Research Plan

Slide one: Can recurrent themes and issues found in Disney animations be considered Auteur signatures?


Slide two: What is an Auteur signature?

• What does it mean?
• What makes an Auteur signature?
  
• Is Disney studios an Auteur?
  

Slide three: What are the themes and issues found in Disney animations?

• The themes and issues I have found present in the Disney films I've studied.

Slide 4 : Royalty

• Marina Warner.
• Universal to aspire to - riches, respect, power etc
  

Slide 5: Love

Slide 6 : Friendship

Slide 7: Family

Slide 8: Fantasy/ Fairytale

Slide 9: Good vs Evil

Slide four: How much of the original stories have Disney changed?

• Originals vs Disney adaptations - how big are the changes and what specifically has been changed
• Lion King as an original story - controversy.

Slide five: Why has Disney made these changes?

• Expectations from the audience- appeal?
  
• Widen the audience - when did it change from kids films to universally suitable?
  
• Success
• etc
  

Slide six: How successful are Disney animations?

• box office figures
• impact
• reviews

Slide seven: Reasons for the success

• is it because they deliver what is expected of them in terms of themes? style? story?
• less successful disney films? why?

Slide eight: So Can reccurent themes and issues found in disney animations be considered an auteur signature?

• explain why no
• explain why yes
• and my opinion.

How successful have these films been?

Beauty and the Beast -
Production budget: $25 million
Worldwide total : $377,350,553
Opening weekend : $9,624,149 (third most successful that weekend - behind The Addams family and Cape fear)

The Lion King-
Production budget: $45 million
Worldwide total: $455,300,000
Opening weekend: $40,888,194 (most successful that weekend - earned $30,000,000 more than the second most successful, Speed)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Production budget: $1.499 million
Domestic gross:$184,925,486Cinderella (Re-issue from 1981, original release not found)
Production budget: N/A
Domestic gross: $28,040,000
domestic opening weekend: $1,300,000

From reading the original tales I can conclude that..

Although there are certain themes and issues that are already present in the original stories, (royalty, good vs evil, vulnerable female protagonist figure), Disney consistently include themes of their own which do appear to be signatures of the studio.

• Enchanted animal or objects as friends add to the element of fantasy in the films, as well as being able to let a lot more depth of the protagonists' character be explored.
• Representation of women - traditional, negative- women in Disney animations are either vulnerable and weak, home makers and house keepers, cooking and cleaning after people, dependent, yet beautiful and dainty, or they are evil, controlling, psychopathic, desperate for wealth, youth, beauty and attention.
• The antagonist in Disney animations is predominantly actually part of the family of the protagonists. - Evil Step mother, Uncle Scar, etc
• A broken home/single parent family - appears to be a very Disney stamp on the stories, sometimes finding a mother/father figure of their missing parent in another character - Rafiki shows Simba his father is in the sky, Mrs Potts mothers Belle.
• Love and romance, - emphasized much more in Disney animations than the original stories, love is represented as a dream to aspire to - very idealic.
  
• Adventurous fun developing friendships is also a theme which Disney force upon each of the tales in order to make them family friendly.

These are conventions which the Disney audience has learned to expect from Disney animations, without them the success of the films may be effected dramatically. Disney make conscious decisions to cut out any themes and issues which may take away from the happy, adventurous and romantic tone to their animations, which give a consistency to their work.
The Lion King was the first Disney animation to be written from an original idea. It's controversy with the not-so-suitable for children scene of Mufasa's death was a risk. However the bright and exciting African theme with catchy songs and exciting friendships and subplots managed to make it so successful that Disney took it out of the American cinemas in order to re-release it at Thanksgiving in order to make even more money.
Is this because it was fresh and new or because it followed the same themes and issues expected from it's audience? I will look at the success of the other Disney films using Box Office Mojo.

Textual Analysis of a Scene in Cinderella

The end scene of Cinderella in which Cinderella finally gets to prove herself and marry the Prince includes themes of love, friendship, royalty, good vs evil, family and fairytale/fantasy; all the themes and issues I found recurrent between my chosen Disney animations.

