Avery, The Lion King (Disney)

I must confess that I have never quite understood The Lion King craze. I never hated the movie or made of point of not watching it, but it was never my first choice. In fact, when filling out the survey for this class, I didn’t list it as a movie I wanted to unpack as a class. Watching the movie today with the intent of analyzing it, I recognize why it appeals to so many people. Free of humans – and therefore seemingly free of the social and political problems of humans – it’s a fun (but tragic) movie about wild animals who manage to coexist despite their biological instincts. It’s colorful, lively, and full of song – what’s not to love? 

A closer look at the intricacies and subtle details of The Lion King, however, complicates the idea that movie is just about a bunch of animals living in harmony with each other and the earth. What stood at to me from the very beginning was the Christian framing of the plot. The opening scene of the movie shows all the animals coming together for “the presentation of Simba,” which has an uncanny resemblance to a baptism as Rafiki marks his head and holds him up for all to see. Then, as Simba takes in the sight of his kingdom for the first time, the sunlight breaks through the clouds and shines on him as if to say the Heavens choose him. 

Such motifs recur throughout the movie. Mufasa explains to Simba that “everything the light touches is [their] kingdom.” Because the imagery of the light shining down from the sky is often associated with the Heavens and God, such dialogue suggests Mufasa’s – and eventually Simba’s – right to rule the Pride Land was given to them by a divine being. Additionally, at the very end, once Scar has been defeated and Simba has reclaimed his rightful place as king, the rain comes and washes away the darkness of Scar’s rule. The paradisiacal restoration of the Pride Land both evokes Biblical imagery and further implies that Simba’s right to rule comes from some higher being.

Alongside, promoting underlying Christian values, The Lion King also gives Disney yet another platform to be political. As a villain, Scar and his scenes scarily resemble something out of one of the fascist or communist dictatorships of the 20th Century. Specifically, in his song “Be Prepared,” both the lyrics and the imagery suggest men like Hitler, Mussolini, Franco and Stalin were inspirations for his character.  "13 Reasons Why 'Be Prepared' the 'The Lion King' Is Actually the Most Horrifying Scene Ever" gives some terrifyingly accurate comparisons between Scar and Hitler (see reasons five through eight). Also, in the song, Scar sings about bringing in “a shiny, new era” in which he is “respected, saluted,” and undisputedly king - language often used by dictators. As he sings, the hyenas march stiffly and robotically like the soldiers of Nazi Germany in the 1930s or North Korea today. 

All in all, The Lion Kingis a good movie. But, its status as iconic and classic shouldn’t prevent it from being scrutinized. “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” is a bop and Nala’s hilarious and strong character saves the movie from being too testosterone-heavy. However, it’s troubling how Disney Westernizes Africa through Christian motifs even without the presence of humans. It’s also troubling how all the villains, Scar and the hyenas, have visibly darker complexions than everyone else. Let’s hope that Disney corrects some of its mistakes in the live-action version.