Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, depending on your point of view), the original story's darker elements have been removed or toned down in this adaptation - and even though it's quite beautifully done, I can't help but be disappointed by that. The godmother is more like a "good witch" in this version (not in the original), and the film makes it seem like her cat unsuccessfully tries to hijack her original plan. But in the original story, Masha's husband was meant to be the cat all along - and it was Masha's rejection of him and of her godmother's riches that leads to her "happy ending" (she originally throws her godmother's key into the well, then the cat jumps into the well after it and is never seen again). Otherwise, it ends like it does in the film.

So in trying to make this version more "child-friendly", the story kind of loses its point.

>>1

The 1986 film adaptation will probably be more satisfying. What's interesting is that it was made of sand. I'm trying to translate now, but it will probably take a long time.