• Medium long shot of the Grand Duke asking whether Cinderella's Stepmother and step sisters are the only ladies in the house. He is obviously royal, as can be told from his costume.
• 
• He's interrupted by Cinderella's Stepmother, who by this point in the film is recognised by the spectator as the antagonist. (Obviously interrupting someone, especially of importance, is a rude thing to do - although she says "your grace".)
• 
• The evil Stepmother stands in the shadows, low key lighting, with dark arched eyebrows and a long thin face with high neck to make her look more crow-like and menacing.
• The way that the Stepmother speaks is purposeful and stern, showing she is powerful.
• Shot reverse shot between the Grand Duke and the Evil Stepmother show the Grand Duke putting on a rediculously tall hat (likely for comic effect as this is a film for all the family), and start to leave the house - a moment where the spectator almost believes that the evil Stepmother has won, and that Cinderella has missed her chance..
• "Your Grace, Your Grace!" - Cinderella's diegetic voice is heard from offscreen. - Cinderella is extremely polite, in contrast to how her Stepmother spoke.
• An extreme long shot of Cinderella running down the stairs towards the Grand Duke accompanied by non-diegetic parallel music highlight the film's protagonist taking back the control - the confrontational moment of the "showdown" between good and evil, although the non-confrontational moment played more of a part, where the animals helped free Cinderella from the tower that the Stepmother had locked her in.
• An eye level medium shot shows Cinderella's Stepmother and Step-sisters in shock and disgust at Cinderella being free and brave enough to come stand her ground.
• Diegetic sounds of them complaining about how Cinderella shouldn't be allowed to try on the slipper are offscreen on a medium shot of Cinderella's legs running down the stairs from the Great Duke's point of view - this confirms to the spectator that he is not going to listen to them anymore and that Cinderella is finally getting her moment.
• "A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes" plays non-diegetically, the song which has represented Cinderella's hopes throughout the film.
• A long shot shows the Stepmother try to block the Duke's path calling Cinderella "an imaginative child" - but she is pushed aside by the Duke, who scorns her as his orders were to try every maiden. - giving Cinderella more of the power between them all the time.
• A tracking shot of the man carrying the slipper on a pillow has the Stepmother hold her cane out in front of his feet so he trips and the slipper smashes all over the floor, quickly pulling away the hope and confidence built in both the Duke and the spectator.
• The non-diegetic music becomes distressed and sorrowful, adding to the feeling of dispair, as the Duke lays on the floor and cries over the shards of glass - making the spectator think there is no way to rectify the situation.
• 
• A medium close up of the Stepmother in the shadows smiling an evil smile also adds to this feeeling, as well as showing that the Stepmother has taken back power over Cinderella, which is what Cinderella had been wishing for freedom from throughout the whole film.
• Medium shot of Cinderella sat in a red and gold chair - makes her look more important, power, she brings out the other slipper and the music cruscendos - sounds more hopeful and exciting.
• Close up of the Stepmothers shocked face as the music cruscendos is the final strike against the films antagonist in this showdown scene. She has obviously been defeated, as Cinderella is now to marry the Prince, and become a member of the royals.
• The mice and birds celebrate Cinderella's good fortune at the top of the stairs together in a low angle long shot - showing their true friendship, as they are supportive.
• Probably the most iconic shot of all is a tracking shot inwards as the Grand Duke slips the glass slipper onto Cinderella's foot, and the shot dissolves to a shot tracking outwards of wedding bells which dissolves again to a large clock, and then dissolves again to Cinderella and Prince Charming running down the stairs together after getting married. The dissolve has been used again to show romance, as well as time passing. This moment is where the spectator knows for sure that Cinderella has a very happy ending.
• The extreme long shot of Cinderella losing her shoe on the stairs not only pays homage to the night that she met the Prince, but also creates the running joke on Cinderella, feeling like an inside joke for spectators, and making Cinderella more endearing.
• The King slips Cinderella's shoe on, in a medium long shot, which tilts upwards to show Cinderella kiss his bald head - not only comical, but also expressing that she has already been very welcomed into her new family.
• All very high key to show the change in mood.
• "A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes" plays again, Cinderella's theme. And now her wish has come true. A tracking shot of the carriage shows her wave goodbye to her old life as she rides off with her new Prince Charming. Shots of the mice waving goodbye, as well as Bruno the dog running by the carriage, show that they won't stop being friends, and that their friendship is true.
• The final shot of the film of Cinderella and Prince Charming kissing, and the book closing, also reinforces their love for each other, and the fact that it is a romantic fairytale.

Textual Analysis of a Scene in Beauty and the Beast

The scene in which Belle and the Beast fall in love, "Something There". I felt that this scene expressed quite a lot of the signatures that are present in the Disney animations I have been researching.

