I wanna be where the good films are...
Oh hey, we got there! It's time for a few weeks of consistently high-quality Disney flicks, with the award-winning '90s Renaissance period. Get ready for Beasts and Hunchbacks a-plenty, Greek Gods and Genies galore. But first, we're diving into a family favourite...
The Little Mermaid (1989)
There are a number of reasons that Disney's animated films of this period feel like a return to form. One is the source material. Far from the city-slick modern retelling of Oliver Twist with sunglasses-wearing dogs, Disney returns to nostalgic, period-set, proper fairytales. The Little Mermaid is the first in a string of films that seem to have spiritually picked up straight where Sleeping Beauty left off, with princesses, romance, magic, perilous battles, and show-stopping musical numbers.
 |
| The scenes when we finally come out of lockdown |
This film might just be one of the best examples of this musical fairytale formula working at its best. From the opening scene, where the dashing Prince Eric's ship is setting sail for adventure, we're plunged into an age past, where men sing sea shanties and mermaids live in glistening palaces under the sea. (I'm assuming this is historically accurate). As well as setting a dreamlike, story-book feel, the opening song 'Fathoms Below,' which blends seamlessly into the film's overture, gives you the impression that you are about to settle in for a proper, Broadway-style musical. And, of course, it doesn't disappoint.
 |
| Perfect shot of Flounder there |
Legendary composer Alan Menken (along with genius lyricist Howard Ashman) has written some of the greatest Disney songs of all-time, spanning The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin — and Menken continues to give magical life to Disney films to this day. As compelling as The Little Mermaid is in its story and characters, it's Menken and Ashman who put the wind in its sails — which in turn breathed new life into Disney's releases going forward. 'Part of Your World' is deceptively simple, but heartbreakingly tender. 'Under the Sea' is infectiously joyous. 'Kiss the Girl' is smooth and velvety. And 'Poor Unfortunate Souls' — well, it's a cabaret headliner.
Speaking of which (or 'witch') The Little Mermaid delivers one of Disney's best ever villains. Ursula takes everything important to an old school Disney villain — the menace of Maleficent, the manipulation of Lady Tremaine, the madness of Cruella — and adds her own swaggering, campy charm. She's essentially a Drag Queen, chewing the scenery at every turn, and unapologetically getting her nasty sh-t done. Poor unfortunate Ariel is really no match for this evil auntie.
 |
| When deciding what to get from the Chinese takeaway |
Another striking element of Ursula's rhetoric, and a theme that comes to the surface surprisingly often in the film, is a transparent discussion of sexual politics. While parents in recent times complain — perhaps rightly — that the moral of this tale (that a woman literally gives up her voice to get a man) is grossly unfeminist, we have to remember that there is an element of subversion at play. During Ursula's bargaining with Ariel to take her voice in exchange for turning her human, she famously tells her to use 'body language' to attract the object of her desires, Prince Eric.
'The men up there don't like a lot of blabber / They think a girl who gossips is a bore!'
This, coming from the villain, is of course a jab at the outdated notion that men want women to be seen and not heard — and Ariel only cautiously believes it as she has zero experience of human interaction. Unsurprisingly, we soon learn that Ariel's lack of verbal communication with Eric is the main reason she doesn't secure his 'true love's kiss' sooner. He wants a woman with her own unique voice.
 |
| 'Look out, the flume is just ahead!' |
Having said this, though, the character design does have a noticeable sexual overtone compared to previous Disney films. While Ursula shimmies and struts around, flaunting, let's say, her ample bosom, Ariel herself cuts rather a provocative figure for a 16-year-old. Of course, as a mermaid, there's nothing inherently inappropriate with her wearing a couple of seashells and not much else — but her body-language as she emerges from the sea, and the cheeky camera angles around her naked form before she gets clothed to see Eric, all seem to point to something just a little suggestive below the surface.
 |
| Who filmed this, Michael Bay? |
We see this again in Jasmine and Aladdin's flirting, and perhaps even more obviously with Meg's teasing of Hercules. The main explanation I can think of is that it mirrored depictions of teenage sexuality in the rest of Hollywood at the time. Think coming-of-age movies like Dirty Dancing and Sixteen Candles. Much like the recent wave of feminism has played down heterosexual stereotypes in recent years, the '80s and '90s were all about strong, yet sexually alluring female characters.
Anyway, got myself a bit carried away with a deep analysis of an animated singing mermaid there. One of the joys of The Little Mermaid, which carries through all the best Disney films, is that there's plenty for adults, teens, and kids to enjoy. Alongside teenage romance, you've also got the hilarious slapstick sequence 'Les Poissons,' where a crazed French chef tries to stuff poor old Sebastian the crab, and the charming misunderstanding when Ariel thinks a fork is a comb (because a seagull told her so). Sebastian, Scuttle, and Flounder make a funny and heartwarming trio of Ariel's cheerleaders. And even the hapless King Triton makes our hearts melt by the closing credits. All-in-all, this one swims its way straight into the Classic Disney vault.
 |
| Me in hayfever season |
Villain Rating: 10/10. Ursula is absolutely one of the best Disney Villains of all time. If she wasn't so obviously evil, shriveling people into little shrimps and such, I'd honour her as my queen.
Best Song: It's a strong soundtrack, but I think 'Under The Sea' just clinches it. It's easy to forget how great it is when it's one of the most overplayed, but the toe-tapping calypso beat and uplifting tune make it an absolute bop. Not to mention those lyrics — 'What do they got, a lot of sand? We got a hot crustacean band!'
Disney Detail: I didn't spot any obvious easter eggs in this one, but that could be because it's intentionally setting a new age, while being unmistakably 'Disney'.
Why it's a Classic: This is a return to Disney purity. A fairytale through and through, The Little Mermaid has the nostalgic, sparkling feel of early Disney classics like Cinderella, Pinocchio, and Sleeping Beauty, brought up-to-date with wry humour, and a modern soundtrack deserving of the best Broadway musical. And it's the start of a pretty special streak in the Disney animated canon.
No comments:
Post a Comment