Hello again! As promised, this next film features animals, and lots of them. Join me in welcoming one of Disney's oldest and finest to the stage:Dumbo
Original release: October 23, 1941
So there's a little baby elephant who comes to a mama elephant in a circus. As it turns out, his ears are far too big. "Hmm," Mahewa mutters. "They must have shipped an African elephant by mistake." He is ridiculed by the other elephants and by obnoxious kids attending the circus; when his mother tries furiously to protect him, the workers think she is going mad and put her in solitary confinement. The poor baby elephant is befriended by Timothy Q. Mouse, who tries to make the kid a star attraction so he can feel good about himself and get his mother out of her cage. Little does anyone know that Dumbo has a surprising secret up his sleeve...
This classic is the fourth if the Disney animated features canon; it was preceded only by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinnochio, and Fantasia. So it's a real oldie. And, though it hurts to admit it, it's a bit...strange. My mother prefers to use the term "stylized." A handful of the scenes are definitely a bit spacey. Let's take a look.
Firstly there's the intimidating introductory narration, in the midst of a stormy night, which yields to nothing but calm storks carrying baby animals. Then there's the somewhat anthropomorphized engine of the circus train (which is actually fairly funny). There's that strange, unnecessary song when the workers and the elephants set up the circus tent in the rain. (Those are some really smart elephants!) There was Timothy's bit where he pretends to be the ringmaster's subconscious. There were the partying clowns silhouetted against the tent. And then there's the scene when Dumbo and Timothy get drunk. Ooh boy, where to start on that. At first they're hiccuping, grinning stupidly, and playing with bubbles: that was the funny part. And then...then there came the *shudder* DISTURBING part.
If that scene didn't scare you, I don't know what will.
But aside from the more (ahem) artistic scenes, this movie features a deep, endearing story. My favorite scenes are when Mrs. Jumbo is cuddling or playing with her son. "Baby Mine" almost made me cry. Every time Dumbo trips on his ears or is laughed at, you can't help but feel the utmost sympathy. There's a definite 'Don't judge a book by its cover' strain in this movie, as well as a predominant theme of unconditional motherly love.
A controversial aspect of this movie is the possibly racist portrayal of the gang of crows. While the primary crow was voiced by Cliff Edwards, the other four were voiced by members of the African-American Hall Johnson Choir. Though the crows' names are never mentioned, the lead crow is affectionately nicknamed "Jim Crow" in the script. Some have claimed that the crows were results of a racist attitude from the studio. But if you think about it, the crows are the most helpful characters towards Dumbo (besides Timothy) in the entire movie. In fact, it struck me as very similar to the Spanish-speaking Adélie penguins from Happy Feet. They are simply a nation of sorts, a familial group of characters.
The bottom line: this movie has its peculiarities, but it's sweet and moving underneath.
Mahewa's rating: 3.2/5
Check out some reviews at Ultimate Disney, The New York Times, and DVD Verdict.
2 comments:
Dumbo was actually one of my favorite movies when I was a kid, so I'm actually kind of familiar the peculiarities that you point out.
The psychedelic pink elephants that Dumbo and the mouse see were probably my favorite part of the movie. Just a couple months ago, i went to an art museum in San Francisco, and they had this huge exhibit of LSD blotters (big sheets of decorated blotter paper that are soaked with LSD). I remember seeing a whole collection of sheets that featured the crazy elephants, so apparently that scene is also very popular with hippies.
The crows were also a favorite for me, and I remember that was why my mom first explained racism to me. My brothers and I would walk around in public talking like those crows, and my mom would always be very embarrassed when people gave us strange looks.
Brendan didn't really address your post at all, sadly: how you presented your opinion or the conclusions you reached. My critique would be that you don't have a clear overarching conclusion or thesis.
Post a Comment