Andrew Shin: Lion King Film Response

Personally, Lion King  has always been one of my favorite movies. Seeing it again has made me remember how extraordinarily beautiful both the animations and soundtrack are. I really commend Hans Zimmer, Lebo M, Elton John, and all other musicians hired to work on this project. Having  read through the articles for Monday in addition to several others talking about the making of the soundtrack, I was relieved when I found out that the  original dialogue-based opening was replaced with a music-centered animation sequence. The first scene is just so majestic in its natural grandeur  that it sets a high standard for the rest of the film.

There is something to be said about the fact that monarchy is such a central theme to the movie. Under Mufasa's leadership, the kingdom prospered. Food was plentiful and the beautiful weather reflected the abundance of the land. Mufasa also represents the only competent monarch within the film. As such, the monarchy thrived with his direction. Yet the movie also points out the weaknesses to monarchical system in that the state of all things depends on one being alone. Under Scar, the lands withered. All of the animals died and his subjects (the lions and hyenas) went hungry. Here, we can see the monarchy when a cruel and careless leader takes the throne. And then there is Simba. Simba, for the latter half of the film, can be considered the reluctant king. He shies away from responsibility and as a result, his kingdom suffers. The instability of the monarchical system is very well highlighted in this film.

The scene with the Scar and the hyenas at the elephant graveyard was extremely unsettling. As a  child, I had not thought twice about any underlying social commentary that this  scene  might be trying to communicate. However, looking at a second time with a more mature perspective, the parallels to North Korean and Nazi military parades are shockingly apparent. For once, I have to say that this sort of commentary coming from a Disney film is valid. This isn't a  downgrading of women  or attack on foreign  cultures as we have seen  so often in the past. Instead, I would  say  that this is the only social commentary that I found acceptable. Dictatorial regimes like those of North Korea and Nazi Germany are evil. The message is clear and, for me at least, well-received.

Perhaps the only problematic theme that exists in  this film is the image of "Africa". Even when watching videos about the making of the film, producer after producer would always talk about capturing that "African" feel. Yet can the entirety of a continent with a multitude of nations and an  even greater number of individual cultures be reflected into one film? That wasn't rhetorical. The answer is "no". The image of "Africa" suggests that it is this magical place with lions and antelope and grasslands that stretch as far as the eye can see. Unfortunately, this is a false picture that seeks to draw on old stereotypes of this mysterious and  exotic place simply called "Africa". This is my only  criticism of the film as it draws first impressions and relies on  stereotypes. To end on a positive note, here is my favorite meme template from Lion King: