It would be hard to find a person in our world who has not seen a Disney movie. Disney films are fun, entertaining, and family-friendly. They are great to enjoy with your kids, and fun to watch even years after they have been released. The music within each film is brilliant, and the story lines are quite impressive. But, what I find the most intriguing is that the messages within the films give a clear depiction of the values in our culture for that era of time. They often make social and political statements, through the morals in the story. Disney is brilliant. Disney movies teach us through entertainment. They can shape our worldview, and impact public opinion. However, sometimes we have to look a little bit deeper to get the message.
Let's take a look at one of the greatest Disney films ever created: The Lion King. The Lion King is easily one of the most pro-capitalism movies of all time. At first glance, it appears to be nothing more than a bunch of cute animals, singing and dancing. However, the characters within the movie brilliantly portray how free market principles are superior to socialism or communism.
Recall the character Mufasa. He was the king of the lions and a benevolent ruler. He did not have his hands intimately involved in everything that was happening in the pride lands, but was aware of what was going on. His greatest concern was keeping tabs on the hyenas, who wanted to terrorize, kill, and devour the animals on his territory. The hyenas' fear of Mufasa kept them at bay. But a dark figure loomed in the shadows. This figure would liberate the hyenas from their bonds and bring in a new era where lions and hyenas could live in harmony. He was Mufasa's brother, and his name was Scar.
Scar was the intellectual of the family. He had all sorts of ideas concerning how he could improve their community through fairness and equality. He was hatefully jealous of his brother, Mufasa, who received the respect and love of everyone in the pride lands. He wallowed in his helpless misery until, one day, he discovered that he could use Mufasa's love for his son, Simba, against him. Scar saw that if he found a way to secretly assassinate Mufasa and Simba, he would be the king of the pride lands. This leads to a remarkable musical number that gets down to the very core of Scar's true nature.
In the song, Be Prepared, Scar commands the hyenas to follow his lead, carry out his plan, and get rid of Mufasa and Simba. Within the song, Scar praises his own brilliance and calls his plot the chance of a lifetime and the coup of the century. This is typical language of revolutionaries who want to enforce their will on their thoughtless followers (in this case, the hyenas). In return for helping him become king, Scar promised the hyena's that they would never go hungry again. Following this declaration is a scene where hordes of hyenas are goose stepping to the beat of the song and praising Scar as their king. Scar's plan to kill Mufasa was ultimately a success, but Simba escaped and was essentially exiled from the pride lands.
Now, the hyenas expected Scar's plan to result in a Utopian society where lions and hyenas lived in harmony, but what they got was even more miserable than how they lived under Mufasa. The hyenas wanted Mufasa back; for, under his leadership, they had food to eat. At first, under scars rulership, they were getting plenty of the food. The lions were having to provide for them, but eventually the food ran out. The lionesses were having to venture outside of the pride lands, as they were left with desolate wastelands in their midst. The hyenas represent those who want much, all in the name of "equality," but do little work to obtain it. Eventually, under all socialistic regimes, all people are left with a lifestyle that is less than desirable. Those who work hard have most of their resources taken away from them, and those who do not work have to rely on the ruling class to provide.
The beloved Timon and Pumbaa represent the typical Hakuna Matata mentality. It means no worries. It was a fun rendition to watch in the film, and it left a song that will forever play in our minds when we think of The Lion King. Timon and Pumbaa were living a great worry-free life, until the lions started hunting them. Then, they realized that it all matters. They needed to help their friend, Simba, to fight to gain back the pride lands.
At the climax of the movie, Simba returns to reclaim his kingdom and confronts his uncle, Scar. Scar cowers in fear because Simba was younger, stronger, and commanded more loyalty from the lionesses. In his moment of helplessness, Scar chose to blame the hyenas for the desolation. A battle ensues and Simba ousts Scar, takes back the pride land, and restores the order that once existed.
In The Lion King, Scar thought that his new kingdom was paradise on earth. He banned any mention of Mufasa's name. He did not want anyone to recall the way things used to be because he liked his new Utopian society. The misery around him didn't matter. He was king.
The only thing to make the pride lands great again was the freedom to work and to prosper under a strong, moral leader, who wanted the best for his land. The restoration of the pride lands was a great example of the hope of our country, a country that has morals and a strong foundation in free enterprise.
No comments:
Post a Comment