• Two-shot of Belle and the Beast eating together - pink curtains, red carpet - warm rich colours symbolising love.
• Chandelier to show riches/royalty
  
• Snow outside the caslte windows - picture perfect, very romantic.
• High key lighting - happy.
• Sound bridge of song "Something There" to show their love develp over the course of the song, the lyrics of the song act as a narration of this as they sing out their true feelings.
• Close up as the sugar and milk pour in the bowl by themselves - this is an enchanted and magical castle - they are helpful and friendly.
• 
• Eye level medium shot of Belle eating with a spoon very elegantly - her dress is also pretty and elegant.

• 
• This is in contrast to a medium shot of the Beast with food all over his face, his clothes, and the table, with his face in the bowl making load slurping noises.
• Shot reverse shot between the two of them, Belle doesn't know how to act to the Beast's table manners.
• Mrs Potts and Chip - friends of both Belle and the Beast, in a high angle two shot, to put the spectator in the position of the Beast- offer him guidance by pushing forward a spoon in encouragement.
• .
• Mrs Potts is motherly to the Beast - mother figure.
• Chip laughs when the Beast can't use a spoon, but Mrs Potts is able to shame him with just a look.


• Shot reverse shot of eye level medium shots of Belle and the Beast show them both come to a compromise of sipping from their bowls to bring them onto the same level. This is then shown in a long two shot to show that they are equal now, as they raise their bowls to each other and drink.


• The music is parallel, and lighting is high key giving off a positive mood.
• This dissolves into an extreme long shot of the two of them in the snow - the dissolve is an editing technique often used to express romance.


• Belle is wearing pink and red again - to represent their love and her beauty.
• Although it is winter, the snow and high key lighting makes the scene appear more pure, romantic, and happy, rather than cold.
• Birds sing outside - ambient sound.
• The Beast tries to coax the little birds onto his hands with seeds in a low angle medium show, but they fly away - a long shot of him approaching the birds quicker and quicker with them escaping each time shows his naivety and innocence, as he doesn't mean to scare them but doesn't know what he's doing.


• Belle shows him if he is gentle and waits for the birds to approach him then they will be more comfortable in doing so - the birds then all surround him, showing that Belle has things to teach him, and that she can complete him.


• As the couple start to have feelings for each other they don't understand them
• "..and when we touched she didn't shudder at my paw,
• no it can't be, I'll just ignore, but then she's never looked at me that way before."


• "New, and a bit alarming, who'd have ever thought that this could be?
• True, that he's no Prince Charming, but there's something in him that I simply didn't see."
• They have a snowball fight as Lumiére, Mrs Potts, and Cogsworth sing - strong friendship/family unit - they hope for the best for Belle and the Beast.


• Belle and the Beast sit by the fire in the background of a long shot of Lumiére, Cogsworth, Chip, Mrs Potts, and Babette, and read together - the mise en scéne is full of warmth, warm colours, lots of red to again symbolise their love - purples to show royalty, as well as the sheild above the fire.


• The lighting is low key but warm, as the main light source is the fireplace.
• The characters in the foreground act like a family.
  

Here is a video of the clip I have analysed.

Auteur theory research

The Origin of the Auteur theory in France

• The Auteur Theory originated in france, initially known as "Le Politique des Auteurs".


• A left wing intellectual and film maker in post-war France, Alexandre Astruc, wrote an article named "The Birth of a New Avant-Garde: la Caméra-Stylo", 1948, constructing the theory.


• This named the film maker as an artist.


• During the war, Americans had developed light-weight 16mm cameras - making it possible for small groups to create films, as well as the big studios.


• Combined with television, film making was now becoming available to many- like it had never been before.


• After the war, Hollywood films could be seen in France.


• The Politique des Auteurs was established to show film making as an art, serious, and to support its quality.


• André Bazin resisted this theory, and felt that the film maker should be seen as passively recording the real world, not constructing and manipulating it. - However hypocritically, he was a fan of Hollywood directors Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock.


• Bazin criticised that the work could be ascribed to an "auteur" if they had never been part of the history of film or society.


• "Bazin's criticism of the politique was perceptive" (The Cinema Book, Pam Cook & Mieke Bernink, 1994)


• "Metteurs-en-scene" - discussions began about directors of film and true auteurs who have a uniquelly individual style in their film making.


• Bazin again criticised that mise-en-scene shouldn't reflect the director but the film itself, to allow the meaning of the film to be expressed.

