Summary
A dark fable unfurls, charting the harrowing odyssey of Polly, a miller's daughter ensnared in a web of avarice and arcane malevolence. Her plight begins with the insidious machinations of Rumpelstiltskin, a malevolent dwarf whose spurned affections for Polly ignite a vengeful plot. He cunningly exploits a King's insatiable greed, fabricating a myth of Polly's preternatural ability to transmute straw into gold. This perilous fabrication casts Polly into a royal crucible, facing an impossible task and a grim ultimatum: spin gold or face execution. In her desperation, she strikes a Faustian bargain with the very dwarf who orchestrated her predicament, promising her firstborn daughter for the miraculous feat. Amidst this existential dread, a beacon of hope emerges in Prince Cole, a royal in disguise, whose burgeoning affection for Polly offers a fleeting respite. Their nascent romance is brutally interrupted by Rumpelstiltskin's abduction, leading Polly into a subterranean lair guarded by a fearsome Dragon. Yet, the narrative is not solely one of despair; a benevolent Good Fairy frequently intervenes, guiding the lovers through trials. From daring rescues and royal incarcerations to a magical escape on an enchanted carpet, their journey culminates in a clandestine marriage and the birth of a child, fulfilling the dwarf's dark prophecy. The relentless dwarf, however, remains a specter, snatching their infant. The Good Fairy's persistent benevolence ensures the child's retrieval and, ultimately, a confrontation with the King. In a twist of poetic justice, the dwarf's own deceit becomes his eternal damnation, condemned to the very task he once falsely attributed to Polly, leaving the lovers to a joyous reconciliation with the monarchy and their hard-won peace.
Synopsis
Rumpelstiltskin, a wicked little dwarf with magic power, covets the miller's daughter, Polly. He offers the miller two bags of gold for her and is angrily kicked out of the mill. The dwarf vows eternal vengeance. The King, whose coffers are empty, having heard of the magic power of the dwarf, sends for him and commands him to refill his coffers. The dwarf, in vengeance, tells the King that the miller's daughter can spin straw into gold. The King sends for Polly, places her in a room full of straw and commands her to spin it into gold before dawn, else she, her father and the dwarf will lose their heads. The dwarf tells Polly he will spin the straw for her if she will promise him her first born, if it is a girl. Polly, in order to save her father, promises. Prince Cole, disguised as a hunter, seeks a girl to love. He sees Polly and falls in love with her. She agrees to meet him in the forest, but is captured by the dwarf and taken to his cave, where the Dragon is set to watch over her. With the assistance of the Good Fairy the Prince rescues Polly. The King places the Prince in a dungeon because of his love for Polly. The Good Fairy helps Polly to liberate him and he and Polly step on the magic carpet which the Good Fairy has given Polly and wish themselves far away. They are transferred to the woods, where they are married and a baby girl is born to them. The dwarf searches for Polly and the Prince, finds them and steals their child. The Good Fairy again comes to their assistance and the child is restored to them. The King, whose treasure is exhausted in the search for his son, commands the miller again produce his daughter so that she can spin some more straw into gold for him. The Prince and Polly appear before the King, by whom they are joyfully welcomed. They tell the King the story and the dwarf is condemned to spinning straw the rest of his natural life.
Review Excerpt
"
Stepping back into the nascent days of cinema, one encounters a fascinating tapestry of early narrative experiments, often drawing from the wellspring of folklore. The 1915 adaptation of Rumpelstiltskin stands as a curious artifact, a silent film endeavor to bring the grim magic of the Brothers Grimm to the silver screen. It’s a production that, when viewed through a contemporary lens, offers both a glimpse into the foundational storytelling techniques of its era and a poignant reminder of ho..."
