The Pied Piper - Fairytale Film by Jacques Demy
Rock Star Donovan Stars in the Classic Tale
Aug 12, 2009
Having successfully adapted Charles Perrault’s fairytale Donkey Skin (1970) Jacques Demy was the perfect choice to direct a film version of ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin.’ Sadly The Pied Piper suffers from both the miscasting of Folk singer Donovan and the often stifling ‘good’ taste producer David (Chariots of Fire) Puttnam forces upon his projects. There are still some memorable moments and the screenplay has a healthy disrespect for the Church’s behaviour during and after the plague.
The Legend Behind the Pied Piper of Hamelin
In 1284 the town of Hamelin suffered the loss of its children. There are several versions of how the tale of The Piper was born. There are suggestions he may have been a state official involved in land clearances or repopulation. Others see the invention of the tale as a metaphor for death stealing the children away. Some versions have The Piper drowning the children as he does the rats, while others imply he leads them to a better place.
Robert Browning’s famous poem has The Piper promising to take the children to a place where,
‘waters gushed and fruit trees grew
and flowers put forth a fairer hue,
and everything was strange and new,’
Although there are hints during the poem’s close The Piper may have been lying to them, with a group of people emerging years later ‘out of some subterraneous prison.’
Jacques Demy’s The Pied Piper
The main departure from previous versions of the tale is The Piper (Donovan) is no longer alone. The Piper encounters a group of travelling players and accompanies them to the town. This development draws comparison with Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal (1957) in which a Knight travels with a group of actors while the plague ravages his country.
The Pied Piper Leads the Rats Away from Hamelin
The Piper offers to rid Hamelin of its rat infestation for a 1,000 gilders. The authorities agree, but given the rich Lord of Hamelin is played by the villainous Donald Pleasance, the Piper really should have had a legally binding contract drawn up. After drowning the rats, The Piper is offered a measly 50 gilders and the Church takes the credit for his work. Then they burn a Jewish alchemist (Michael Hordern) at the stake for heresy after he claims the rats were the cause of the plague.
The Piper's Playing Lacks Magic
For a film about a musician whose playing can bewitch creatures and children the music is banal. There is not much magic in this piper’s pipe. The rats probably found drowning themselves to be a blessed relief compared to listening to a jaunty folk tune played on a flute. It is a shame Demy’s regular collaborator Michel Legrand was not involved in the production, as he may have provided a more memorable score.
Donovan Lacks Ambiguity as The Piper
The Piper should be an ambiguous figure. On one level he rids Hamelin of their rats, but he also charges them an exorbitant fee. Although they are at fault for breaking their promise the revenge taken is terrible. In The Pied Piper the behaviour of The Church during the plague is called to account and at times it seems like we are watching Jacques Demy direct a sequel to Ken Russell’s The Devils (1971). While The Piper in folklore leaves the people of Hamelin bereft, Demy’s Piper leaves them to the plague.
Donovan’s song ‘The Hurdy-Gurdy’ man was used to menacing effect during the opening sequence of David Fincher’s Zodiac (2007). Sadly he cannot channel any of this darkness into his performance here. Donovan is miscast; his Piper is an amiable Hippy who leads the kids in a sing-a-long. Although his otherworldly nature is emphasised in the closing part of the film, there is nothing in Donovan’s performance to suggest he is special. This appears to be a case of stunt casting, when hiring somebody like Robert Powell or Jeremy Brett may have been more appropriate.
It may be worth mentioning the lame boy left behind by The Piper is played by Jack Wild, the artful dodger from Oliver (1968), whose career never matched his early promise.
- The Pied Piper
- Starring Donovan, Donald Pleasance, Jack Wild
- Written by Andrew Birkin, Jacques Demy, Marik Peploe
- Year of Release 1971
- Directed by Jacques Demy
- Running time 90 min
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