The Lion King is the Disney movie that holds the most nostalgia/memories for me and my brothers, so watching it was surprisingly comforting this weekend. It strikes me as the film that imparts the most wisdom and deeper lessons than the other Disney films we have watched this semester. There’s something about Mufasa in the clouds or on the top of Pride Rock that strikes a different chord within me and within all viewers, making The Lion King a movie you can watch over and over again, love every time, and never get sick of. It invokes a very warm feeling in a way only Disney films can, like coming home or a warm hug.
Also, this is undoubtedly my favorite soundtrack of all Disney movies ever. While the Broadway version is objectively better, Hans Zimmer did an impeccable job with instrumentals behind emotional scenes that make you feel the story within you so much more intensely. It’s fantastic and I listen to it all of the time.
I got strong Thor-Loki vibes from Mufasa and Scar. In coloring- Mufasa as literally the golden boy, Scar with dark hair; in size- Mufasa is strong and built like Thor, while Scar is lean, spry, and long; and definitely in temperment. Scar and Loki share similar mischievous way of speaking, though Loki doesn’t have the deep and sinister british accent. Mufasa and Thor share the noble and wise british accent as well as the ability to say absurdly dramatic/emotional/wise points. If Thor was a father, he would be Mufasa. However, I am sure there are other villain-hero pairs that one could compare Mufasa and Scar to.
I was surprised to notice racial stereotypes at play in the film, specifically in the characters of the Hyenas- Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed (also really? Ed?). Shenzi and Banzai are the only characters voiced by non-white actors and they have a noticeably different dialect or way of speaking. They are portrayed as dumb, evil, greedy, brutal, et cetera. They are loud and unproductive, they rely on Scar for food, and they can barely follow Scar’s orders. They live segregated from the rest of the animals, and they are not explained to be part of the “Circle of Life”. They are the ‘other’- the non-whites, and they are clearly ‘lesser’ or ‘uneducated’. Also, Hyenas are vital to the ecosystem- Lions (and other animals) don’t just ‘become the grass’ as Mufasa explains to Simba, they are decomposed by Hyenas.
Further, “Be Prepared” is quite disturbing. Scar is very explicit in his desire to MURDER Mufasa and Simba, Scar very clearly symbolizes Hitler, the environment clearly resembles that of a Nazi rally, and the Hyenas become aggressively like Nazi soldiers in the way they march and walk, and then they all creepily laugh at the end.
While most of the main characters are male, Nala and Sarabi are very strong female characters. Nala is Simba’s equal- they are best friends, she does not need saving, they wrestle and bicker from the beginning, and she is the catalyst for Simba realizing he needs to go home. She doesn’t strike me as his girl but as his partner.
I love this movie, and I always will. I cannot wait for the live action version and I hope they solve some of the critiques with this one.
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