The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
by E. T. A. Hoffmannliterary work· published 1816
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"The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" (German: Nussknacker und Mausekönig), also simply known as "The Nutcracker", is a literary fairy tale from 1816 by the German author E. T. A. Hoffmann, in which a young girl's favorite Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, comes alive and, after defeating the evil Mouse King in battle, whisks her away to a magical kingdom populated by dolls. The story was originally published in Berlin in German as part of the collection Kinder-Mährchen ("children's stories"), while being written in a novel-styled format. In 1892, the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov turned Alexandre Dumas's adaptation of the story into the ballet The Nutcracker.
Adaptations (4)
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King has been adapted into 4 films, from 1986 to 2018. The most recent is The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018).
Nutcracker: The Motion Picture1986 · film · 89 min · dir. Carroll Ballard · IMDb ↗IMDb6.8In this Pacific Northwest Ballet performance, it is Christmas Eve and festivities are underway. Clara is excited when her godfather arrives with a bag full of gifts, one of which is an intriguing wooden nutcracker. That night, while the household sleeps, Clara visits the Christmas tree to inspect her nutcracker and soon finds herself immersed in a dream world both dark and enchanting.
The Nutcracker1995 · film · 47 min · dir. Toshiyuki Hiruma, Takashi · IMDb ↗IMDb6.5It is Christmas Eve, and the Stahlbaum family is happily unwrapping their Christmas gifts. After all the merriment, seven-year-old Marie receives a very special gift--a mysterious Nutcracker--from her beloved Godfather Drosselmeier. When the house falls dark and silent, Marie discovers that this is no ordinary Nutcracker, but Godfather Drosselmeier's nephew, who was transformed into a wooden toy by the curse of the evil Madame Mouserink. To break the curse, the Nutcracker must win the love of Marie and defeat the malicious, seven-headed Mouse King.
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms2018 · film · 99 min · dir. Lasse Hallström, Joe Johnston · IMDb ↗When Clara’s mother leaves her a mysterious gift, she embarks on a journey to four secret realms—where she discovers her greatest strength could change the world.
The IMAX Nutcracker? · film · 37 min · dir. Christine Edzard · IMDb ↗IMDb4.9This 37-minute 3-D Imax film adaptation from E.T.A. Hoffman's story is a straight narrative fantasy rather than a ballet. Little Clara receives a Christmas gift of a nutcracker doll and that night witnesses toys expanding in size and coming to life. The Nutcracker Prince takes Clara to his enchanted sugar castle where she meets pastry chef Sugar Plum who uses spun sugar to concoct the dancing Sugar Fairy.
