The Singing Ringing Tree

Synopsis

This unlikely cult film is in the style of a story by the Brothers Grimm, who were quite stern moralists under the fairy tale gloss often applied to film versions of their work - so be warned. First broadcast on British TV in the 1960s, this had quite an effect on the nation's youth, with many being able to recall its nightmarish qualities years later. A selfish princess who is unable to love has her beauty marred as punishment, while the sad prince who loves her is turned into a lonely, and not particularly nice, bear. Its wild design and uncompromising message certainly make an impression, and shows how tales of princesses and curses were very much about real life.