Dumbo (1941)

Telling the tale of a self-conscious little elephant who’s just trying to fit in, Dumbo incorporates a lot of positive messages into its lean 64-minute run time. While certainly one of the shortest of Disney’s animated motion pictures, Dumbo still packs a good punch and is enjoyable for children and adults alike. While it may not be as stylistically impressive as Snow White, Pinocchio or Fantasia, it remains a Disney classic.

Mrs. Jumbo, a circus elephant has been waiting for a baby to call her own. One night, the stork brings her a bundle of joy. Only the little guy has a huge set of ears. This causes the Mrs. Jumbo’s peers to shun little Dumbo. They tease him and so do circus goers, which drives Mrs. Jumbo into a rage. She is put in isolation and kept away from her son, who faces a life of ridicule far from the loving embrace of his mother.

Little Dumbo is the only elephant in the circus unafraid of mice. He befriends Timothy, which pays off big. Timothy sees the cruelty Dumbo faces daily and decides to help the youngster find his self worth. They set off on an adventure that wins Dumbo the respect of all and the freedom of his mother.

There’s a lot of good stuff in Dumbo. It tells a positive story of a young, insecure child overcoming adversity. Born with a perceived flaw, Dumbo learns that what others see as different is really just part of what makes him himself. He learns to shrug off detractors and mockers and finds meaning in his life through this “flaw.” While children aren’t going to be able to make a living off of big ears, the right message is being sent- “don’t let anyone tell you there is something wrong with you.” Just because he’s different doesn’t make him deficient.

Also, good morals are on display with his mother. While rampaging through the circus isn’t such a good thing to do, her love for her son is unending and she is willing to do anything to make sure he feels safe and secure.

Dumbo’s relationship with Timothy and the crows are also positive. While they acknowledge Dumbo’s unique features with some surprise, they treat him as just another person. They don’t treat him like he’s handicapped; they show him respect as an individual and encourage him to find value in himself. The crows have come to be considered racist and stereotypical characterizations of black people, which I can understand, but the fact remains that they were some of the only genuine and supportive characters in the film.

This was Disney’s fourth full-length animated film. It seems that after three lush films with impeccable detail (Snow White, Pinocchio and Fantasia), Disney was going for a more laid back approach with Dumbo. In many ways it works. Too much detail would have become very distracting during the circus bits. Seeing vague outlines of spectators was perfectly fine. There wouldn’t have been any need to put any extra detail there.

That being said, I can’t help but compare the animation of Dumbo to Disney’s previous efforts. The story structure and moralistic qualities are every bit as there as its predecessors but the difference in animation came as quite a jolt. The difference was intentional in order to maximize profits, which I can understand. It’s just a big change, especially after Fantasia’s achievements in artistic quality.

The story is great and the animation is pretty good too. The only other thing that surprised me was how short it was. Seeing as it’s been at least 20 years since I’ve seen this film, I shouldn’t be surprised. Everything was bigger and took longer when I was a kid. Dumbo deserves its reputation as an animated classic.

RATING: 3.75 out of 5

Pinocchio (1940)

Walt Disney’s second full length animated feature film is full of surprises. Firstly, it is surprising to see a story of Italian origin depict Italians in a rather harsh way. Perhaps this is because of tensions of Italian allegiance to Germany during the time period. Whatever the reason, if you look closely, you’ll find that the good guys in Pinocchio (Geppetto, Pinocchio and the blue fairy) are all fair skinned, more closely resembling Western European and American whites. In contrast, Stromboli, the villainous puppet maker looks and acts stereotypically, with darker skin and sharp gestures. It’s almost as if Disney was playing to “whiter” audiences’ prejudices.

Another unique aspect of Pinocchio is how dark it is. Essentially a morality tale of how to be a good and proper child, there is no romance and plenty of bleakness through most of the film. The beginning and the end are the joyful high points, while hope seems barely a glimmer through the middle. It creates a very down-trodden feel, but not quite to the point of hopelessness.

Despite not being as cheery overall as Snow White, Pinocchio is still a marvel for the eyes. Rich backgrounds and fabulous colors are everywhere, showcasing Disney’s complete and utter mastery for the art form. It’s truly mind-boggling how much detail Disney puts into the background elements. Later animation styles would try and skim these out, creating a more bare-bones feel, but the lushness of the stories Disney chose to animate early on really need all the little details in the background.

Oddly discomforting, yet spellbinding just the same, Pinocchio is another must-see classic from Disney.

RATING: 4.25 out of 5