In Disney's original animated “101 Dalmatians” from 1961, Cruella de Vil is an evil woman in her sixties whose goal is to kill and skin the Dalmatians for their fur as a new fashion statement.
Although Cruella — a 101 Dalmatians origin story centered around the film's villain, Cruella de Vil — is a Disney film, it's not as kid-friendly a movie as most others. Rated PG-13, Cruella is filled with action, deceit, and many a dicey moment.
We think Cruella is ok for kids ages 9 and up who aren't too sensitive and who can appreciate dark humor. If that's your kid, you know they can handle this one. The PG-13 rating is actually pretty spot on, however, for most kids. One note: the movie is over 2 hours long with long stretches between the action.
Mr. de Vil “didn't seem to be anything but a furrier,” Smith writes cattily, and Cruella married him for access to furs. Furs are essential to her lifestyle because she is always cold, and Smith strongly implies that nothing short of hellfire will ever be quite hot enough for her.
A live-action prequel feature film following a young Cruella de Vil. "Cruella," which is set in 1970s London amidst the punk rock revolution, follows a young grifter named Estella, a clever and creative girl determined to make a name for herself with her designs.
Created by the British playwright and children's novelist Dodie Smith, Cruella was born in a 1956 children's novel, “The 101 Dalmatians.” Yes, the skunk hair and selfish nature were there from the start, but the original Cruella was more of a spoiled socialite than a Maleficent — at least outwardly — and conveyed a ...
Cruella begins with Estella as a child with black and white hair, something that she was born with due to a disease called poliosis. The condition is caused by a decrease or absence of melanin in the hair on the body, typically resulting in a white streak or splotches in someone's hair.
Her villainous plot in the show was to steal the Dearlys' farm from them, using the puppies as a ransom. Her mother Malevola de Vil demands she do this, and Cruella also was denied the farm by old Widow Smedly the first time she tried to buy it, incensing her and beginning her obsession.
The first thing Disney did to make Cruella a redeemable character was to portray her as having dissociative identity disorder (sometimes called multiple personality disorder).
“Cruella” is an origin story that begins with a little girl named Estella (played at age 12 by Tipper Seifert-Cleveland), a girl bullied at her boarding school because her hair is half black and half white.
The language is relatively mild. Minor swear words are used, such as "hell" and "damn". Some milder name-calling ("imbecile", "stupid", "fat", incompetent"); even this is sparsely used.
If you once feared Cruella de Vil of 101 Dalmations, after watching this movie you might have some empathy and understanding for a character who's largely shaped by the actions of others. Because of its dark nature and focus on revenge, Cruella isn't a family film. It's best enjoyed by adults and older children.
It is not until the end Cruella reveals her true personality, a violent, careless, murderous, destructive, and downright evil psychopath, after the dalmatians escape, she becomes nearly insane and preposterous, so she goes on a rampage trying to retrieve the dogs but accidentally crashes the car she was driving.
In the 1961 animated original film, the fashion-obsessed heiress was usually seen clutching a cigarette and holder as sickly green smoke wafted behind her. When asked why the wardrobe statement piece was intentionally left out, Stone attributed it to evolving opinions about smoking within the past 60 years.
In 101 Dalmatians, Cruella wanted to purchase Perdita and Pongo's Dalmatian puppies because she was a selfish heiress who viewed the puppies as a fashionable commodity to be exploited rather than as innocent living beings.
Sadly, no, none of it was her real hair. Very few actors would die their hair two different colors in that drastic of a fashion. But then again, Estella's red hair wasn't Emma Stone's natural hair either.
Eventually, Cruella comes to her senses, reconnecting with Jasper, Horace, and Buddy, and exacting her revenge on the Baroness. Cruella's end-credits scene, in which she gives two Dalmatian puppies, Perdita and Pongo, to her friends Anita and Roger, suggests her fear of the breed has been resolved.
Why does Cruella hate Dalmatians in 101 Dalmatians?
You might even find yourself enjoying the movie, before remembering that the inciting action and entire motivation for the story is that Cruella's mother was pushed off a cliff by some CGI Dalmatians. Yes, that is the reason Cruella de Vil hates Dalmatians.
At the 2022 Oscars, makeup artist Nadia Stacey revealed that the script for the sequel was in the works. Even in 2023, the project is still in its pre-production stage. Considering the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Cruella probably won't begin filming before 2024.
Set in London during the punk rock movement of the 1970s, the film revolves around Estella Miller, an aspiring fashion designer, as she explores the path that leads her to become a notorious up-and-coming fashion designer known as Cruella de Vil.
Their parents, Pongo and Perdita, set out to save their puppies from Cruella, in the process rescuing eighty-four additional ones, bringing the total of Dalmatians to one hundred and one.
Ever since her debut in Dodie Smith's novel, there have been many films and shows that have showcased the character Cruella de Vil. She appeared in 101 Dalmatians, the 1961 animated film by Walt Disney, where her character was voiced by Betty Lou Gerson.
