Remember what Disney used to be ...

Rating: 10/10 (16 October 2011)

It's an interesting coincidence that "The Lion King" was released one year before the groundbreaking "Toy Story": the first animated feature in 3D that would pave the way for a new kind of family entertainment. "The Lion King" is the Disney Renaissance period at its pinnacle and probably the last hand-drawn Disney classic.
Now, I won't mention Pixar and the 3D animated features again, because I want, for once, to take a big plunge and get back to that magical year that was 1994. Disney Renaissance was this unexpected animated streak that started with "The Little Mermaid" and brought up memorable masterpieces such as "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin", which finally elevated the world of Animation to the same level of spectacular greatness and respectability than live-action films. But I think there are two words that get often mixed up : masterpieces and classics, a movie can be an excellent technical accomplishment but for some reasons, it gets less recognition than a minor film. I like "Mermaid", the two B's and I'm a big fan of "Aladdin", they might be classic in terms or notoriety, but there are more of animated masterpieces, while it can be said about "The Lion King" that it's not only a masterpiece, but also a timeless classic.
"The Lion King" is not an exhilarating adventure, nor a passionate romance, not a comic film, it's a wonderful coming-of-age story, focusing on the most universal values that guide our lives. On that level, the film is to Disney Renaissance what "Bambi" was to the Golden Age. And the comparison here is not fortuitous, "The Lion King" works almost as an adult drama whose most important theme is succession and passing of time, with the interesting notion that Simba, the central character, must conquer a lost title back. From the opening, we get the full meaning of the eternal cycle of time, with a rising sun announcing the birth of the new Prince, and all the animals of the savanna coming to pay respect to the King Mufasa's newborn son. The opening sequence of "The Lion King" with Elton John's "Circle of Life" is probably one of Disney greatest movie moments ever, and the proof, it it ever was needed, of that Disney capability to touch hearts and command our feelings with the simple magic use of motion and colors.
This sequence and every following frame highlight the perfect mastery of every technical element : the animation, the dazzling cinematography with the perfect use of reliefs and colors to illustrate the diversity of a rich animal microcosm, the direction, the music, I mean both the score and the songs, the characters and probably more than anything, the story. It's about succession, family, life and death, jealousy and betrayal with the villain whose no one but the King's brother, Scar, whose suave voice from Jeremy Irons, provides a touch I would qualify as 'Shakespearian', a more sophisticated word for 'universal'. But forget these big words, because to understand why "The Lion King" is such an endearing classic, we have to regard it through the eyes of those who discovered the film as kids.
In "The Lion King", there's no romance, it's not about getting the girl, or the boy, the main character is a kid who wants to become like his father, who learns about the meaning of life, of courage and more than anything, of his identity, something sacred based on two pivotal elements : heritage and family, the past and the future, the very position in the circle of life. We can all relate to Simba as kids and as adults. And generally, the Disney stories that are centered on a kid are more appealing : "Dumbo" was about difference's acceptance, "Pinocchio" about responsibilities, "The Fox and the Hound" about tolerance, "Jungle Book" about  not that one was just pure fun  Romances rely on so many elements of predictability it easily undermines their appeal, and to recognize Disney romances, they're generally the ones where you most remember the scene-stealing sidekicks or comic relief characters.
In "The Lion King", Simba is the heart of the story, and we follow him during an epic journey in life, with his father and mentor, Mufasa, the King with that naturally authoritarian James Earl Jones' voice. Just thinking of the scene where they play at night gives me shudders, and I mean it : any boy close to his father can understand that level of tenderness and love  and of course, it makes the following sequence even more horrific, but this is what makes the film so memorable. Generations of kids have been traumatized by Bambi mom's death, why sparing ours? As usual, in Disney films, death, if not part of life, is part of a learning process, tragic but necessary. This is "The Lion King", a wonderful story, populated by a gallery of (literally) colorful characters following an extraordinary soundtrack with so many unforgettable catchy songs, that lurched the film into pop culture memories : "Hakuna Matata !"
If there was ever a music associated with 1994, it would belong to "The Lion King", and I'm glad it won an Oscar for this, as I'm glad Hans Zimmer won for the score too, as it probably is the musical expression of the film's emotional power. The conclusion of the film where Simba gets back on the top of the rock and starts roaring give me thrills (just thinking of it) and never fails to make me cry.
There are no words to describe what makes "The Lion King" so great. It's like the Disney team decided to combine all the efforts for a last masterpiece ... that would become one of the greatest animated films ever. So great I would have loved that the ghost of Walt Disney would haunt them every once in a while, saying : "Remember who you are"