The History of the Auteur Theory in America

• In the '40's and '50's, the "best films" were social realism films, with commertial films not being classed as "quality".


• In the '50's, Hollywood started selling old movies to television, so people could see earlier work of directors who were at their peak at the time.


• In the late '50's/early 60's, Andrew Sarris, writing for "The Villiage Voice", and "Film Culture" began arguing for the Auteur theory, as well as that cinema and it's mass audience were declining.


• In 1960's, Sarris's critical polemic was against social realism and in favour of "the art of popular cinema".


• Coming out of the Golden Era, the director became a criterion of value, rather than the star - which lead to the decline in the Hollywood Studio System, where stars were used as products rather than people, tied down by contracts to be a certain person who acts a certain way to give off a false image designed by the Studios. - This meant a growth in small-scale production facilities.


• "Many artisrs in America began experimenting with 16mm film after the war. Thus some of the social conditions which gave rise to the french "politique des auteurs" also contributed to the emergence of the auteur theory in America." (The Cinema Book, Pam Cook & Mieke Bernink, 1994)
• Andrew Sarris was responsible for introducing politique des auteurs, translating it to auteur theory, and expanding it to evaluating/classifying Hollywood cinema.
• Auteur theory was a way to evaluate films according to the directors technical competence, talent, and distict visual style.
• Sarris altered his theory to limit it only to Hollywood directors and some others who had influenced them.
• He didn't belittle those others who worked on the films, but found the director most important in the work.
• "After years of tortured revaluation, I am now prepared to stake my critical reputation, such as it is, on the proposition that Alfred Hitchcock is artistically superior to Robert Bresson by every criterion of excellence, and further, that, film for film, director for director, the American cinema has been consistantly superior to that of the rest of the world from 1915 throught 1962. Consequently, I now regard the auteur theory primarily as a critical device for recording the history of the American cinema, the only cinema in the world worth exploring in depth beneath the frosting of a few great directors at the top." (Sarris, 1962/63)

How much has Disney changed the original stories?

As a lot of Disney animations are actually adapted stories from books, I wondered if the themes and issues represented could really be called signatures of Disney if they originally came from someone else. So I decided to read the original stories and find out how much Disney made it's own.

SNOW WHITE

The 1812 folk tale first published in Germany, "Sneewitchen", or "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was written by the Brothers Grimm. The main differences between the original story and the Disney version are as follows :

• Snow White's mother wishes for her in the beginning of the original story after seeing her blood drip onto the snow outside, as she was stood at an ebony window frame. Her mother then dies when Snow White is born, and her father re-marries a year later.
• In the original tale, Snow White's step mother develops a hatred for her from the time she is seven, and the mirror states that she is more beautiful than the Queen. This festers for years before she does anything sinister.
• Snow White doesn't have a bond with animals in the Brothers Grimm version, and the dwarfs are not dirty or untidy at all. Although they let her live in their house on the condition she sews, knits, cleans and cooks for them.
• In the original story, the Queen eats the boars heart that the huntsman gives her after he lets Snow White escape.
• The Queen has three attempts of killing Snow White in the original story, first by offering to fit her bodice with new laces, and pulling them so tight that she passes out, (the seven dwarfs cut her free), second by poisoning a comb, and pushing it into her hair, (the seven dwarfs pull it out and the effect wears off), and third, by poisoning one half of an apple, and tricking her into trusting her by eating one half of the apple. - The seven dwarfs cannot save her and create a crystal coffin for her, like in the Disney film.
• In the original story, Snow White doesn't meet the Prince until she wakes up. He sees her in her coffin, falls in love with her and asks the seven dwarfs if they will let him take her home where he will gaze upon her and look after her. They agree after taking pity on him, but when his servants pick up her coffin and start taking her away, one trips, and the poisoned apple fell out of Snow White's throat, awakening her.
• It is not true loves kiss that wakes Snow White in the original story, although when she awakens, the Prince proposes, and she agrees.
• The evil Queen is invited to the wedding in the original tale, and she is given red hot shoes that make her dance for the rest of her life.

