Hi everyone! I'm writing my thesis on the Disney Renaissance Era, but I'm stuck! I have ideas, but narrowing down on an argument is proving to be very difficult. I feel like I need to converse and bounce ideas off of other Disney fans to get my brain going! So I'll hit you with my idea:
I've basically divided the Renaissance into two groups: Little Mermaid, Beauty&Beast, Aladdin VERSUS Pocahontas, Hunchback, Mulan. Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine represent the more Classic Disney females, while Pocahontas, Esmeralda, and Mulan are the more New Wave Feminist figures.
After Disney's 20 year 'blah' period due to the death of Disney plus other factors, the Renaissance started with the release of the Little Mermaid (animation style evolved, music was more broadway styled). So Disney's foot was back in the door with the release of films that mirrored the classic era of Disney (Snow White, Cinderella), but with a modern twist. They try to make the female heroines more independent, (but they're really not).
The reason I put Jasmine in the first group is because even though she is Disney's first ethnic female character, she is basically the ethnic version of Snow White (plus she's a secondary character). So Disney is still giving the audience what they want, but trying to branch out racially and culturally.
Suddenly, there is a MASSIVE and SIGNIFICANT shift with the release of Pocahontas, Hunchback, and Mulan. There is a shift story wise, character wise, and even aesthetic wise. The stories fall under the more tragic frame (dealing with issues of race, class, culture, religion) These issues are more prominent than the classic Disney themes of love and happy endings. Female figures are more independent, action-based, saving the males, not ending up with the male protagonists. The films are visually dark as well as their content.
I guess my main questions are why the shift to more socially and politically conscious films? Why are Ariel, Belle, Jasmine more well known/popular? The Renaissance peaked with the Lion King and these films were not NEARLY as successful as the beginning half of the 90s. Is it because the first half are actually princesses (2nd group are not)? Maybe because the 2nd group are all of different ethnicities?
If anyone would like to add ideas or provide input, it would be very beneficial to my research!!
- Arielle
I've basically divided the Renaissance into two groups: Little Mermaid, Beauty&Beast, Aladdin VERSUS Pocahontas, Hunchback, Mulan. Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine represent the more Classic Disney females, while Pocahontas, Esmeralda, and Mulan are the more New Wave Feminist figures.
After Disney's 20 year 'blah' period due to the death of Disney plus other factors, the Renaissance started with the release of the Little Mermaid (animation style evolved, music was more broadway styled). So Disney's foot was back in the door with the release of films that mirrored the classic era of Disney (Snow White, Cinderella), but with a modern twist. They try to make the female heroines more independent, (but they're really not).
The reason I put Jasmine in the first group is because even though she is Disney's first ethnic female character, she is basically the ethnic version of Snow White (plus she's a secondary character). So Disney is still giving the audience what they want, but trying to branch out racially and culturally.
Suddenly, there is a MASSIVE and SIGNIFICANT shift with the release of Pocahontas, Hunchback, and Mulan. There is a shift story wise, character wise, and even aesthetic wise. The stories fall under the more tragic frame (dealing with issues of race, class, culture, religion) These issues are more prominent than the classic Disney themes of love and happy endings. Female figures are more independent, action-based, saving the males, not ending up with the male protagonists. The films are visually dark as well as their content.
I guess my main questions are why the shift to more socially and politically conscious films? Why are Ariel, Belle, Jasmine more well known/popular? The Renaissance peaked with the Lion King and these films were not NEARLY as successful as the beginning half of the 90s. Is it because the first half are actually princesses (2nd group are not)? Maybe because the 2nd group are all of different ethnicities?
If anyone would like to add ideas or provide input, it would be very beneficial to my research!!
- Arielle