How sad is this?

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Okay - I'm a little biased. I'm originally from the Czech Republic. This movie is a very popular movie in the Czech Republic. I bought it last year after not seeing it for a long time, and I really enjoyed it a lot. I feel this is a much better telling of the classic Cinderella story. The heroine is spunky, fun loving and kind. Definitely not a sit-at-home and wait for my prince type of woman. I couldn't help but feel that if this story were made into an American movie (without the subtitles) it would be very well popular in the states. It is an older movie, and the sound quality was not great, but I think this movie sends a lot of good messages.

I was raised with this film as long I can remember. I remember first seeing it at age 6 visiting my grandmother. Since she lived near the border to east Germany, we could watch east German TV at her home. I instantly fell in love with this fairy tale. Later the movie became a regular Christmas staple on German television so I could see it all over and over. Growing up i admit to have fallen in love with the actress of Cinderella, as every boy who watched this movie would admit to also. I never found any big flaw in this movie. Maybe the special effects are not up to date to modern 50+ million dollar productions, but you have to consider that it was created in 1973 and in Czechoslovakia to boot. The acting is great in every aspect, maybe a bit overdone sometimes but better then in many American blockbusters. The conversion of the fairytale is not based totally on the Grimm's tale Cinderella, but more on the regional bohemian version. To that it clings very good. And what I really love are the buildings and landscapes....they are really authentic, something I miss in fairy tale movies shot in America, but they clearly don't have the ages-old castles and mansions.I give this movie a 10 out of 10 which I don't do lightly. Every time I watch this masterpiece it brings back my youth, more than any other movie.

The movie made in the 70's immediately turned a favorite for so many viewers that since then it is broad-casted on TV as well as screened in several cinemas each Christmas in a number of European countries. It is an absolute bliss and obviously a timeless classic. I just bought in online in USA for my four-year-old daughter, who loved it just as I did as a kid. Regrettably Czech fairytale-movies are neither well-known in USA, nor does this country produce any comparable children's entertainment of such dreamy, yet accessible and sensitive quality. The story is based on the Grimm's version of Cinderella (different from Disney's, who worked from the Perrault version). However, this Cinderella has a lot more support from a number of animal friends, not just the original doves, and she can speak to all of them. Her special friend is a beautiful white horse. She also has an adorable tom-boyish side to her which she easily combines with the ability to turn into a graceful princess. As a special eye-candy, the story is set in a rural winter-landscape, which creates an incredible charm. Equally outstanding is the sound-track. This movie is a must-see for any age group, if you have chance to watch it when its snowy outside you will absolutely fall in love with it.

In Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia and the Czech republic this movie is shown every Christmas eve, and for many people (myself included) it won't be Christmas without it. The channel tried to take the movie of the program one year because it's such an old film, but there was a massive upheaval and luckily it was stopped and Christmas was saved and it has been showed ever since. It is a sweet Cinderella story, told in a different way then the classical tale we're used to. The movie is extremely charming and beautifully made, although without any Hollywood style special effects. Unfortunately this movie has suffered the fate of most non-English movies in the US and have been more or less completely overlooked.