First post since the first of the year! And not on anything I thought I would be writing about either...
(SPOILERS GALORE)
Are even Disney movies getting more depressing and more cynical than ever before?
I apparently didn’t get the memo that it is now a requirement that all Disney movies open with something heartbreakingly tragic. I guess it did start a while back, with Bambi’s mother getting shot relatively early on in the plot. But with each subsequent movie, tragedy seems to appear earlier and more swiftly, working its merry way from homicide (basically every Disney movie ever), to abandonment (Toy Story), to kidnapping (Tangled), with the paradigm being the opening scene in Up, where infertility, unfulfilled lifelong dreams, old age, and death of a loved one were covered in the span of five short minutes.
(I will admit, during that bit, I teared up behind my 3D glasses. Oh, the feelings.)
Though tragedy, too, reveals itself early on in Frozen, it thankfully doesn’t pack quite as potent of a punch as Up. I mean, watching a giant wave engulf a ship and leave nothing in its wake a mere, quiet second later, is harrowing, but a second isn’t much time to build up or fully absorb grief. I will also never be able to hear the words, “Do you want to build a snowman?,” in anything other than Kristen Bell’s sad, singing voice ever again, but it’s not going to tear me apart inside.
What I do think is more of a punch, especially to the children, is the part where the handsome prince who falls in love at first sight with our intrepid princess Anna...
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| We've all been there, Anna |
...is in fact a greedy, murderous, conniving son-of-a-bad guy.
What an unusual twist for a Disney movie.
I definitely got suckered in. During the early scenes, when Anna and Hans were running around, singing together, and finishing each other’s sandwiches, as Disney princesses are wont to do, the word “love” kept coming up over and over again, and I wanted to pretend-gag and/or start on a verbal diatribe but there were innocent children present and we were inside a movie theater. (no talking! cellphones on silent!)
I settled for an enormous, Liz-Lemon-type eye-roll instead. (I’m mature and jaded like that.)
But then, Disney goes and fully justified my cynicism.
Since when did Disney get as messed-up and cynical about the world as I am?
(Some would say of Disney [Walt]: from the onset)
I’m of two minds about this.
On one hand: yay, preach it, sistah. Speak the truth, early and often.
Having been OBGYN, which requires you to be at least 10% raging feminist, I have a bit of an aversion to slick, eager men; equating sexualization to liberation of women; and cutesy, soppy, ultimately insincere gestures and sayings. And while there was still much of the above to balk at - the existence of the other eager cute guy in the movie (though arguably more klutz than slick); the “liberated” Elsa with slinky low-cut, sheer dress and crazy hip-high slit (Angelina Jolie got nothin' on her); some genuinely frilly songs and pushy match-making trolls - it was still a nice surprise, the handsome, evil prince, and the applaudable, though slightly but pleasantly predictable way that Anna saves the day.
What a great life lesson!
Looks can be deceiving.
Charming people may just be using you.
Don’t marry people you have only known for 24 hours.
Hopefully that’ll prevent a Vegas marriage or honeymoon murder or two.
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| Is this the face of a bad guy? YES. |
On the other hand, shouldn’t it make you, as it does me, a little sad that it has come to this - that children’s entertainment feels the need to warn little girls of the dangers of handsome men who say they love you, but are total liars and just want to use you, because this happens much too sadly and too frequently in the real world?
It’s also kind of sad to see the end of innocence, no matter how little and perhaps necessary - to see children go from wide-eyed idealism to, well, me. In that instant, hearing that loss in the sharp tiny intakes of breath and small outcries of surprise of the kids all around me, it was surprisingly a bit unsettling.
But, let’s not over-analyze: in the end, Frozen is neither child-directed feminist manifesto, nor innocence-stealing succubus.
It’s just a movie.
A Disney movie.
A fairly thoughtful, visually appealing Disney movie about the power of sisterly love.
It’s not perfect - the relationship between the sisters isn’t nearly as fleshed out as it should be; the music, despite Idina Menzel’s considerable talents, are not very memorable; Tangled, in both story and song, is much more entertaining - but it’s fun, it’s got a reindeer that acts like a dog, a snowman who longs for summer, and a virtual snow-covered Norway as its stunning backdrop.
And that’s pretty much all the child left in me really needs.
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