CINDERELLA

Cinderella is a story originally written by a french poet named Charles Perrault in 1729. It is not far different from the Disney animated version, however there are a few differences:

• The original Cinderella doesn't speak to the animals, they are only brought into the story when they are being turned into coachmen and footmen for her, and that is the only role they play (no friendship involved)
• Cinderella is invited back to a second ball after meeting the Prince at the first one, where as in Disney's version there is just one ball to attend.
• In the Disney animation, Cinderella leaves her life behind to live with the Prince in the palace, where-as in Perrault's version, Cinderella gives both her step-sisters a Lord to court with, a lodging at the palace each, and tells them she forgives them with all her heart after they beg her.
• When the slipper is brought to Cinderella's house, her sisters try it on and cannot fit, and then Cinderella is allowed to try it on after she requests to - she isn't locked up or prevented at all in the original story. She also slides her foot into the slipper, and then brings out the other one and puts that on too - then her fairy Godmother comes out and turns her back into the Princess she was at the ball. In Disney's version, the slipper smashes to bits on the floor, and then she brings out the second shoe to prove herself.
• There is not a lot of mention of Cinderella's mother, step-mother, or father in the original tale after the introduction. However it is said that her father is alive throughout the tale.
• In 1812, the Brothers Grimm also wrote an adaptation of Cinderella, far less family-friendly, the two sisters (beautiful with black hearts, in this case), cut off parts of their feet to try and fit into Cinderella's gold shoe. There is also an explanation of Cinderella's mother dying, and her mourning her, planting a hazel branch at her grave which turns into a magic tree which grants her wishes- in the place of the fairy Godmother.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (LA BELLE ET LA BETE)

The original tale of Beauty and the Beast was published in 1740 by Madame Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Gallon de Villeneuv. This was a long story of 362 pages, based directly around fairies. A french Aristocrat, Madame Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont then shortened it in 1756, and it was translated to english. This tale has many differences to Disney's adaptation.

• In the original story, Beauty is the youngest of six children. Her sisters are both very selfish and spoilt, and in the end of the story they are turned into statues until they can learn the error of their ways. Beauty's brothers care for her, and go off to the army as they grow older.
• Beauty's family (her siblings and father, no mention of mother), lived in a grand house in riches, until her father lost all their money and they moved into the country. In the Disney film, the story starts with Belle and her father living in the small country house.
• When Beauty's father is on a trip to try and get some of his money back, he gets lost on his way home and ends up at the Beasts house - like Maurice does in the Disney story, when he is taking a short cut to the fayre.
• The Beast anonymously gives Beauty's father dinner, a bed, fresh clothes, and breakfast, but then shows himself and becomes angry when Beauty's father tries to cut a rose to take home for Beauty. Then the Beast says that unless one of his daughters will willingly take his place, he will have to come back in three months to be killed. - This is as opposed to in the Disney animation, where the Beastis angry that Maurice has even entered the castle, then throws him in the dungeon, and Belle offers to take his place of her own will when she later finds him there.
• Beauty tells her father that she will give herself up to the Beast, although he won't hear of it. Her brothers offer to fight him, but her sisters are so selfish they just complain. - Beauty then goes to the castle with her father, and gives herself up to the Beast.
• The Beast and Beauty have dinner every night together while she lives there, and she enjoys his company as they are good friends. In the Disney film, it takes longer for Belle to start to like the Beast, as he is harsh towards her to begin with.
• The Beast asks Beauty to marry him everynight, but she declines as she only loves him as a friend.
• Like in the Disney film, the Beast lets Belle go back to see her father, although in the original story she promises to come back in one week. When at home, she sees that her sisters husbands, though good looking, are much more monstrous than the Beast could ever be, and she appreciates the Beast much more. But her sisters are horrid and purposefully keep Beauty longer than the week she promised, so that when Beauty goes back 10 days later, she finds the Beast dying of starvation outside. As he decided he couldn't live without Beauty.
• It is only here that she realises how much she loves him, and accepts his proposal of marriage, then his curse is broken and he turns into a handsome prince. - This is similar to how Disney portrays her telling the Beast she loves him, and her love causing his curse to be lifted.
• Gaston's character is only present in the Disney version, as are the enchanted objects in the castle.
• In the original story, Beauty has dreams of a fairy, who it then turns out is the fairy who originally cursed the Beast, and blesses their happiness at the end of the tale.

THE LION KING

The Lion King was the first Disney animation to be based on an original story, however it was influenced by Shakespeare's Hamlet. The tale was mainly however drawn together by Disney's pre-production team, who then noticed Hamlet similarities as the writing went on. Such as:

• A young Prince protagonist.
• An evil Uncle character, envious of the throne holder, and craving power.
• The murder of the King, who has been killed by the Uncle, with the blame falling on the Prince.
• The Prince avenging his father's death by killing his Uncle.