie. I like seeing the different cultures’ perspectives on fairy tales.