Topic: The Disney Mythos

Disney's films, whether they be the output of Disney Studios under Walt himself or under his successors, construct a consistent world view throughout their history. While their films have evolved over the past seventy years there is more similarity in world view between Snow White and Atlantis then there is difference. While some films have attempted to break out of one or more of the conventions of the Disney mythos, these films have been less well-received and less profitable for Disney and this has discouraged experimentation on their part.

Since all of Disney's films are aimed at children, in making comparisons with other films I have attempted to stick with other films and shows basically aimed at children -- this was not always possible.

The Conventions

Morality: Everything is always black and white, good and evil. There are no grey areas. This is the foremost hallmark of a Disney film.

Heroes are always completely heroic. There are no questionable motives, no dark secrets. Heroes like Anastasia's Dimitri or The Road to El Dorado's Tulio and Miguel, much less corrupted heroes like Bishôjo Senshi Sailor Moon's Black Lady or Mamoru would never be found in a Disney film. Even characters who seem grey are not. Robin Hood is the prototype here, robbing corrupt government officials to support the poor. Aladdin also steals, but only to eat and he shares his food with starving children. Megara works for the villain, but only because she sold her soul to save her boyfriend's life. The Dodger and Esmeralda only look roguish; they are both misunderstood by society at large because of their separate cultures. The closest Disney comes to a grey character is Kuzco, who is a brat, but is basically good deep down.

Villians are completely villainous and unredeemable. A villain never becomes a sympathetic character, even for a moment. It is virtually impossible to find any American animation that is an exception to this, so we should look to anime villains such as Bishôjo Senshi Sailor Moon's Black Moon sisters as redeemed villains or Kaworu from Shinseiki Evangelion for a sympathetic villain.

Antagonists are characters set against the hero who are not villains. The difference between them is that an antagonist simply misunderstands life, like the hunter in The Fox and the Hound or is mindless, like the carnotaurs in Dinosaur. Antagonists also never become sympathetic or understandable, like Magic Knight Rayearth's Zagato and Eagle Vision.

Society: Society, government, the people and the world are all basically good and just. A few mistakes will be made, and a villain may briefly gain control of things (King John, Frollo, Ratclife) but overall the institutions are basically good.

Action: There is always a villain or an antagonist. No Disney film moves like Ginga Tetsudou no Yoru or Hotaru no Haka against a backdrop with no antagonist, only nebulous concepts. There is always someone concrete to strive against, not a concept like death or war. Nor is any Disney movie as gentle as Tonari no Totoro, with it's complete lack of both antagonist and nebulous concept. In a Disney film, there is always action to be taken.

Character Development: Only the hero and/or heroine is given any complex characterization and motivation. Growth is allowed only to these characters as well. The villain and/or antagonist never has background and never expresses true sentiment, nor do they grow and change. We learn nothing about the past of a villain, or what has driven that character to take the actions that they do.

Looks: Appearance dictates character. An attractive character is a good guy, an ugly character is a bad guy. The exceptions here are The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Beauty and the Beast, though the latter is not as much an exception, as we know from the outset that the Beast is actually a handsome man trapped in the body of a beast. Hunchback is more of an exception, though Quasimodo is played as the platonic friend character rather than the hero of the film in many respects.

Family: Parents always love their children and danger always comes from outside the family. A true parent or an adoptive parent is never evil, only a step-mother such as in Snow White and Cinderella (though the stepmother in Cinderella fits the convention, as she cares for her two 'real' daughters) or an unwilling adoptive parent such as Frollo. Thomas O'Malley, a willing stepfather, is a loving parent, as are other adoptive parents. An example I can think of to illustrate differing parental relationships would be the relationships of any child to a parent in Shinseiki Evangelion. Exceptions to this rule are hard to find in animation aimed at children, if you know of any, please let me know.

Resolution: There is always a concrete, happy ending, good always triumphs over evil and if two people fall in love they end up together and live happily ever after. The ending is never left ambiguous or open to interpretation, like Ginga Tetsudou no Yoru, nor does it end unhappily, like Hotaru no Haka or Mahou Kishi Rayearth. The big exception in the Disney canon here is Pocahontas, though the end there is bittersweet rather than sad. Pocahontas remains an exception, even though Disney attempts to correct it with Pocahontas II. If that sequel had followed the Disney mythos, Pocahontas would have reunited with John Smith instead of falling for John Rolfe.

Ultimately a Disney film is like a bowl of Quaker Instant Oatmeal -- you enjoy it and it tastes good, and it might even be a little good for you, and occasionally it might do something different, like turn blue, but at it's core, it is very simple and straightforward, with little complexity, and no challenge to social order.