FANTASIA: What makes a Disney film GREAT?
Juan F. Lara
Mary A. Giordano <magi...@prairienet.org> wrote:
> WHAT makes a Disney movie GREAT?
Pathos. I think a lot of the Disney films are about characters suddenly
hit with personal tragedy. Bambi's mother gets killed, Dumbo is separated
from his mom and gets ostricized, Tod has to be abandoned in the game preserve,
Simba thinks he's killed his own father, Broadway critically wounds Eliza while
playing with her gun. But then they fight to overcome that tragedy, and
prevail. Dumbo learns how to fly, Bambi and Simba become the rulers of their
animal kingdoms, etc. This theme of overcoming tragedy is what comes to mind
when I think of Disney animation, moreso than cute animals or merchandising.
Of course, not every Disney film fits into that mold. "Fantasia" didn't
really have a story like this, but it has a surreal artistic style you don't
see anymore from Disney. "Aladdin" and "Peter Pan" don't fit into this mold
at all, instead following Warner sensibilities. But they're still good films.
- Juan F. Lara, #1 Gadget Hackwrench fan
"Come Along. You Belong. Feel the Fizz."
- Profound Wisdom from the Cola Cult
Paul Penna
(Juan F. Lara) wrote:
> In article <3v80o5$g...@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>,
> Mary A. Giordano <magi...@prairienet.org> wrote:
> > WHAT makes a Disney movie GREAT?
>
> Pathos. I think a lot of the Disney films are about characters suddenly
> hit with personal tragedy. Bambi's mother gets killed, Dumbo is separated
> from his mom and gets ostricized, Tod has to be abandoned in the game
preserve,
> Simba thinks he's killed his own father, Broadway critically wounds
Eliza while
> playing with her gun. But then they fight to overcome that tragedy, and
> prevail. Dumbo learns how to fly, Bambi and Simba become the rulers of their
> animal kingdoms, etc. This theme of overcoming tragedy is what comes to mind
> when I think of Disney animation, moreso than cute animals or merchandising.
> Of course, not every Disney film fits into that mold. "Fantasia" didn't
> really have a story like this, but it has a surreal artistic style you don't
> see anymore from Disney. "Aladdin" and "Peter Pan" don't fit into this mold
> at all, instead following Warner sensibilities. But they're still good films.
Hmmm. In a way, you've identified the line at which, for me, Disney
animation ceases to satisfy, and can actually become downright annoying
(and I'm speaking as a person who lived and breathed Disney for a large
part of my life, and who still is enthralled with cartoon animation in
general). I suppose it boils down to a question of what grabs us about
cartoons. For me, it's what I'd call, for lack of a better term, a "sense
of wonder:" things that could exist and happen >only< in a cartoon.
I have real problems when cartoon characters, whether they're designed as
animal or human, are called upon to express the subtler shades of real
human emotion. Now I'm not saying that it's impossible or even undesirable
for cartoons to attempt this, only that I've rarely seen it done in a way
that leaves me satisfied.
Sometimes it works for me: the lullabye scene in Dumbo; the color "Ugly
Duckling" Silly Symphony; the Dwarfs at Snow White's bier. These never
fail to get me, in large part for very personal reasons, undoubtedly. But
I think it's also due to the innocence not only of the characters, but of
the execution. Later efforts to humanize Disney characters seem to me to
be increasingly studied, ironically robbing them of any ability to express
these emotions plausibly. At worst, they become ciphers, largely the case
with Cinderella, and certainly with Briar Rose.
A watershed for me is Bambi. I'm split on the mother's death business;
part of me is still prone to react sympathetically, the other part is
annoyed at the obvious heartstring-pulling. The teenage sexual-awakening
plotline, though, literally drives me up the wall.
This is what keeps me from pulling "Lady and the Tramp" off the shelf very
often. As much as I like the look of the film and relish the fluidity of
the animation (I think a point could be made that, in terms of technical
mastery, this period marks the peak of classic Disney animation), I find
no appeal whatsoever in the main characters, and in fact they make me
cringe.
I suppose it could be argued that it's inherently unfair to compare
animated films to live-action, but when a cartoon's whole point is to
convey human emotion through animated characters, I can't help reacting
when those portrayals don't work for me. I'd react to the characters of
Lady and Tramp pretty much the same way if they were portrayed by teenage
actors.
The same holds true for Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Attempts to give
her individuality and character seem to me applied with trowel, and her
acting in the more dramatic scenes strikes me as verging on the
silent-film school of emoting. On the other hand, the clock and
particularly the candlestick engage me as thoroughly as any Disney
characters ever have. And I don't mean that in a "because he's doing funny
schtick" way; one of the reaons he's funny is that I >can< identify with
his emotions.
Similarly, the Genie in Aladdin is the whole film for me. It grinds to a
halt any time the focus is on the "main" characters. Suddenly, I'm no
longer in a world possible only in a cartoon, but watching a cliche-ridden
teenagers-in-love movie.
Like I said, I'm not necessarily contending that it's impossible for a
cartoon to convey the deeper aspects of the human experience. To be
honest, I'm not really sure. What does seem to be the case is that the
more literal the attempt, the less chance it has of convincing me. That
must be why I can sympathize with and have real feelings for the
candlestick, or Gus and Jaq, but not with Belle or Cinderella.
I just ran off a mental checklist of Disney features (and with a couple
exceptions I have all the ones released on video so far, up through
Aladdin), and it struck me that, as much as I love and cherish so much
about Disney animation, the list of those that I could watch straight
through with unallayed delight is surprisingly short. The first one that
springs to mind is Peter Pan, though interestingly, it's the character of
Wendy that I could do with much less of.
Paul Penna